Blast from the past: What happened to hairy chests
During the 1970s stars like (Sex Bomb) Tom Jones, Burt Reynolds and, of course, furriest of them all, Tom Selleck, sported their chest carpets as a symbol of unbridled virility. A hairy chest said – "Play your cards right, ladies and all this could be yours!"
Call it louche, call it sleazy, men back then aspired to rugged masculinity and a deep pile. Perhaps in the days before central heating, a furry thicket helped keep the torso warm. No need for a vest.
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Hide AdGradually hairy chests were considered a bit naff. Men started primping and preening, they waxed their undergrowth and became ‘metrosexuals’. Buff became the norm. Consider Daniel Craig emerging from the sea in Casino Royale, a torso as smooth as an egg. Compare that to ‘hairy’ Bond, Sean Connery, whose chest-hair could regularly be seen poking out of the top of his collar. It was like a small monkey had climbed inside his shirt and was reaching up to strangle him.
Fashion is cyclical so it’s only a matter of time before furry chests make a comeback. It’s a hairy prospect!
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