Latest news with #HistoryCoolKids
Hindustan Times
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
1961 pic of Sophia Loren in swimsuit and unshaved armpits ‘at a time when female body hair was less taboo'
Today, women are challenging traditional beauty standards, reclaiming their right to choose how they present their bodies. You might have come across social media hashtags like #BodyHairDontCare and #FreeThePits, which promote self-acceptance and body autonomy. Amid this, an old black-and-white photo of Sophia Loren from her 20s has surfaced online, proving that embracing natural body hair can be a powerful form of self-expression and individuality. Also read | 'Just shave': Gigi Hadid 'flaunts' armpit hair on calendar shoot, fans go berserk History Cool Kids shared veteran Italian actor Sophia Loren's picture on Instagram and it has been garnering attention. (Instagram/ History Cool Kids) 'Razor ads framed body hair as unfeminine' In a July 15 Instagram post, History Cool Kids, an Instagram account that's filled with pictures and stories from moments in history, shared the veteran Italian actor's picture that's garnering attention. Sophia, who is now 90, wore a dark swimsuit and displayed unshaved armpits in the candid picture taken on a boat; it is not clear if this was a deliberate choice to challenge beauty standards or a personal preference. The accompanying caption by History Cool Kids read, 'Sophia Loren in Naples, Italy, 1961 at a time when female body hair was less taboo. Before the 20th century, visible body hair on women wasn't much discussed, partly because women's fashions rarely exposed underarms.' It further said, 'The turning point came in the early 20th century, when sleeveless dresses and swimsuits became fashionable. Around 1915, magazines and razor companies in the United States and Europe began targeting women, promoting underarm shaving as a new standard of 'cleanliness' and 'modern beauty'. Razor ads framed body hair as unsightly and unfeminine, helping build a market where none existed before. As mass media and Hollywood spread these ideals globally, smooth underarms became linked with youth, attractiveness, and good grooming. By the mid-century, the idea that women needed to remove body hair was deeply rooted in mainstream culture.' It concluded, 'Of course, norms vary. In some cultures, visible female body hair has been less stigmatised. And in recent years, there's been a small but noticeable pushback: some women deliberately keep armpit hair to challenge beauty standards, reclaim autonomy, or reject commercial pressures. But the taboo persists largely because it's tied to powerful, long-standing ideas about how female bodies 'should' look to appear acceptable or desirable in public.' Reactions of social media Society has long dictated that women should be hairless, particularly in visible areas like underarms. However, a number of Instagram users responded to the post to discuss how a growing number of women are rejecting these expectations and embracing their natural body hair as a form of self-expression and body positivity. Others said we still had a long way to go. A comment on the post read, 'It's always fascinated me how this kind of 'cleanliness' only concerns women; yet men can surely achieve the same standards of 'cleanliness' with their armpit heirs still in place. I once suggested to a male friend that he shave his armpits after he complained about BO. He had never once thought about shaving. Not once.' 'I haven't shaved my armpits in 10 years' Someone said, 'I haven't shaved my armpits in 10 years. It seems like a completely pointless endeavor. I don't mind if other people want to shave, that's totally their choice, but for me, it's not necessary. It's the way we were made.' An Instagram user also commented, 'I have come to the point that I really do not bother to shave. I am happy and comfortable in my own skin and if people don't like it… too bad.' Another said, "I don't really give my armpit hair much thought and neither should you."
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Evolution of women's bathing suit 'from 1875 to 1927' amuses internet: ‘Really showing some skin in 1890'
Would you like to know more about the history of women's swimwear? In a June 8 Instagram post, History Cool Kids, an Instagram account that's filled with pictures and stories from interesting and touching moments in history, shared an undated black-and-white photo highlighting the 'evolution of the women's bathing suit from 1875 to 1927'. Some of these are proper bathing gowns. Also read | 80 years of bikini in pictures: Standout pieces from Paris exhibition In early 1900s, the introduction of the 'bathing suit' as we know it began to take shape. Suits were still quite modest but started to reveal more skin, especially the arms and legs.(Instagram/ History Cool Kids) 'Wearing heels to the beach is hilarious' The progression of women's swimwear in the old photo reflects changing societal attitudes towards women's bodies and recreation. The accompanying caption listed 'a few observations' made by History Cool Kids: 1. My OCD (obsessive–compulsive disorder) dislikes how the lineup goes from right to left and how the year signs are all different sizes. 2. Bathing suit from 1925 looks like she's about to go to a New Year's party. Stockings on the beach? 3. Bathing suit from 1890 is surprisingly cute and also offers sun protection. 4. Wearing heels to the beach is hilarious. 5. If we were to do this lineup today, it would start at 1973. Changes in women's swimwear In the 1800s, women's swimwear was heavily influenced by modesty standards as the bathing costumes resembled dresses, with long sleeves, high necklines, and weights to prevent them from floating up in the water. In the late 1800s, swimwear started to become slightly more practical, with shorter sleeves and slightly shorter hemlines. However, women still wore stockings and shoes while swimming! In the early 1900s, the introduction of the 'bathing suit' as we know it began to take shape. Suits were still quite modest but started to reveal more skin, especially the arms and legs. 'Basically swimming in sweaters' As expected, social media users were entertained by the dramatic transformation from restrictive, full-coverage suits to the diverse, fashionable swimwear of 1927, which almost looked like something you could wear to the beach even today. An Instagram user commented on History Cool Kids' post, 'The 1927 one is actually cute.' Someone else wrote, 'Early swimsuits were made of wool. So at least a few of these ladies were basically swimming in sweaters.' A person also said, 'All that fabric getting wet would be so heavy, why.' Another commented, 'I'm laughing about stockings with the swimsuit, 1925.' A comment also read, 'Really showing some skin in 1890: ankles, elbows and a little neck!' Another said, 'I like how in 1890 they let them show a little ankle then they went right back to the ankle length pantaloons in 1900.' A person joked, '1875: You ladies ready to go drowning?'
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Russian doctor who cut out his appendix on 1961 Antarctic expedition has a remarkable story. Here's what happened
In a May 2015 interview with BBC News, Russian surgeon Leonid Rogozov's son Vladislav shared how his father successfully performed surgery on himself to remove an infected appendix, using local anaesthesia and a mirror to guide his movements as there were no other medical options available. Also read | Building up India's health: A 1951 essay by health minister Amrit Kaur, from the HT archives This happened in 1961, when the then 27-year-old surgeon – who was the only doctor on a team of 12 – became seriously ill while on an expedition to the Antarctic. He was part of the sixth Soviet Antarctic expedition sent to build a new base at the Schirmacher Oasis. As the polar winter rolled in, Leonid reportedly started to feel tired, weak and nauseous, and later a strong pain developed down the right side of his abdomen. Vladislav recalled: 'Being a surgeon, he had no difficulty in diagnosing acute appendicitis... It was a condition he'd operated on many times, and in the civilised world it's a routine operation. But unfortunately, he didn't find himself in the civilised world – instead, he was in the middle of a polar wasteland.' Vladislav shared that his father's life was in danger, and he had no hope of outside help: the journey from Russia to the Antarctic had taken 36 days by sea, and the ship wouldn't be back for another year, while flying was impossible because of the snow and blizzards. He recalled how his father made the decision that he would perform an auto-appendectomy rather than die not doing anything. 'He was confronted with a very difficult situation of life and death. He could wait for no help, or make an attempt to operate on himself... he had to open his own abdomen to take his intestines out. He didn't know if that was humanly possible... if my father was to fail and die it would definitely put a hard hat of negative publicity on the Soviet Antarctic programme,' Vladislav said. Leonid had two assistants to hold up a mirror, position the lamp, hand him instruments and wipe the sweat off his forehead as he went to work. The surgery was a success and Leonid was reportedly able to resume his duties after two weeks. Upon his return from the expedition, he worked as a doctor in different hospitals in Leningrad. He died in 2000 at age 66. A post shared by History Cool Kids (@historycoolkids) In an April 24 Instagram post, History Cool Kids, an Instagram account that's filled with pictures and touching stories from moments in history, shared Leonid's thoughts gathered in his journal. An excerpt read, 'I did not sleep at all last night. It hurts like the devil! A snowstorm whipping through my soul, wailing like a hundred jackals. Still no obvious symptoms that perforation is imminent, but an oppressive feeling of foreboding hangs over me... This is it... I have to think through the only possible way out: to operate on myself... It's almost impossible... but I can't just fold my arms and give up.' His journal entry continued: 'I worked without gloves. It was hard to see. The mirror helps, but it also hinders—after all, it's showing things backwards. I work mainly by touch. The bleeding is quite heavy, but I take my time—I try to work surely. Opening the peritoneum, I injured the blind gut and had to sew it up. Suddenly it flashed through my mind: there are more injuries here and I didn't notice them ... I grow weaker and weaker, my head starts to spin. Every 4-5 minutes I rest for 20-25 seconds. Finally, here it is, the cursed appendage! With horror I notice the dark stain at its base. That means just a day longer and it would have burst and ... At the worst moment of removing the appendix I flagged: my heart seized up and noticeably slowed; my hands felt like rubber. Well, I thought, it's going to end badly. And all that was left was removing the appendix ... And then I realised that, basically, I was already saved.'
