[mousepod]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

When exactly did leg shaving become the thing to do? Did the aristocratic ladies of the 1700's shave their legs? Did the pioneer women of the 1800's take time to shave their legs? Just how much is that connected with the idea of a woman being a young girl? Or is it about tactile sensations instead?

From the wikipedia. Take it FWIW:

For women, the practice of shaving the legs derives from a relatively recent cultural standard in the West that deems leg hair on women unattractive. This standard emerged during the twentieth century, at a time when women's legs became more visible, and when the safety razor made the practice of leg shaving practical. The reasons for this cultural standard are debated, but this is sometimes seen as an example of a cultural mechanism for increasing sexual dimorphism. Others have suggested that it was promoted as a means of selling razors to a broader segment of the populace.