Return of the rug: Why hairy chests are growing on people

Hair trends, above and below, are usually driven by women, with countless articles devoted to the return of the bob (thank you, Margot Robbie) and the bush (thank you, Kim Kardashian’s Skims merkin) but men are coming into follicular focus with something in between.

After decades in which smooth-chested men have dominated Hollywood and advertising campaigns, chest carpets are growing on audiences and consumers.

“Compared to a few years back, it is now 50 per cent for chest hair and 50 per cent without,” says Hannah Stamoulis, senior men’s booking agent for modelling agency Chic and Scoop Management. “We are working in a more inclusive market with a wide range of clients.”

“Generally, it is brands targeting an older demographic or country lifestyle brands. However, we are seeing an increase in clients preferring a more authentic look which involves chest and facial hair.”

The revival of the ’80s ideal of cricketer Dennis Lillee and Magnum PI actor Tom Selleck, sporting tufts of curls peeking from open shirts and camouflaging gold medallions, began with French President Emmanuel Macron posing for photographs in an unbuttoned shirt with an impressive pectoral pelt in 2022.

The trend picked up speed with Prince William posing in an unbuttoned shirt in 2024, revealing a sprinkling of body hair to match his beard.

The popularity of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, which became the most successful streaming series on Disney+, with more than 65 million hours watched, has cemented the trend.

Commentary around the body hair of actor Paul Anthony Kelly, playing Kennedy Jr, reached the same volume as the buzz around Sarah Pidgeon’s perfect black dresses playing Bessette.

“We live in a time when everyone is hairless and beefy and ripped and whatever,” Kelly told menswear title GQ. “I keep it au naturel.”

The trend is impacting the grooming industry. Men’s spa Mankind in Sydney is seeing an increase in men moving away from full chest waxing.

“The current trend leans more towards controlled, natural grooming rather than complete removal,” says salon owner Naomi Mkhani. “While laser hair removal is an option some men consider, in this area, many clients now prefer not to permanently remove the hair.”

Hair transplant clinics are also beginning to field more enquiries for body hair transplants, including the chest region.

“It is more popular in hispanic countries and Brazil, but trends are slower to pick up in Australia,” says Dr Ossman Ashraf, co-founder of Hair Doctors, with clinics in Melbourne and Sydney. “We’re seeing a small trend of people wanting hair on their body now.”

The final frontier for chest fur is the runway, where fresh-faced and smooth-chested models dominate the shows of Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana and Giorgio Armani.

“If the client requests it, then we ask the model to wax or shave, however most are clipped,” says Stamoulis. “The more cutting-edge high-end brands prefer no chest hair, and you definitely do not see chest hair on the international catwalks.”

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