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Updated 17:41 17 Oct 2025 GMT+1Published 17:26 17 Oct 2025 GMT+1

Britt Jones

To bush or not to bush? That has been on everyone’s mind since Kim Kardashian launched her new underwear range.

You may not have expected to 'free the bush' this year, but people have been buying Kim’s latest SKIMS products like never before, with The Ultimate Bush collection selling out.

The faux intimate hair thongs are available in 12 different shades and cost a staggering £34 per pair.

Now, if you’ve never seen a pant with hair on it, apparently, it’s been something of a historical fixture.

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Way before Vogue declared 'the bush was back' in 2018, and the Maison Margiela haute couture show had its models flash a bit of faux hair down there, there was the merkin.

If you’re scratching your head, wondering what a merkin is, you’ll find out in just a moment.

It was after Kim's company released the bush garments that people began to point out that there had already been a 'bush collection'.

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On X, people were raving about it under the announcement, with one writing: “Doesn't this already exist? It's called a ‘merkin’.”

Another said: “She reinvented the Merkin.”

Someone else questioned: “What is the Merkin trend.”

Well, one user hit the nail right on the head, writing: “Did you know that they were invented centuries ago? Mostly used by sex workers who kept their pubic hair short to reduce the risk of bugs, etc or to hide sickness induced hair loss. BUT more hair was seen as attractive... tadaaa the Merkin.”

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According to the Oxford Companion to the Body, 1450 was the year the word ‘malkin’ first appeared, which was then altered to merkin some years later.

At a time when pubic hair was a symbol of wealth and health in nobility, sex workers often took up wearing a toupee downstairs to give the appearance of a full bush - mostly to conceal sexually transmitted infections.

Long before waxing, plucking, lasering and shaving became the norm for women, luscious locks were all in style - birthing a merkin as an alternative for those who lost their hair, had to shave it thanks to public lice, or maybe didn’t have the desired bush.

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Essentially, it’s exactly what Kim K is selling: a vaginal toupée.

People would wear it and feel proud that they had a bush to behold.

Even after it became normal to shave, the merkin remained in good standing, with actresses wearing them in films and sex workers continuing to don them.

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If you want to see the merkins in real life, the London Dungeon has revealed it is presenting the 'history of the merkin' and will be giving them out to people.

If you think your decor is looking a little bleak, hanging one up above your front door like a mark of 80s feminism could be what you need.

The dungeon wrote: “The ‘merkin,’ a pubic wig worn for both practical and provocative reasons, dates back several centuries and was particularly popular in Victorian England. Merkins were all the rage among ladies (and gentlemen) seeking to preserve their modesty, hide diseases, or add a little extra drama under the corset.”

With Halloween around the corner, the London Dungeon stated it will offer the first 50 guests to say ‘give me a merkin’ this Saturday, to be gifted their own.

“The Victorians were not as prim and proper as people think — and the merkin is proof,” a spokesperson said. “We couldn’t resist bringing this bit of history back, especially with modern fashion rediscovering it. Whether you’re here for the scares, the history, or the hair — we’ve got you covered.”

Fancy sending me one if you go? I want to frame it.

Topics: Kim Kardashian