With the onset of low-rise pants, short skirts, thong underwear and other crotch-related fashion trends, so-called “avant-garde” pubic hair can’t be too far behind.

Ever the fashionista, I asked my esthetician, Bridget, about it, and I was astounded. She told me she could do various personalized shapes, letters, and that she may be able to do color. Is this what’s expected now? Am I behind the pubic curve? I always thought my bi-weekly Brazilian wax was on the cutting edge, but I consider it more of a hygiene issue than a fashion statement.

Personal hygiene is something we’ve been told is a good thing since we were five (when our mothers reminded us to wash behind our ears and between our toes). Since then, most of us have, hopefully, taken that lesson to heart.

But what’s the litmus test for measuring pubic hygiene? My guy friends have told me that, as long as a girl has a clean, well-groomed, shall we say, “situation” (in the words of Dane Cook), they’re happy. Dissatisfied with this vague response, I delved deeper –