My wife and I have a disagreement... Help us settle

[Tom Sawyer]

The premise: We have a dispute, and we want the advice of Christians.
Background: She does not shave her legs as a lifestyle. He loves smooth legs.
She shaves her legs for his birthday sometimes-- as a gift. She will do this as an anniversary gift too.
Her side: I'm the same person whether I shave or not. My husband is a good Christian man, and we have a healthy, loving relationship, but, he changes when I shave my legs. This bothers me. He's more kind, more affectionate, and more complimentary. I believe he should appreciate me for who I am and not just my shaved legs. Whether I shave or not, my husband should be kind, affectionate and complimentary all the time. It shouldn't change just because I shave. Using a razor doesn't change who I am on the inside. It's my inner beauty that matters most.

His side: I'm grateful when she shaves, and I tell her such. In fact, to me, it endears her more to me. I tell her I'm humbly grateful for the times when she does this for me. Yes, I compliment her more and I'm more affectionate when she's shaved. It's a gift to me, and I feel I'm appreciating it. No doubt, she's always attractive to me, but she is the most physically attractive to me when her legs are shaved. I'm complimentary and gracious with my wife on a regular basis, but when I get this gift, yes, I'm more affectionate and kind. I express gratitude regularly for the meals she cooks, but when she creates a spectacular dish, I gush over it. When she wears a fancy dress, I tend to dote on her more. I think this is human nature, and I don't believe I'm doing anything wrong or offensive.

What does the jury say?

While natural law says a bit of hair on women is feminine enough for God, the plain teaching of the Bible is for the wife to submit to her husband's will. It is not evil for her to shave her legs, so if her husband really desires it, that's what she should do to please him. She can voice her concerns and beliefs, but at the end of the day she should joyfully submit for the sake of making him happy.

That said, I do not ask my wife to shave her legs, and I respect God's hand in nature. I don't ask her to dye her hair either, and I don't dye mine, even though I'm getting a bit grey. We don't do jewelry either (although we used to). I think the simple humble thing is to respect how the Lord made our bodies and how our bodies function under normal conditions. However, it is not intrinsically evil to shave, as hair is such a minor thing. Me, I've got a beard.