What is "hairshirt"

a. Advocating or adopting a relatively ascetic lifestyle, especially for environmentalist reasons. n. 1 A shirt made of haircloth; a cilice; especially one worn by ascetics or the penitent 2 (cx: figurative) A state of penitence and humility.

A hairshirt is a cilice, an uncomfortable shirt worn by some Catholics and, earlier, by Jews as a sign of penance. Hairshirt may also refer to:

• Hairshirt (film), a 1998 motion picture starring Dean Paras, Chris Hogan, Evan Glenn and Neve Campbell
• "Hairshirt", a song by R.E.M. from the album Green

Hairshirt (released to home video as Too Smooth) is a 1998 romantic comedy film starring Dean Paras, Neve Campbell, Katie Wright, Rebecca Gayheart and Stefan Brogren.