Adidas posted a photo of model, professional pole dancer, and choreographer Leila Davis showing off her armpit hair on Friday morning—and the Internet immediately responded.
The photo, which is the first in a series that showcases new Adidas athletic wear made in partnership with designer Stella McCartney, has already received nearly 40,000 likes and more than 1,500 comments. The caption reads, in part: "Support your movement in performance wear designed for your body, mind and planet."
Social media users immediately praised the post for its show of body positivity. User @sarahmikalaa wrote: "normalize body hair, it's just f***ing hair." And another Instagram user, @gracieeccles, thanked Adidas for the post, writing: "Thank you Adidas for supporting women in having the choice to do with their bodies as they please. Men can have body hair..so why is it not yet fully accepted in society for women? A beautiful post."
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But, as is usually the case, body positivity warriors weren't the only ones swift to react to the post—trolls came too. Thankfully user @_lele_11 shut them down, writing: "All the people commenting disgusting or the puke face are very immature, Body hair is a natural and normal part of being human, this model having armpit hair does not mean she or they are unclean in any way. If you personally don't like armpit hair that's your prerogative, don't beat up the model for their choice to let their armpit hair grow and be comfortable with it."
Davis also called out negative commenters on her Twitter page. "So a brand posted some cute pics of me and because I have armpit hair people are PRESSED!" she wrote. "You do [realize] it grows there naturally, right?"
The Instagram post from Adidas, of course, isn't highlighting anything new: In recent years, more and more women—celebrities included—have showcased their armpit hair in photos and on social media. Last year, Lourdes Leon, Madonna's daughter, rocked armpit hair at her mother's 62nd birthday party, and body positivity icon Ashley Graham shared a postpartum photo of herself, showing off her armpit hair in her selfie pose. In 2019 singer Halsey showed off her armpit hair on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Adidas's effort to join this facet of the body positivity movement—and allow women to wear their natural body hair however they like—didn't go unnoticed. As Instagram user @ayemarie03 wrote: "Yes queen…We see you Adidas!"
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