Over on XOJane, a fashion blogger writes about the pressure she encounters to dress like street style bait: “It’s not I’m not that into dressing up, or I don’t know how to put an outfit together. It’s just that most days, I would rather hold on to a few more precious minutes of sleep, than wake up earlier, put together a look, and do my own hair and makeup.”
The writer was overwhelmed with negative comments calling out her style when a publication she works for posted a couple candid, full-length photos from an event. Commenters did not think she looked the part of a fashion blogger.
The criticism came as a surprise: “Normally, I don’t let what other people say about my outfits bother me, but for some reason I was feeling a little hurt. No one ever in my life has told me I’m not fashionable. Like, literally ever. I always wore what I wanted and what I felt comfortable and confident in, and I usually get complimented on what I wear by friends, family, and random people in the New York City streets.”
We all realize that the vast majority of street style photography only pretends to document normal, everyday people, but it’s easy to forget. In reality, it takes a lot of time, effort and money to achieve that kind of look — and quite frankly, most working people aren’t up for that. People employed in the fashion sector do naturally feel greater pressure to conform their appearance to that standard, but it’s poppycock. To that end, there’s no better role model than critic Cathy Horyn, who simply rolled her eyes into the back of her head when Saint Laurent designer Hedi Slimane derided her sense of style (“seriously challenged”) on Twitter.
