It's ok to love fashion!
see also: it's ok to not know everything!
Fashion & Beauty Substack has become my safe space to reveal that I enjoy fashion. I am fascinated by clothes and the designers that make them. I am fascinated by society’s response to said clothes. Tracing current trends back to their origins on the runway is intriguing. Most importantly, participating in fashion by getting dressed intentionally, discovering a personal style, forming opinions, and joining the conversation is FUN.
Here, saying I enjoy fashion is a given. But in real life, I am a bit bashful about the topic. I worry people won’t know I’m wearing the ‘wrong’ shoes on purpose. I stress about being over-dressed for a casual occasion. When my proud husband brings up my lil substack in conversation with other people I shut it down quickly before my face gets too red.
And I can’t help but wonder… why does fashion feel taboo everywhere except the internet? Why is it a more embarrassing hobby than others? Why does it feel more like admitting to a guilty pleasure than a genuine interest?1
I asked the question, I have some ideas for the answers, and I have a rebuttal. This is a full on thesis baby! I’ve been thinking.
Fashion can feel v exclusive :)
I was scared to chime in for a long time because I didn’t have all the pre-requisites. I didn’t know the significance behind cerulean. I didn’t know how to spell ‘Gabbana’. I didn’t know how to say Loewe until their most recent campaign. But you know what, it is so lame when a conversation is reserved for only an elite few. There is room at the table for people who aren’t know-it-alls.
To be a writer you just need to write
To be a painter you just need to paint
To be a runner you just need to run
To be ‘into fashion’ you just need to care about it
No one appreciates the work of people with a plethora of knowledge and experience more than I do. Truly, I live for it! I am not diminishing them. I am just suggesting the conversation around fashion can sometimes feel a little too ‘if you know you know, and if don’t, you wouldn’t get it anyway.’
I don’t think we need less voices in this space, I think we need more voices who aren’t claiming to have it all figured out. It’s the self-important ‘how to dress like a cool girl’ clatter that could die down. But the thought pieces that require effort from their writer as they humbly present ideas or even reiterate old ideas in a new way- give me them all.
If I’m alone in having felt this way- that is fabulous. But if you also feel shy to consider yourself ‘into fashion’ because you worry about rejection from the bougie people with all the answers, maybe take this as a sign to speak up a bit? The most interesting people are interested (in something other than themselves).
And this is soooo not directed at anyone in particular, but rather at a general vibe I get while scrolling typically on platforms besides substack. Maybe I am a one-off who made my way to the worst corner of the internet?
Fashion’s adjacency to shopping brings with it a whole slew of delicate topics like materialism, consumerism and morality :)
I think these are important conversations to have. We own too much stuff. Stuff doesn’t make us happy. All this stuff isn’t good for the planet. What does it say about us if we can’t stop buying the stuff? I understand if we are getting sick of these topics. It isn’t fun to feel obligated to address these concerns or to have to tip-toe around them. The fast-fashion police aren’t helping. BUT these topics are still important!
Also, it is SO possible to participate in fashion without shopping. Heck, you can participate by sharing what you aren’t buying. I eat those pieces up (favs by Total Rec & And I’ve Been Saying That!)2
At the end of the day, fashion doesn’t boil down to ‘stuff’. It is art. It can be understood and appreciated simply by observing.
The bottom line is this :)
You can be into fashion even if you don’t know everything. You can be into fashion and not be materialistic. You can be into fashion and still be mindful of your consumption.
Fashion is not a guilty pleasure3. Fashion is not a self-indulgence. It is a genuine interest and a worthy pursuit. Learning and forming opinions is FUN! It doesn’t make me better than anyone else; it doesn’t make me lesser than anyone else.
Disclaimer :)
I let my fingers run with this one on the keyboard. I don’t know if it a fully fleshed out thought. I’m probably wrong and or alone in some of this. I have counter-arguments for myself. But instead of letting it sit in the drafts I am going to practice what I preach and share my thoughts without claiming to know it all.
Xx, elle
People who live in fashion cities, did I lose you here? I might just be speaking with suburban and rural America? I might just be speaking with myself!
Thoughtful opinions presented in a funny but non self-righteous way. Fantastic! We love!
I think it's gendered, too; fashion is often dismissed because it's a historically "female" interest, and therefore silly, frivolous, less worthy. That said, I think because fashion is often *unfairly* maligned, people who are interested in it can be too quick to dismiss valid criticisms of the industry (throwing the baby out with the bathwater). I think we've been conditioned to be somewhat defensive of fashion as a legitimate interest, and in turn sometimes give the industry a free pass when it shouldn't get one, like in its pushing of rampant consumerism, labor practices, etc.
Totally feel this way, and also have impostor syndrome sometimes (i.e. if I write about home stuff, will people come over and be like omg–her house isn't even that great!). But I was just having this conversation with a wine journalist/somm the other day in the context of wine starting to lose an audience—it's often people who are not necessarily professionals/experts sharing their thoughts in an approachable way that bring new consumers, hobbyists, or fans into the fold. We need that!
Love and appreciate your voice and commentary 🫶