Fashion Realities
Bad style - does it truly exist?
published 03.10.2024
Clashing patterns, ill-fitted pants, weird boots and a feathery scarf, staples of an outfit many of us would title as horrendous. These so-called fashion crimes have surrounded our communities for as long as I can think of – perhaps even longer cause I´m only 20. But to get to the bottom of this, is something truly a bad outfit or just a personal expression that we are not used to?
After recently reading Nathalie Olah´s book “Bad Taste” a multitude of new viewpoints made their way into my perception on fashion and personal style. She discusses the influential aspects of culture, power and class and connects those to our very narrow sense on what is “pretty” versus “ugly”. In her chapter on fashion – besides food, beauty and interior design – she puts an emphasis on the 2014 Normcore movement.
Normcore was one of the biggest anti-fashion fashion movements competing with our beloved early 90s grunge. Everyone wanted to look like they didn´t care, but those jeans had to be Lévis and ankle-length. The T-shirt boxy, not too oversized and please for the love of god made from 100% organic cotton. The fashion police busted everyone who didn’t follow, no personality just careless chic. At that time “bad style” rose to a new level.
Style being a reflection of your identity can – in my eyes – never truly be bad. Yes, I would not wear it personally, but who am I to judge whether that skirt is too short or that lime green clashes with mustard yellow. That´s how my thinking works, but not everyone is of the same opinion and judgements get harsher and borderline threatening. Especially through the possibility of being anonymous over social media, anyone can be as disgusting as they want.
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The broader question is where do these judgements even arise? Well, society duh as always, but shouldn´t we keep in mind what drives our society? Sadly it´s not freedom or unconditional love, but capitalism and always needing more. Never being good enough, filling that hole with things that they tell you make you good enough.
We strive for more money, more power, more labels, so people won´t try and look past that made-up “success”, so that they won´t see how much we hate that stomach flap, being in a toxic relationship, the messy apartment or those dirty secrets. Insecurities, that we now use as a drive to cover up the voices and facts that make us stay awake till 3am.
Calling someone's outfit ugly will not make anything better. Maybe they don´t care about it, maybe they care and like it or they have to work with what they got. Not everyone has the privileged to do the seasonal “closet revamp”, to follow the trends, to buy and buy and buy. So please do not make me form opinions on bad style, there is no such thing as an ugly outfit, just an ugly mindset making unnecessary comments.