You Look Better When You Try Hard

And frankly, most people aren't in danger of trying too hard.

I recently finished reading The Viral Article that distinguishes “fashion insider” aesthetics from “influencer” aesthetics, opening with the defense of Chloe Malle (Anna Wintour’s “sort-of-successor”) and the way she presents herself. Notably, according to her critics, she is not super “done,” and nothing she’s wearing looks terribly cutting edge or trendy. But alas, she is High Fashion, something that confused the Internet commoners.

The aforementioned article then explains how much of what we think is stylish is actually low-brow Kardashian slop, from fillers to fake nails to My Little Pony lashes. While I generally liked the writing, this did feel a bit warmed over. It was “What Old Money Actually Looks Like” Instagram Reels redux, if you will. Not to do the ultimate meta reference of Anna Wintour but, “Elegance by not trying at all? Groundbreaking.”

The author isn’t wrong, per se. She’s right that over-the-top high maintenance looks read as less elevated, less elegant, and less chic. It actually feels very obvious to the point that I’m surprised anyone needed an explainer. But there were a few moments where she described a certain horseshoe effect of beauty where the nonchalant, effortlessly chic aesthetic is indistinguishable from the way someone who actually doesn’t give a shit about fashion at all might look. For example, she says that true fashion insiders don’t wear nail polish or even mascara. This led to a bunch of people who don’t put any effort into their appearance, and have no interest in looking like a fashion insider, patting themselves on the backs for being ultra-chic by mistake. It’s giving:

The only problem is, most of you—most people in general—are this guy: