In my opinion, these "WWIB?" sections have more substance than other sections of magazines. Do we really need photographic evidence to prove celebrities buy milk at the grocery store or pictures of the "worst" beach bodies to prove celebrities are like us? No. And although there is never very much text assigned to each snapshot of an outfit, readers get to come up with our own opinion and explanation of the style.
The Who Wore it Better sections are fun because it is a test of fashion sense and style. This is why, as fashionistas, we enjoy to see how outfits are created differently and we can see who aligns with our own personal styles or gain ideas on how to style ourselves differently. What runs through my mind when I see two of the same dresses side by side could go something like this: "Oh, I love those shoes with that dress...maybe she should have worn a little less accessories...I like how she paired it with that purse...The belt was a nice addition to accentuate her waist." Nothing is ever overtly negative, it is simply a statement of personal preference.
I think this is refreshing in a time where paparazzi and the media are over eager to show the world the most unflattering picture of a celebrity. Articles about how terrible a female celebrity looks without makeup on or how awful a male celebrity looks without his shirt on reflect badly on our culture. We should be embracing these people for not being perfect. We are all humans, none of us are perfect, and we should all be celebrated for our flaws and imperfections (see: John Legend's "All of Me" lyrics). We plead for celebrities to be more like us and usually take issue with celebrity retouching and plastic surgeries yet when we see them as they truly are, we tear them apart. Then we wonder why this female standard of striving for perfection and abhorrence to being makeup-less in public exists.
What is important in these "WWIB?" sections is that there is (usually) a respect for each outfit choice. Instead of bashing one look in favor of another, each look is analyzed against its counterpart to see which style looks the best.
If you're wondering what sparked my writing of this post, I happened to stumble upon a picture of Kate Middleton in this L.K. Bennett dress pictured below and remembered seeing Mindy Kaling wear it in the episode of "The Mindy Project" I watched yesterday (Season 2, Episode 19: Think Like A Peter). What immediately came to mind was not how much better one woman looked in the dress than the other, but how beautiful each woman looked in the gorgeous dress. I am drawn to this dress because I think it is stunning. I love the blue flowers against the white.
 |
| L.K. Bennett Dress |
When I saw Mindy wearing this dress I fell in love with how she style it. Her blue Chanel bag did not come across as too matchy but instead served as a perfect compliment to the blue flowers. Mindy's bright blue heels also looked perfect with the dress. Mindy's blue statement earrings did not look too matchy either but continued to enhance the dresses blue detail. Because the blue was not the main color of the dress, blue accessories could be used without overpowering the dress. Her khaki coat added a neutral to let the dress be the main focus.
 |
| Mindy Kaling with co-stars on "The Mindy Project" |
Kate Middleton was not too different in her styling choices. She also paired the dress with a blue purse, though hers was a lighter blue clutch. She also chose blue shoes but her dark blue heels complimented the blue of the dress without matching. Kate's simple silver jewelry was classic.
 |
| Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge |
While Mindy's outfit was more fun and bright, Kate's outfit was classic and sweet. Both women looked absolutely wonderful and I think the dress looked amazing on both of them. I might have styled the dress either way. But since I'm more wary of too much matching I might have gone more with Kate's style. However, Mindy's bold choices are very appealing to me and I might be more bold in my own styling choices as a result of how much I loved her blue bag and blue statement earrings.
In the match up of Kate Middleton and Mindy Kaling, I think both women would win the contest.
Here's why "Who Wore It Better" is fun; because you get to learn about the style of others while also learning about your own. The focus isn't on tearing down celebrities. This is, of course, as long as you aren't thinking along the lines of Joan Rivers on "Fashion Police". Rude opinions like those that come from Joan Rivers range from shaming people's body types to even bigger, harsher insults should be left out of "WWIB?".
***Images taken from Google Images, I do not claim to own or have taken any of the images in this post***
No comments :
Post a Comment