Last weekend, I posted a picture of my midsection (riveting, I know) wearing a striped shirt and a polkadot neckerchief. Not to everyone's taste but not hugely polarising, in the grand sartorial scheme of things, I thought. The sad but true fact was that I just wanted an excuse to write a witty caption about Alexander Wang. But one of the comments underneath, 'hässlich', grabbed my attention - mainly because it was written in German. Two seconds of Google Translate later I learnt that it meant 'ugly'. Charming. Especially from an anonymous troll whose profile picture was Rihanna.
Still, I wasn't fazed. As a nascent fashion bloggerwith a modest Instagram following, I am more prone to image abuse than others. But it did make me think about a depressing new echelon to social media abuse: outfit trolling. With fashion-sharing at an all time high - at the time of publishing, Instagram has had 25 million #ootd (outfit of the day) posted - and twitter trolling receiving so much airtime perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. After all, my experience is hardly a one-off.
Aussie blogger and photographer, Zanita Whittington (above) recently posted a picture of herself on Instagram in a snakeskin print tracksuit from Stella McCartney's SS13 collection. 'I've always felt that if you're dividing opinions on your personal style, you're doing a good job!' she wrote cheerfully underneath. Turns out that was in response to a recent bout of outfit trolling. 'I posted the picture on Instagram after I received a criticism under the picture on my blog,' she told The Debrief. 'A reader had written, "Too baggy with little more to offer than the print."'
'She looks like a whore,' someone called @yousefams wrote underneath a post of me in shorts
It's a similar story on Leandra Medine's mega-successful blog Man Repeller. 'I fall victim to outfit trolling every single time I put anything on any social media outlet,' she tells The Debrief. Just 4 days ago she posted a picture of herself in a Thakoon cropped shirt and Sally La Pointe tailored shorts on Instagram. 'She looks like a whore,' someone called @yousefams wrote underneath, before hundreds of Repellees slammed him for slut-shaming.
Leandra herself responded without fanfare - 'inappropriate, unecessary, incredible rude' - because she's come to think that the trolling is merely an inevitable part of the putting your outfits, well, out there. 'Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you get it wrong,' Leandra admits. 'There was no way that outfit would receive a glowing review. The shorts are kind of ill-fitting and the top is a corporate blue. It was like the Obamacare equivalent of an Instagram selfie. But I stand by it, because I created it!'
But why the inevitability? Whilst expressing opinions over someone's style is nothing new - after all, we do it with our friends all the time - isn't it a bit weird that people feel the right to write bitchy comments on people's outfits that they'd never dream of saying out loud? 'People are entitled to their opinions and I've chosen to put my outfits out there for them to see and critique,' says blogger Ella Catliff of La Petite Anglaise. 'But I do find it weird that people dissect your outfit on Instagram exactly the same way as they might when they look at a magazine with a friend.' Lucy Williams of the sun-strewn blog Fashion Me Now (below) puts this down to there being 'a case of detachment - people assume that anyone posting pictures of themselves must be confident, even arrogant - when that often isn't the case. It can bring out the schoolyard bitchiness in us all'.
But whilst these bloggers admit the constant outfit trolling can get depressing, they're not tempted to bow out and stop sharing. 'It's part of the game', Debrief Contributor and blogger Camille Charriere of Camille Over The Rainbow - who has almost 200K followers on Instagram - says frankly. 'I just think 'fuck the haters,' says Dutch blogger Charlotte Groenveld of The Fashion Guitar. 'Pardon my French, but we all have different opinions about what we would or wouldn't personally wear.' So, shrug it off any carry on, then? Well, yes - says Lucy. If you want to air your dirty laundry (or rather, clean clothes) you have to grow a sturdy backbone and 'be prepared for both positive and negative feedback. And I don't delete the negative. I think it's healthy for readers to see others' comments; both good and bad. The only time I'd delete anything is if it was threatening or explicit - as that's always unacceptable.'
What else should surely be seen as unacceptable is the body-trolling that appears to be even more prolific than outfit-shaming. 'I'm surprised I haven't received any outfit trolling as I can put together some odd bits,' said Olivia Purvis of What Olivia Did (below) when I caught up with her. 'I have, however, had comments about my corned beef legs (impressive, right?) and the size of my thighs. It really knocked me, as it's a part of me I'm really self conscious about. I've just learnt now not to plant seeds. Never say how much you hate a body part of yourself - as it just gives them reason to knock you. Sad, but true.'
The svelte sisters Jess and Stef Dadon behind Aussie blogging doublet How Two Live (below) regularly receive comments underneath their Instagram posts like 'scary skinny' - although sweetly, other readers soon rally to defend them against 'body bashing.' The sisters themselves? They never engage. The Fashion Guitar's Charlotte was incredulous when people accused her of dieting, after she had just given birth to her second child: 'And it was by people who knew nothing about pregnancy, breast feeding, or ME!' Lucy finds body-shaming equally enraging. 'I had a comment about a year ago under a post from holiday claiming I look 'emaciated' with 'cooked' skin. Not only had I made a* point* of talking about the strength of the Mexican sun and how upset I was that I'd got sun burnt, but I know I'm healthy and I love my food - someone labelling me as malnourished bothered me.'
'I had a comment about a year ago under a post from holiday claiming I look 'emaciated' with 'cooked' skin'
So whilst bloggers insist they won't engage with outfit trolling, they'll answer anyone who tries to criticise their body. 'I don't care about outfit trolling, but trolls who call me anorexic I will always set straight,' Camille tells The Debrief. Style may be subjective, but your appearance cannot be changed in the same way that you can whip off a sweater. 'Attacking someone's body is by definition very personal; I genuinely don't understand why people think it's OK to do it,' agrees Ella.
But perhaps the best response comes via Ivania Carpio of the blog Love Aesthetics who employs a hefty dose of PMA against any such trollers: 'Sometimes negative comments, from certain people can be taken as a compliment.' In other words... Rise. Above.
Follow Pandora on Twitter @PINsykes
Pictures: Jason Lloyd-Evans
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.