Look Sharp, Sconnie - Midwestern Fashion Nerd, Chronic Over-thinker

Smileish: is frowning cool?

Remember that time when the popular, intimidatingly mean girl smiled a lot?



Exactly.

Because it didn't happen.


Stoic apathy has always been the weapon of the inimitably cool.

Inimitable, but not for a lack of trying.



For example: Freshman year of high school, some half-blind person off-handedly mentioned that I reminded them of Keira Knightley (I know, I know. Her again).

Obviously, this meant that for the next 3 weeks, I had to hold my face in a perpetual pout.



This went great!

Until I caught a glimpse of myself in a window and immediately felt a pang of concern for the poor constipated girl.



Me.

That was me.



I looked constipated.



The moral of the story is that frowning doesn't suit me. I'm much more me when I'm smiling. Embarrassing example #2: When in Paris last summer, Stockholm Streetstyle actually had to tell me not to smile when taking my picture. I obliged, but begrudgingly. The fact that I never ended up on their site is a testament to the awkwardness that surely ensued. (or the fact that I was in the same sight-line as Candice and Hanneli)



ANYHOW.

When a friend first suggested I ramble a bit about "bloggers never smiling", I was a sort of stumped.
In truth, I couldn't really think of any that didn't sport at least a smirk on a regular basis.



I realized quickly that this was because of the kind blogs I read (smilers, mostly).

But, if I'm drawn towards dopey grins, why is the fashion industry so smileless?



Well, I came across a NYT article from 2007 that sums it up beautifully. After conducting a study of different models in different brands, the researchers found that the elite models in luxury clothing "were more likely to have neutral expressions or to show anger or disgust" than folk models in cheaper lines.



"Lower status individuals appear to smile more than higher status individuals," they found.




Going deeper into why our culture has condoned this bad habit would force me down the rabbit hole of evolution, extinction and primate genetics, but essentially, weaker people have to be nicer. 




To translate it into relevant terms: when you're popular, dominant, successful, and in control, you don't have to humor the 'little guy'. You don't need to make friends or rely on the kindness of others. You've made it, and you have no perogative or purpose for playing nice. 



So it makes sense why some bloggers would adopt this upper class expression. Everyone craves legitimacy, after all. 


What I don't understand is why, if blogs arose as the everyman's answer to fashion, we still accept being belittled, spoken down to, and worst of all, ignored. If that was our intention, we might as well have just settled for snapshots from Style.com and the NYT style section. 

I guess that's just the timeless paradox of exclusivity versus popularity. 

Anyhow, I get that some photos look better without a cheesy grin - no problem. But from time to time, let's make like Issey Miyaki's fantastic F/W models and have some fun 
(or at least pretend to).
issey miyake f/w '13 via style.com
I have a feeling, though, that the fashion smile is coming back in style. (see Style and the City if you don't believe me). 
I do hope that it's sincere, though, and not another publicity ploy meant to garner favoritism from minions. 
But I'll stash my negativity and opt for optimism. 

Because how much better do clothes look on a happy person? 
And we all know, just as well as Annie does, that you're never fully dressed without a -





:)







Facebook tweet this Pin It Share on Google+

8 comments:

  1. KhadijatMarch 4, 2013 at 10:01 AM

    Haha, this is a really funny (and insighhtful) post. I personally don't smile often because I'm self-conscious about my smile, and I'm taking my own pictures at like 2am. I'm tired, and feel awkward laughing or smiling at nothing at all. But thanks to your post, I guess I'll keep trying. I look super awkward either way, I reckon. Smiling models (or at least happy-looking models) sell the lifestyle of a clothing brand more readily than frowning ones, but for big names, it might be unnecessary for them to smile, especially if the Tommy Hilfiger or Burberry Prorsum lifestyle has been defined for decades.

    ♥
    Blog: Youth Savage

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  2. sMarch 4, 2013 at 1:28 PM

    love all of these photos! so real and raw, and i love what u wrote! happy monday gorg! xO!
    www.thehautecookie.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  3. NorbyahMarch 4, 2013 at 5:59 PM

    i'm a fan of the smiling. and looking into the camera, too. i just don't know how to do it well.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  4. UnknownMarch 4, 2013 at 9:55 PM

    definitely so true and im guilty of the attempt to "smize" as tyra banks would say (smiling with your eyes not your mouth) and may just be failing miserably but i always try to incorporate some mid-laugh or smiling upbeat shots too. i like a good mix. it's not that im trying to appear better than anyone, but if someone's face is somewhat dead, then the outfit is more the focus, right? maybe? ok not exactly. you may have a point, dead face, dead look. but it is awkward just smiling. makes you feel like your taking a family portrait the typical "say cheese" ringing through your ears. awkward. some people like yourself can get away with it (you are adorable and have a million dollar smile) but the rest of us, well, might actually look constipated when smiling...

    http://myotherclosetiscouture.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  5. CollectionsMarch 5, 2013 at 5:52 AM

    omg so SO happy you did this post and found it to be very enlightening. I honestly laugh sometimes when I see the smirks some bloggers wear, IMO it actually looks funny! I used to not smile on the blog and when I look back at those photos I cringe. People would always comment SMILE MORE and finally I did and I'm really happy I did so because if one were to know me I always try and smile and be funny

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  6. Pardon My FashionMarch 7, 2013 at 8:20 AM

    BAHAHAHAH this is SO GREAT. I have the WORST model face and I'm pretty sure it's cause I feel like I am taking myself wayyyyyyyyyy to seriously. ALAS, I cannot escape my need to be part of the CGC (Cool Girls Club).

    BUT guess what?! People who smile are actually more successful. Have you seen the TED talk relating to this topic? Check it out I know you will love it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9cGdRNMdQQ

    xoxo Britt
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9cGdRNMdQQ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  7. Bohemian ChickMarch 8, 2013 at 1:01 AM

    Great topic! I never thought about it before, but it makes sense that the "lower class" would smile more to be friendlier and make friends. I apparently, am one of those. I try taking the dramatic, serious pictures sometimes, but I usually like the ones when I'm smiling better. The good news about being older is that I don't much care if the cool girls like me or not.
    Donna
    www.prettysparklythings.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  8. AnonymousMarch 8, 2013 at 7:24 AM

    This is such a cute post! I used to never smile in photographs, but I'm doing so more and more often these days. I think smiles definitely need to come back "in style". :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
Add comment
Load more...

Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
about
facebook twitter instagram pinterest in udder news bloglovin polyvore subscribe Image Map

watch me

watch me
download the app to see me move
© Look Sharp Sconnie. Design by Lindsay Tratz. Powered by Blogger.