why are we selling each other summer bullshit?

Photo credits, Unsplash: Tamara Bellis (floral v neck), Oleg Ivanov (red), Chalo Garcia (big hat), Priscilla Whendy (hand in hair), Ibrahim Asad (beach red) Amanda Frank (field) Artur Aleksanian (hat + field)

Anna Newton

recently amped up and encored one of her “most read and most shared posts.” The gist is this (but read it, ofc): Don’t buy “summer clothes” you hate because someone or something tells us to. Those who follow all things Tibi have heard it too. Don’t buy a floral dress for a party when you hate floral dresses.

I get why the fashion industry does this to us. It’s a whole reason to buy, one that taps into our emotional response to summer’s fleeting days: “freedom! savor! travel! live! — and you need new stuff to do itttttt in, while you cannnn….”

But we’re not just being sold these myths by an industry that benefits from our embracing season-specific needs. We’re also selling them to each other.

On the most obvious level, having a party after bridesmaid age that requires people to wear something as specific as florals is tyrannical. But more subtle and well intended, I’m sure, this: Last summer I got ready for a trip to Mykonos, and did a live on it. I got so many notes from very nice followers telling me I’d “die” in all that black. All well intended! But it was nerve-racking, honestly because I had never been to Greece and I wondered if I was getting everything wrong. I’m glad I stuck to my gut. It was my best pack ever.

Aside from that little bit of “don’t yuck my yum” and that yearning rebel within who’s drawn to exactly whatever anyone says not to do — what’s noticeable to me is how we’ve bought into the industry’s myths, and how strongly we then give voice to them. Same time, every year, as sure as daylight savings.

To follow, the top 7 currently activating my bullshit detector: