The Inbetweeners: Not the TV Show

When you’re scrolling down your Instagram feed, how often do you pause to think, “Hey, I look like that!” On the other hand, how many times do you think, “I love what he/she/they’re wearing, I just don’t know how it would look on my body?” 

More often than not, Instagram influencers and their incredible styles are relegated to thinner people; not necessarily size zero, but the lithe and slender figures of Kendall Jenner-esque figures. Most of us don’t look like that.

When we think “curvy,” we think of the Kim Kardashians and Kylie Jenners; their body types are also lean, but with fuller hips and chests. Most of us don’t look like that either.

When we think “fat”––which is, by the way, not a bad word––we think of Tess Holliday or Lizzo; their body types are not lean and often demonized, but you already know that. Most of us don’t look like that either. 

We love representation, and body positivity is only one part of it. We want to look on a screen and relate to the people we’re looking at. I, for one, love looking through style inspo on Instagram; finding new ways of pairing x with y, or styling x with z. What I don’t love is only seeing these outfits on people who don’t look like me, because they inevitably don’t look the same on my body; whether that displeases me or not is a separate discussion, but it would definitely be nice to have a realistic idea of what I’ll look like when I try certain trends.

We all want to see different shapes and sizes in the media, bodies that deviate from the convention of a socially ascribed “good body.” However, we often forget that those of us that don’t look like Instagram influencers are also allowed to want to dress well, to have our unique, trendy sense of style. Fortunately, more and more “midi,” “inbetweeners,” or midsize influencers—often wearing sizes 10, 12, or 14––are coming along. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for any stylists of any size, but the appeal of a diversified feed and realistic models is undeniable. For the last few months, I’ve made a conscious effort to look for influencers as diverse as I can find, exploring styles radically different from mine. It’s definitely spiced up by my Instagram scrolling, and I think it will yours too.

In the following list, I hope you find at least one person who either dresses or looks like you. And I hope they inspire you––to either dress more freely, or live more freely.

1. Francesca Perks (@francescaperks)

A more colorful Y2K aesthetic, Francesca destroys the notion that prints and light colors only look good on thinner people. Side note: Her room is gorgeous. 

2. Winnie Parker (@winnieparkerr)

Real and unfiltered, Winnie’s style is simple and classic. Her wardrobe and her feed, however, are enviable.

3. Joanna Pincerato (@joannapincerato)

Y2K princess meets modern minimalist, Joanna is proof that your Pinterest board looks phenomenal on everyone. 

4. Lauren-Nicole (@laurennicolefk)

A contributing curve editor for Cosmopolitan UK, do I need to say any more? No, so I have only one word: glam. 

5. Sarah Kim (@iamsarahkim)

Sarah has the modern minimalist look down. Classic nudes, beiges, and browns, her feed is the dream Tumblr aesthetic.

6. Ishini Weerasinghe (@ishiniw)

Proof that the Desi and Western aesthetics can coexist, and look sexy as hell––together and individually.

7. Holly Ah-Thion (@thekittyluxe)

You probably own at least one of the pieces she has but have just never thought to pair it like that. Holly’s nailed the girl-next-door vibe, with a prettier feed to accompany it. 

8. Rosa (@rosariummm)

“I Only Wear Black” is a song from The Wombats and that’s all it should be. Rosa proves time and time again that you can be hot and fat and wear more than just black. 

Hot tip: Her Depop store is incredible and incredibly affordable. You’re welcome. 

9. Javiera (@javiera)

Her tattoos, her make-up, and the way she mixes vibes. Also, her Youtube channel has phenomenal style inspo, Instagram advice, and brutally honest confidence tips. 

Bonus feature to round out the list, my current crush: Mikayla Klewer (@mikaylaklewer).

And a reminder: You can wear whatever the fuck you want, whatever size you are, and whatever you look like.

Thumbnail via.

The Virtual Travel Hop: From NYC to Sardegna and Beyond

When my family visited Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, we missed Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. It was a hot summer afternoon, and we chose to wander the gallery ourselves. We had a map, and we spent hours marveling at the gallery’s statues and frescos.

But, I’ll admit that I’ve never liked tours. Like my parents, I’ve always preferred to explore on my own. As such, it wasn’t until we entered the museum’s gift shop that we realized we’d missed Botticelli’s work. We laughed. We hadn’t intended to miss viewing one of the most famous paintings in the world, but we’d nonetheless had a great afternoon. And so we left the museum, and trekked back to our hotel.

A few years later, I found myself wanting to know more about art, from a formal perspective. And so when I ranked my 2020 Spring Quarter classes, I listed 19th Century French Art in the Art Institute of Chicago first. Of course, this class isn’t about Italian Renaissance art. But, I’ve spent years dragging my family to art galleries, and I wanted to learn to think better about the works that I’m often so aesthetically drawn to. More than that, I wanted an excuse to take the “L” to the AIC twice a week. I figured I’d write my MODA articles from a bench in the European Painting and Sculpture Galleries.

The Art Institute of Chicago

I now find myself enrolled in the art history course I’d so wanted. However, while we plan to someday travel to the AIC in person, the class is nonetheless taught over Zoom. We often talk in class about the day we’ll all gather in person - and view the works with our own eyes. But, for the meantime, my art travels (and travels in general) have been suspended.

However, while it’s not nearly equivalent to wandering an art gallery or walking off the tarmac in a new city, I’ve been increasingly studying the instagram feeds of some of my favorite content creators. And I’ve found myself enjoying these “virtual travels.” The photos are a reminder of all the places I someday hope to visit. And while instagram photos are obviously quite different from Botticelli’s paintwork, they nonetheless represent their own genre of artistry. There is something captivating about a single photo, so expertly framed and edited, that it can stand alone as its own story. And I find myself increasingly enjoying these photo stories. They allow me to temporarily travel beyond Columbus, Ohio. And they act as a reminder of the impact that both art and travel can have on individual lives - even from afar.

As such, what follows is a virtual itinerary - from NYC to Sardegna - of some of my favorite Instagram feeds.

• NYC and Beyond, from the lens of Chloe Chung: @chloejg

From French onion soup cravings to brunch spots, lots of coffee, and walking in the rain, Chloe is a proud New Yorker who documents her explorations around the Big Apple. One of my favorite aspects of her feed is that she captures the city’s grit, without losing a sense of its simultaneous warmth. And studying her feed always makes me want to pull on my boots and head to a local coffee shop.

• Lisbon and Beyond, from the lens of AI Scientist and Fine Art Photographer Sejkko: @sejkko

This has been one of my favorite feeds for years. Simultaneously whimsical and haunting, Sejkko’s portrayals of lonely houses always make me want to write. I find myself wondering about the possible inhabitants of these fictitious, yet all-too-real, creations. More than that, the colors of Sejkko’s photos make me want taffy.

As Sejkko writes himself, these “lonely houses were a way to keep the child in me, and the weird side of myself at peace…” And while Sejkko just recently decided that it is time to move on from these house portraits, he plans to continue his feed. The first photo in the gallery (below, top left), is representative of Sejkko’s transition to new subjects: “This image represents a bit of a transition. I am inside one of those [lonely] houses looking beyond the sun, wondering about worlds that could exist.” Needless to say, I’m excited to see where Sejkko’s future endeavors lead.

• The English Countryside and Beyond, from the Lens of Photographer and Book Connoisseur Carolyn: @theslowtraveler

With her dog Lenny by her side, Carolyn explores everything from old bookstores, to castles and the Lake District. And while her photos are themselves beautiful, I also enjoy her captions. She’s a careful and honest observer, who finds joy in observing her everyday life. From watching ducks in an English garden, to enjoying her own garden and laughing about Lenny’s exploits, she consistently provides little vignettes of life in the English countryside. (She also dresses Lenny stylishly, for the holidays.) And she just started a monthly women’s book club, @theslowtravelerbookclub, to discuss novels with her community of fans.

• CA, from the Lens of Ally Hansen: @allygrammin

As Ally writes in her bio, she’s “probably waiting in line for tacos.” And her feed is an homage to all things retro and summery. From photographing old road signs and haciendas, to Mexican food, midcentury homes, and hiking trails, her feed makes me want to travel to somewhere warm (ideally with tacos).

• Morocco, Egypt, and Beyond, from the Lens of Emilie: @emilielula

Emilie’s captions are short and mysterious, and her photos are equally sparse. But they don’t need explanation. Her photos often include camels, books, and lots of sand. And the mysteriousness of her feed only makes me more excited to someday explore far flung regions of the globe.

• Italy and Beyond, from the Lens of Creative Director and Photographer Simone Bramante: @brahmino

Simone is a prolific photographer, with well over one thousand images in his feed. And it’s clear from studying his brightly-colored photographs that each image is a finalized project and story. As Simone writes in his bio, he’s all about aesthetics, story, and message. And during these uncertain times, he’s focusing upon his own surroundings in Italy. Rather than engage in mass tourism, Simone “invite[s] everyone to get to know their territory, their valleys, preferably by helping the economy of small businesses, because they often know how to stay in balance with their own environment.” And while his photos feature regions from all over the globe, he has increasingly begun to depict the Italian countryside.

Click here, for thumbnail image source. The image was taken by @brahmino and features Sardegna, Capo Comino.

Feeds to Follow: @pimplesandprada

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with @pimplesandprada, arguably the most exciting of the recent wave of archival fashion/pop culture accounts with over 3,000 posts and nearly 50k followers. I use the qualifying terms “archival” and “fashion/pop culture” with the utmost liberty, as the account’s curator, Madison Potter, notes that her page might more aptly be called a moodboard which contains at once pop-culture memes, paparazzi photos from all of the great moments of the last 30 years, film stills, and even photos of the curator herself. Asked about the inspiration for the account, she relates; 

PimplesandPrada curator, Madison Potter. Image Via

“So in high school I was super into tumblr (like I’m talking 2013-2014 tumblr, the peak!) and I grew a large following there. But, as tumblr died and people moved on I didn’t have anywhere else to get content. I hated pinterest (don’t know why I love it now, no hate on Pinterest) but I’ve always needed this sort of expression I get out of creating mood boards. I got really into photography which led me to looking at editorials, fashion photography books, and photographers. Again, I hated Pinterest so I had this envelope on my phone where I kept all my inspiration. I had an iPhone 5 with NO storage (rip) and eventually would have to delete personal pictures to keep my inspiration photos. I decided to just make an instagram account as a place to keep these photos. That’s how it happened, I didn’t even know about other “mood” accounts or anything.”

PimplesandPrada feed at time of interview. Image Via

Given away in the very name of the account is the fact that the Potter’s favorite designer brand is Prada, and, being based in Chicago and now finishing her senior year at Columbia College with a bachelors in advertising and a concentration in strategy with a minor in fashion, one can understand the attraction to Miuccia Prada’s chic, metropolitan practicality.

Potter crossing the street in an all black outfit, punctuated by a classic Chanel double flap. Image Via

For those who just became followers, @pimplesandprada is definitely worth stalking, but the future of the page is just as bright as the past; concerning future content Potter says, “Well, more of me! Before COVID19 I was pushing styled content and more photos of me! I had to take a pause on that, but you’ll definitely be seeing a mix of my current content and photos of me after the stay at home order is lifted!” 

So, unable for the time being to admire fits on the street, @pimplesandprada is a wonderful way to stay inspired.

Put on something comfy and browse @pimplesandprada. Image Via

Featured Image via