Standing pigeon-toed, looking at the ground while lightly touching your hair...

[TheLeadbetterLife]

...is the new laughing at salad.

Why do all fashion bloggers insist on postures that express, "sorry for existiiiiing! Aren't I the cutest doormat you've ever seen?"

My Pinterest feed is full of these women.

Favourite of the Instagram influencers. Aren't we having such a great time.

Thinking of Kat Farmer (doesmybumlook40) as it's her favoured pose. It's not flattering either, look like they're about to take a bite out of the person next to them.

https://www.meandem.com/ponte-contrast-detail-fit-and-flare-midi-dress-black-light-cream I can't stand the having a shit pose either.

😁

I think the op's premise extends to wanting to be so skinny, praising being a small size, delighting in having tiny hands and feet or delicate this and that. Taking up as little space as possible because it looks delicate and fragile, supposedly to make men want to protect them?

@RaisinsOfMildAnnoyance My thoughts exactly when I see this kind of thing

But why you would judge women and society as a whole based on 10-15 year old pics from a fashion blog 🤣. And if Pinterest is your only point of reference then I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe create a board full of “mistresses of the universe” from the 80s and take your inspo from there, rather than post think pieces about about pigeon toes and their disastrous consequences for feminism.

This was the indie, Kate moss topshop era when it was all about appearing to not try too hard, hence the understated poses and looking down, etc. It was a trend. It’s really not that deep. Nothing whatsoever to do with wanting a man to be your protector or looking childlike. Have we really not moved on from assuming everything a woman does is to appear attractive to men?

These are just some of the fabulous women I follow on insta. They don’t look scared to take up space to me.

I love this thread. A pose I hate is sitting down with knees flopped open. I've seen it on a few instagrammers and it looks awful

Ahhh, they look like they've just been given legs and they're wondering what to do with them.

I love this 😂 . Feeling threated? Flare the dress out with your legs to deter predators.

And standing at an angle to the camera, which makes their head like a giant addition to miniscule shoulders.

Just why? I cannot understand it.

I love this!
What about a no make up drinking coffee while making a packed lunch in an old t-shirt, leggings and dressing gown pose?
When that comes out I'll know my era has arrived.

Not scared to take up space, but the lady in the red suit looks like she’s just had a bit of alfresco nooky. 😂

Oh @Greeksummer

Where is your sense of humour?

In other news I’m relieved to say I don’t follow anyone but friends on Instagram. Go me.

People watching in Venice told me that standing on one foot, pretending to step forward while a long suffering boyfriend takes eighty gazillion pictures is the epitome of a great holiday snap. Especially if wearing massive platform wellies and a ball gown. Or filming yourself casually walking away from the camera a hundred times, while glancing over a shoulder and swishing your hair. Being young looks like hard work nowadays. I’m glad I’m at the drinking negronis and laughing at people stage of life.

😁

Recently Kate Lawler posteda pic on Instagram (iirc) and then she and her DH had to defend her from people saying she looked too thin.
But I'm sure the intention and angle was deliberate - that her face/head looked big and the rest of her looked tiny. She is pretty thin but pics taken more conventionally didn't make her look as thin as the pic she posted

'Laughing at salad' and 'vulnerable sleeves' 😂😂😂 terms id never heard before but can't ignore anymore!

Yes! It drives me bananas. The twisted into a ridiculous pose frequently with arms over the chest so you can’t actually see what the item of clothing bloody looks like. Kinda Sandra Bullock doing her I can bend like a pretzel thing in a random film I can’t remember anything else about.

I think we also need to add the “middle aged, doesn’t give a , oh god someone’s got a camera out, over the top of the glasses stare” pose to the list.

To steal a quote, “chin up, chest out, Jemima!”

Oh yes there are reels on FB about this and other poses on how to make your photos more interesting!

We used to call that idiotic pigeon-toed stance ‘Hoxton feet’ back in the early 2000s. Why anyone would choose to do it is beyond me, but it seems it will not die.

I remember seeing posts advising standing pigeon toed for the thigh gap.
In body language I think it means you're feeling vulnerable, uncomfortable, closed in. It's like putting on a baby voice to induce protectiveness in others (men mostly).
I disagree with the poster who said it's not that deep. Nothing is out of nothing. Trends, gestures, clothes everything is the way is it because of something else and sends messages. Brands pay lots of money for advertising, there are careers built on how to promote, display or photograph products they consistently chose those poses for reasons because they echo a certain message and evoke certain feelings. Of course then bloggers copy them but it's not out of nothing or meaningless, subconsciously at least.

There is a lot of weird stuff going on in catalogue modelling, as pp have mentioned. Sometimes it's quite interesting, but a lot of it feels like they actually are aiming to make the garment look like it's on a hanger.

And the misery. I know these are depressing times, but web pages full of sullen models just reminds me that everything's shit, instead of offering a bit of escapism. It puts me off buying.

Zara is the worst for ridiculous poses. My sister and I play “spot the stupid pose” and we text the funniest ones to each other.

Can’t wait until my DSis in the US wakes up and sees my message describing her pet peeve (“vulnerable sleeves”)