Sarah Godfrey is an art historian repurposing her academic background and aesthetic eye to engage critically with the world of fashion. Read more of her writing on her substack: are you privy?

She can also be found at TikTok: @smactok4 | Instagram: @s.godfreyfecit

A few weeks ago I opened TikTok and aimlessly swiped my screen until I landed on a video of a teenage girl getting ready for a day of high school. My finger froze. My before-school routine in the late aughts included splashing my face with water and throwing on a bit of drugstore mascara. Whenever I see a seventeen year old at the ready at her beauty station, I strap in—things are about to get serious. As she primped and patted herself she went on a diatribe about personal style and the surfeit of amateur stylists giving mediocre advice on social media. The gist of her argument: it’s not that serious, the personal style conversation is overblown, and if you want to wear a white tank top, jeans, and Adidas Sambas, go for it. The style police can’t arrest you for it. While I don’t subscribe to the we-live-on-a-floating-rock-it’s-not-that-deep mentality, I got her point.

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