How much effort does it take to be effortless?
The word ‘effortless’ is being strewn around quite a bit at the moment to describe people’s style, be they Clémence Poésy, Kate Moss, or a random person snapped on the street by The Sartorialist as they go about their daily business.
Because just a moment’s contemplation suggests that it is highly unlikely that they rolled out of bed with those artfully tousled locks. Surely some sort of hair potion (and probably a hairdryer) was part of the process.
Equally questionable is the idea that at no time did they give the slightest thought as to what they were going to wear that day. Unless they have a stylist or a magic closet, clearly, some effort had to have taken place.
So why the disingenuous use of the word? Simply to make the rest of us feel bad as we try to attain an unreachable plateau in the ascent of Style Mountain? Or is it a response to the overly coiffed; the concept that if, say, Posh Spice represents effort anything less is obviously effortless?
Or is it even a form of non-conspicuous consumerism, the equivalent of saying “what, this old thing?” when someone compliments you on a new purchase?
Whatever the reason it’s time for us to denounce the cult of the effortless and embrace the fact that personal style takes (just a little bit of) work…
Pictured: Kate Moss, Kate Blanchett, Zooey Deschanel, Jennifer Connoly, Natalie Portman.
Photos courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
