Janelle Monáe has the best response to Twitter’s fashion police
Janelle Monáe, who blessed us with ‘Yoga‘ this week, is an incredible musician and all around feminist badass who does not have time or patience for the trolls. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and shut down haters, especially when they are offering unsolicited critiques of her style choices.
Style wise, Monáe is known for her suits — a look that she’s been switching up lately but is by far her most recognized. For those who need a refresher on how on point her look is, see here:
Could she be more awesome? No. The answer to that question is no.
But yesterday, a Twitter user decided to give Monáe some feedback on her signature menswear inspired look: “girl, stop being so soulful and be sexy . . tired of those dumbass suits.”
So how did Monáe respond? Um, only in the most perfect way possible:
YES! Anyone who calls into question Monáe’s choice in clothing (or anyone’s for that matter) forgets that what she wears is entirely her choice. She isn’t rocking suits for anyone else’s benefit but her own, and definitely not to win the male gaze. She’s talented and an amazing example of female empowerment. In under 140 characters she reminded us that what we wear is an expression of ourselves and it’s not to be judged, but rather celebrated.
At its best, fashion is all about loving who you are as an individual and expressing it through your style choices. We shouldn’t have to dress for other people, or for some narrow version of what “sexy” is. Rather, we should be able to wear exactly what makes us feel fabulous personally. That is all that matters. It’s inspiring to see a celebrity stand up for her own choices, and contradict the outdated notion that women should dress for men’s approval. Thank you Janelle, for that perfect nugget of wisdom.
But wait, the best part of this whole story? The Twitter user who first criticized Janelle has now apologized in the coolest way, writing, “Janelle is a beautiful woman. She’s like a Modern-day Erykah Badu. I was wrong for judging her style. Sorry @JanelleMonae.” Kudos to this Twitter user for coming around, and major props to Janelle for turning a negative comment into a teachable moment.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to go listen to ‘Yoga‘ on repeat.
