Last winter I started idolizing popular fashion blogger Leandra Medine, aka the “Man Repeller.”
As a true fan I’ve heard Medine explain her story in every interview: “Man Repeller” was invented when she was standing in line at Top Shop (or something) and discussing why the various men in her life weren’t there to stay. Her friend suggested the reason that men were fleeing was Medine’s avant-garde fashion sense.
Medine embraced it and created an incredibly successful blog about avant-garde fashion in terms of its birth control potential, aka man repelling.
Medine is pretty hilarious once you get the hang of her humor, but it isn’t light reading; be prepared to wrap your mind around some confusing analogies, complicated wit and many, many, many a vagina joke.
Medine’s success is due mostly to her blog, but is also in part due to her business sense; she trademarked “Man Repeller” and coined the term “Arm Party,” and now she is a fashion celebrity. Actually, I should say her business is super successful. She also just got married and oh, did I forget to mention she’s only 23? It seems Medine’s not so great at the whole repelling-men game.
In addition to admiration and a healthy amount of jealousy, I have learned a lot from her. As a child of the ’90s, the first fashion icons I can remember are the Olsen twins. They remain fashion icons today, but that’s irrelevant. They are champions of the boho-chic look which requires lots and lots of layering. I think equating layering with fashion was imprinted on me in my early years by the layered-beyond a-human-suitcase status (as defined by Stefon on “Saturday Night Live”) modeled by one or both of the Olsen twins.
Man Repeller reaffirmed my every belief in layering. Reading Medine’s blog daily I developed a working measure of style based on how many pieces can be incorporated into a single outfit.
Honestly, on some levels it really works. Statistically, the more items you have artfully hanging from your body, the smaller the chances are that anyone else is wearing the same exact combination. By the rules of everyone’s obligatory stats class: There is a positive correlation between layering and unique style.
Layering elevated my style as I wore each outfit and as I learned from it. Layering challenges you to put together pieces that create a harmony of textures, colors, volume, patterns, etc., which helps to develop your “eye,” or style or whatever “it” is. To be clear this isn’t about fashion rules or matching or trends. It is, as fashion critic Tim Gunn would say, a “make it work” moment.
When I was putting together a monochrome look this summer, there was no rule about how close or far each shade should be, it was just what made the outfit work. What does “work” mean? Simple: It looks intentional.
Alas, my “Man Repeller” obsession has died down a bit, I still read her blog occasionally, but just not every day like I used to. Why? Well, I still appreciate Medine’s writing and idolize her to the moon and back, but there are only so many complicated puns about vaginas one person can handle in a season. I have also backed down a little bit on my layering. Honestly, it gets really hot in there and makes for way more laundry.
