Style is very much subjective, which means what one person loves another might hate. Just look at trends when they're taken out of their context to see what I mean. Do the over-teased '80s bangs from 35 years ago seem like a curious choice? Yes, yes they do. Do the flowy poet's shirts of the '90s seem a little goofy when divorced from their decade? You better believe it. So style really only makes sense when you look at it as a whole picture, and take into account the time, the prevailing trends, and the person wearing it. Which is why when Tracee Ellis Ross debuted grandma sneakers on Instagram, the world became divided.
Those who were tapped into her aesthetic and could see her inspiration for the outfit were in love with them. Those who do not go for clunky sneakers or ugly-chic designs wanted to light their phones on fire for the infraction. But instead of taking offense, Ross found it all hilarious and made a shout-out post dedicated to the best insults. What's so amazing about this is that it not only shows that we don't have to be on the same page and love the same things all the time, but we can also good naturedly tease each other when we don't see eye to eye.
The sneakers in question were these fabulously orthopedic pair that she wore while chilling around the house.
Paired with a chunky turtleneck, a plaid coat, and unexpected magenta socks, they were the perfect shoes to bring a touch of fun to the grown-up and chic look.
But as Ross soon saw in her comment section, not all thought that was the case. Hilarious one-liners started flooding in, calling her shoes "I've Fallen And Can't Get Up 13s," "Hard Candy And Insulin Selects," and "All White 'Big Momma' 7's."
Instead of being offended, she thought it was hilarious. She followed up with a response post, where she took a picture of her holding the shoes up and laughing. She dedicated the post to the best names that people came up with, giving their wise-cracks a platform that's 4.4 million people deep.
"I really love my sneakers. Like, I'm obsessed with them. But it turns out that some of you don't feel the same way, and the names you had for them made me giggle!!" she captioned.
She didn't just choose three or five names that she scrolled through in passing, either. She picked 13 of her favorite insults, letting us enjoy the jabs. Some that made the cut were "Civil Rights 11s," "Granny Smiths," "Diabetes Strapovers," "Nursery Home Bully 11s," "Lunch Lady Jordans," and "Sunday Missionary Commmunion 4s." After reading them, you can see why she couldn't help but share them. They're too witty, and they capture the vibe of the chic shoes so well.
If you follow Ross on Instagram, then you know that she's unfazed about other people's opinions when it comes to her style. She has a fun and unexpected sense of fashion, where she likes to layer on pieces and mix and match outfits in an adventurous way.
For example, she embraces things like Dior cage-net skirts:
She also isn't afraid to pop a leather bra on top of a knit summer dress:
Or rock a '90s-esque fanny pack on top of lounge-wear like it's the most Vogue-inspired thing in the world:
Ross makes fashion seem fun, and she's not afraid to take a risk because she finds the naysayers hilarious. We should all take a page out of her book and go that bold. So the next time you're out shopping and something catches your eye that should be deemed hideous, but is pulling at your heartstrings, channel Ross and go for it. Chances are you'll love it.
