Latest news with #TaraLangdale
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
TikTok influencer slammed for viral video about ‘unchic' fashion
Tara Langdale talked to Fox News Digital about how she received hurtful messages from critics after a not-so-serious fashion post describing what she views as 'unchic' went viral, spawning a cascade of events that made her apolitical post a victim of attacks. The self-described stay-at-home working mom amassed some 250,000 views and found herself on the receiving end of some hate after an April 7 TikTok of her seated, drinking from a wine glass with nicely done hair, gold jewelry and manicured nails as she skimmed through a list of 'unchic' fashion sins. Advertisement Tattoos, Lululemon, baggy denim, camouflage and visible panty lines were just a few that made part one of Langdale's controversial 'unchic' list, which drew backlash from seething critics who called her out with a political twist. 'Voting for Trump is unchic,' one said. 'To her, privilege = chic. Hope this helps!' said another. A third said, 'just say you're a republican and go lmao,' while a slew of commenters took exception to her tattoo stance and ranted about classism. Advertisement The video even caught The Guardian's attention, prompting an article that coined 'chic' as 'a shorthand for a type of conservative-coded aesthetic' and spoke of the 'rigid and airbrushed' looks of Trump allies, sch as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 4 Tara Langdale received backlash for her 'unchic' fashion TikTok. @tara_langdale / TikTok Though Langdale diddles cribe herself as conservative when speaking to Fox News Digital, she insists not everything is about politics. 'When I get dressed in the morning, I'm not thinking about my political party and how I should dress to showcase that,' Langdale said. Advertisement 'I think conservativism is more of culture, religion – all of those things go into your conservativist mindset. Now, if you're talking about conservative style of dress… that's also going to be more like religion and culture,' she went on. 'Of course, if I'm going to church on Sunday, I'm dressing very conservative. I'm going to keep it classy, but if you see me in the street in my regular day-to-day, I am not at all conservative. I would never consider my style to be conservative. But am I conservative? Absolutely, so I can differentiate the two. I know that the internet has a hard time doing that.' 4 Lululemon made Langdale's controversial 'unchic' list — along with baggy denim, camouflage and visible panty lines. REUTERS 4 Tattoos were also on Langdale's list. xartproduction – Langdale addressed the politicized dogma, saying she doesn't understand why TikTok users jumped to conclusions about 'conservative' or 'Republican makeup' as they did. Advertisement 'Because I'm blonde, because I have more of a natural look about me, I'm not fully glammed all the time… I'm really not sure how that makes me appear conservative, but, again, I just think when people don't agree with what you say, they have to find a way to discredit you, and that's just an easy tactic,' she continued. At the same time, Langdale pushed back against the idea of her video implying that people too poor to afford expensive items are automatically 'unchic,' and pointed to brand-name items like athletic apparel brand Lululemon, Apple Watches and Golden Goose sneakers – all of which can be pricey – as evidence pointing to the contrary. 'Just keep in mind that money talks and wealth whispers, and I don't know any wealthy people that are wearing Gucci across their chest,' she said in her original post. Langdale explained that the TikTok trend of users showcasing 'things I find incredibly chic' grabbed her attention as they began circulating on the app. She found them 'pretentious and off-putting,' so she felt compelled to take her own stab at the video. 4 'When I get dressed in the morning, I'm not thinking about my political party and how I should dress to showcase that,' Langdale said about the political criticism she received. @tara_langdale / TikTok 'Of course, my video came off as pretentious and off-putting as well, but it felt like a certain level of cringe for me, and I don't like to personally attack anybody on social media, so I wouldn't go after a specific creator. I just kind of wanted to hop on the trend… so that was my initial, 'Why I created the video.'' Advertisement Langdale shared that her direct messages on the platform have been 'insane' with threats and comments about her family since the video went viral. 'It does make you step back and take a pause,' she shared. 'Like, is this really worth it for how crazy people react? And I would never want to put my family in danger, but I think a lot of it is just the keyboard pirates that are just back there behind their computer typing whatever they can to try to get more likes in the comments,' Langdale added.
Fox News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
TikTok influencer targeted with criticism after viral video about 'unchic' fashion choices sparks backlash
Lifestyle influencer Tara Langdale talked to Fox News Digital about how she received hurtful messages from critics after a not-so-serious fashion post describing what she views as "unchic" went viral, spawning a cascade of events that made her apolitical post a victim of attacks. The self-described stay-at-home working mom amassed some 250,000 views and found herself on the receiving end of some hate after an April 7 TikTok of her seated, drinking from a wine glass with nicely done hair, gold jewelry and manicured nails as she skimmed through a list of "unchic" fashion sins. Tattoos, Lululemon, baggy denim, camouflage and visible panty lines were just a few that made part one of Langdale's controversial "unchic" list, which drew backlash from seething critics who called her out with a political twist. "Voting for Trump is unchic," one said. "To her, privilege = chic. Hope this helps!" said another. A third said, "just say you're a republican and go lmao," while a slew of commenters took exception to her tattoo stance and ranted about classism. The video even caught The Guardian's attention, prompting an article that coined "chic" as "a shorthand for a type of conservative-coded aesthetic" and spoke of the "rigid and airbrushed" looks of Trump allies, sch as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Though Langdale diddles cribe herself as conservative when speaking to Fox News Digital, she insists not everything is about politics. "When I get dressed in the morning, I'm not thinking about my political party and how I should dress to showcase that," Langdale said. "I think conservativism is more of culture, religion – all of those things go into your conservativist mindset. Now, if you're talking about conservative style of dress… that's also going to be more like religion and culture," she went on. "Of course, if I'm going to church on Sunday, I'm dressing very conservative. I'm going to keep it classy, but if you see me in the street in my regular day-to-day, I am not at all conservative. I would never consider my style to be conservative. But am I conservative? Absolutely, so I can differentiate the two. I know that the internet has a hard time doing that." Langdale addressed the politicized dogma, saying she doesn't understand why TikTok users jumped to conclusions about "conservative" or "Republican makeup" as they did. "Because I'm blonde, because I have more of a natural look about me, I'm not fully glammed all the time… I'm really not sure how that makes me appear conservative, but, again, I just think when people don't agree with what you say, they have to find a way to discredit you, and that's just an easy tactic," she continued. At the same time, Langdale pushed back against the idea of her video implying that people too poor to afford expensive items are automatically "unchic," and pointed to brand-name items like athletic apparel brand Lululemon, Apple Watches and Golden Goose sneakers – all of which can be pricey – as evidence pointing to the contrary. "Just keep in mind that money talks and wealth whispers, and I don't know any wealthy people that are wearing Gucci across their chest," she said in her original post. Langdale explained that the TikTok trend of users showcasing "things I find incredibly chic" grabbed her attention as they began circulating on the app. She found them "pretentious and off-putting," so she felt compelled to take her own stab at the video. "Of course, my video came off as pretentious and off-putting as well, but it felt like a certain level of cringe for me, and I don't like to personally attack anybody on social media, so I wouldn't go after a specific creator. I just kind of wanted to hop on the trend… so that was my initial, 'Why I created the video.'" Langdale shared that her direct messages on the platform have been "insane" with threats and comments about her family since the video went viral. "It does make you step back and take a pause," she shared. "Like, is this really worth it for how crazy people react? And I would never want to put my family in danger, but I think a lot of it is just the keyboard pirates that are just back there behind their computer typing whatever they can to try to get more likes in the comments," Langdale added.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Is ‘chic' political? In Trump 2.0, the word stands for conservative femininity
The idea of 'chic' is a fashion-world cliche. At best it is a know-it-when-you-see-it vibe, at worst a lazy adjective chosen by a writer to describe something that reminds her of Jane Birkin. It feels inoffensive enough. But now, 'chic' has become something of a lightning rod online – a shorthand for a type of conservative-coded aesthetic. It began last month, when a creator named Tara Langdale posted a video to her TikTok following of just over 30,000 in which she sipped from a long-stemmed wine glass and read off a list of things she finds 'incredibly UN-chic'. Wearing stacks of gold bracelets and a ballet-pink manicure, Langdale called out fashion choices like tattoos, Lululemon, visible panty lines, baggy denim and hunting camouflage as unchic, because, to her, these choices seemed 'cheap'. 'Remember, money talks, wealth whispers,' Langdale said. The not-entirely-serious video racked up views and sparked a conversation about how style preferences can carry political baggage. 'This is giving mean girl,' one user wrote in the comments. 'Classism isn't chic, hope this helps,' wrote another. 'Voting for Trump is unchic,' went a third. Many took particular issue with Langdale's anti-tattoo stance, which they saw as stuffy or downright rude. Such comments came with a strong dose of projection: Langdale, a lifestyle influencer, does not post about politics, sticking to fashion, makeup or motherhood. Nevertheless, many in the fashion TikTok community felt her commentary on 'chic' aligned with the feminine aesthetic of Trump 2.0, where the rigid and airbrushed beauty standards of Maga officials such as Karoline Leavitt, Kristi Noem and Nancy Mace are celebrated. 'Chic is starting to feel like a conservative dogwhistle that polices women's looks,' said Elysia Berman, a creative director and content creator based in New York who posted a takedown of Langdale's unchic list. 'What chic has come to mean to a lot of people is a very narrow definition of elegance. It's this thin, white, blonde woman who speaks softly and is basically Grace Kelly.' The ideal vision of womanhood from Donald Trump's first term was caked foundation and clumpy mascara, as seen on the likes of Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lara Trump. But the facial augmentation and overly sexy aesthetic tied to the president's inner circle – see 'Ice Barbie' Noem, who posts full glam videos while deporting immigrants – does not necessarily match that of the president's more social media savvy supporters, many of whom are now opting for a sleeker presentation. Momfluencers and tradwives celebrate RFK Jr's 'Make America Healthy Again' policies while wearing breezy milkmaid dresses. Evie Magazine, a politically conservative version of Cosmo, appropriates the trending visuals of feminist magazines with headlines that decry body positivity and promote vaccine skepticism. As New York Magazine writer Brock Colyar described young Republicans at a post-election night party: 'Many are hot enough to be extras in the upcoming American Psycho remake.' The word 'chic' has always been tied to a French, or francophile, sense of femininity, usually in reference to a woman who subscribes to Vogue and innately understands how to look good. But those turning it into a dirty word on TikTok, taking note of how it aligns with a changing conservative aesthetic, see it as having a more prescriptive, even oppressive, meaning for women's fashion. Suzanne Lambert, a DC-based comedian whose 'conservative girl' mock makeup tutorials went viral earlier this year, described the right's obsession with all things ultra-feminine as 'just this soulless, boring kind of fashion'. 'Republicans are more focused on assimilating than we are on the left, so it makes sense that they all end up looking the same,' Lambert said. Ultimately, anyone who's attempting to look chic – or wealthy – is probably neither of those things. Those TikTok imitators who equate chicness with pearls and a Leavitt-esque tweed shift dress? 'They think it's giving Reagan, but it's really giving Shein,' said Lambert. (Ironically, some of the unchic pieces on Langdale's list – Lululemon leggings, Golden Goose sneakers, a Louis Vuitton carryall bag – come with hefty price tags and could connote liberal elitism.) In an email, Langdale said that her definition of chic had nothing to do with politics. 'Chic by definition means simplicity and timelessness,' she wrote. 'Reading a neutral palette as 'conservative' conflates style choice with ideology. Conservatism as a moral or political stance varies widely across cultures and religious communities, so tagging a fitting tank top and trousers as 'Republican' is lazy stereotyping.' Langdale called chic 'this year's version' of 'old money' dressing, a TikTok trend that prioritized subdued, luxury items over the loud, brash and individualistic. 'You can own every item on my unchic list and still be considered chic,' she wrote. 'Labeling an item chic or unchic speaks only to its aesthetic, not a person's style or worth. The conversation around chic is ongoing. Other creators, inspired by Langdale's video, posted about what they considered chic in their niches. A medical student said it is 'incredibly chic' to color coordinate scrubs with personal accessories; an office worker considered not letting colleagues in on their personal lives the height of chicness. Kat Brown, a 25-year-old New Yorker who works in fashion PR, made a video talking about how it's 'not chic' to be overly trendy, with chicness coming from a more sustainable wardrobe. 'Smart consumption is chic,' Brown said. 'Chicness is more reflective of your resourcefulness and creativity, rather than any sort of socioeconomic element.' For all the angst on chic-Tok, true insiders probably aren't paying much attention. Fashion editors often make lists of words they consider so dull and unspecific that they prohibit writers from using them in copy; 'chic' is usually right at the top. And when a word like chic is so bland to begin with, who cares if its wielded as an insult? As a British couturier played by Daniel Day-Lewis in the 2017 period drama Phantom Thread bemoaned of 'chic': 'That filthy little word. Whoever invented that ought to be spanked in public. I don't even know what that word means.'
