The carefully curated virtual world Danielle Bernstein has created for herself is a mecca of perfectly styled outfits that make her seem less human, more mannequin.
Bernstein, more commonly known as US blogger We Wore What, has the kind of style you objectively love. Edgy blazers, waist-hugging belts and a general sense of sartorial flair make up the kind of clothing choices you look at, love, but know you’ll never emulate. Great picks for her, you think. But me? That’ll never work on me.
Berstein’s sense of style has built a following that goes into the millions (1.7, if we’re just talking Instagram) and a business that named her in Forbes 30 under 30 this year at just 24. Her fantasy world is one we want to buy into – we do, actually, just by following – and one looks as effortless as it does perfectly styled.
But do some digging, and perhaps you’ll find hints that all isn’t as it seems. Alongside Bernstein’s We Wore What Instagram comes another; a spoof. The account wephotoshopperwhat sits somewhere in the far corners of the internet, no doubt the brain child of a disgruntled Instagram user tired of Influencers making coin from inauthentic images.
Top Comments
Get over it. Everyone does it. No one wants shitty photos of themselves on the internet. I adjust pics that I send to my boyfriend. It's the same as putting on makeup and wearing nice clothes. You alter your image to highlight your natural attributes and make your imperfections better.
I don't do anything like that. My partner already knows what I look like - no point sending him 'shopped pics. Same could be said about my Insta account - but then again, the only people who follow me already know me IRL, so they'd notice fakery if I put it up. All irrelevant, of course, as I have a real job so am not reliant on selling an image to pay my bills.
But don't you think that's weird? Your boyfriend knows what you actually look like, you know. He can see the differences. I don't understand people wanting to put pictures up of themselves on the internet but altering the images because they don't look hot enough? Not colour, but thinning themselves and chopping little bit off here and there? Accept yourself. Be real. Look your best, sure, take your most flattering angle, take that pic 100 times and pick the best one, by all means, but be REAL.
And the reason people feel they need to photoshop is because alongside all the other thousands of photoshopped Insta pictures they don't look the same. As a FAKE reality. It's bizarre.
Thank you! I've just followed wephotoshopperwhat on my 15-year-old daughter's Instagram account. The damage being done to the self-esteem of our young girls and women by all this fakery is devastating. We need to call it for what it is.