Ruby Rose and Lena Dunham take a stand against ridiculous "Who wore it best?" segments.

Images: Getty.

Some fashion traditions are undeniably wonderful. The obligatory home runway show after you’ve had a successful day of shopping, for instance, or settling in to witness the annual spectacle that is the Oscars red carpet.

Other fashion traditions are decidedly… less wonderful. Like the habit of policing what women wear, or pitting them against one another in those ‘Who wore it best?’ magazine spreads.

Just ask Ruby Rose and Lena Dunham. This week, the two actresses have found themselves, in the hallowed words of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls, personally victimised by this age-old (read: tired) reporting device.

However, neither woman was content to sit back and have her style scrutinised like that. Oh, hell no.

The first shot was fired by Dunham. Earlier this morning the Girls writer Instagrammed a page from Us magazine, featuring photos of herself, Kate Hudson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead who all happened to be wearing the same fluffy grey marle coat. Snap.

A reporter had asked 100 New Yorkers to vote on which actress had worn it best, and Dunham was relegated to third place with 12 per cent of the vote — and she wasn't about to take her defeat lying down.

"What if I used all my emotional energy to campaign super hard for a recount?" the 29-year-old pondered in her caption.

"Note: I essentially do not believe in the principle of a Who Wore It Best and am not trying to incite a debate — both these women are stunning and look fly. That being said, I'm a Tracy Flick style bitch who hates2lose."

Fair call.

Watch: Three ways you can style a scarf, as demonstrated by Paula Joye. (Post continues after video.)

A few hours later, it was Rose's turn to step up to the plate. A publication had declared the clutch she teamed with her Balmain x H&M dress an "unnecessary" addition, leaving model Gigi Hadid to be crowned the 'Winner' of this particular round.

As if all that wasn't sufficiently eyeroll-worthy, the article was also plagued by a mysterious case of mistaken identity.

"When it's not even you but you are told you should NOT have worn that clutch. OK I'm sorry," the Orange is the New Black star wrote on Instagram.

A cursory glance at the photo confirms the woman on the left is, indeed, not Ruby Rose — but another famous Aussie, Jessica Hart. Awkies.

The 'Who wore it best?' page is a magazine tradition that will probably never die, but really it's about time it did. Ditto those 'Best and Worst' lists that inevitably circulate during awards season.

There's nothing inherently wrong with having an opinion on what other people, or with looking at celebrity photos to see how they (or in most cases, a stylist) has chosen to style a particular piece of clothing. We all do it.

Sometimes, you'll like what you see and find constructive inspiration in it. Sometimes, it won't be to your taste. That's called 'being a human with eyes and an opinion.'

But what does it serve to cast two or three or more woman as adversaries in a very public fashion Hunger Games? (Post continues after gallery.)

Lena Dunham and Ruby Rose (well, Jessica Hart in this case) probably left the house feeling confident and happy in their outfits. They're not modelling fashions on a catwalk — they're just out there in the world doing their thing. They just happen to be a little more famous than the rest of us.

This 'contest' approach isn't just petty, it's boring. Style isn't a contest; it's a way for women (and men) to express themselves and experiment with their individuality. Style is also deeply subjective. One person's "unnecessary" clutch is another's dream accessory. And what qualifies someone to judge who wore a piece of clothing "best", anyway?

If women like Ruby Rose and Lena Dunham continue to point out how ridiculous these articles are, perhaps 2016 will be the year we see them fade into obscurity. And it wouldn't be a day too soon.

What do you think of 'Who wore it best?' articles?