The fashion scene in Egypt and the Arab world is on the rise constantly. Recently, the most noticeable dominating aspect of this scene is the countless fashion bloggers. From the unconventional, to the veiled, to the high-end, to the hipster ones and more, there are plenty of fashion bloggers to choose from. We find ourselves following all these bloggers, nearly obsessing over their images. Or are we? We spoke to several young women to see whether bloggers in the Arab region are triggering jealousy, influence, or neither.
“They refer to themselves as fashion bloggers by simply posting images of themselves in trendy/unique clothes.”
For starters, a fashion blog is one that not only shows off clothing styles, but gives beauty tips, discusses trends, and triggers generic fashion discussions. It is widely believed that a great percentage of Arab fashion bloggers fail to abide by these unspoken rules. They refer to themselves as fashion bloggers by simply posting images of themselves in trendy/unique clothes. The thin line between being a “fashionista” and a “fashion blogger” has become blurred in regards to many Arab fashion bloggers.
On one hand, those who find that jealousy is triggered within them from these bloggers, find that the jealousy is due to all the aspects that surround the way they dress. It is not necessarily triggered by what they wear, “I get jealous not because of their looks, but because of the lifestyles they’re leading; from the places they go to, to the idea of flexibility that exists in their lives, and to the level of comfort they reach in showing their personalities off and enjoying their beauty comfortably”, says Amina El-Banna. Sharing similar thoughts is Farah Hegazy, who finds that the only aspect she envies or feels jealousy towards is the lifestyle and courage in abiding to the lifestyle they want to live by. Hegazy adds that, “other than that, their looks are influential and make me at times want to dress up a little”.
“I get jealous not because of their looks, but because of the lifestyles they’re leading”, Amina El Banna
On a separate note, many young women find that they feel indifferent towards bloggers, “for me, seeing them dressed nicely does not provoke jealousy, and saying that their attire inspires me is too deep”, Essmat El Kholy tells, adding that at times she considers their outfits as pieces of advice that can show her how to wear that one shirt she may have not found a way to wear yet. Nada Ayoub shares similar thoughts, expressing that bloggers don’t make her jealous nor influence her, as everyone should have their own style uninfluenced by others.
“maybe the real question is not whether bloggers make us feel jealous or inspire us, but whether they are blogging genuinely out of passion and knowledge in the field, or out of some sort of need to feed off of others’ insecurities”
Throughout the different responses acquired from young Egyptian females regarding this topic, two distinct thoughts seemed to be common between them all: firstly, many – not all – Arab bloggers are unaware of the occurrences taking place in the fashion industry worldwide, which becomes evident in their blogging. Secondly, continuing that previous thought, it is believed that many Arab bloggers make viewers feel less of themselves, by feeding on the viewers’ insecurities.
Therefore, maybe the real question is not whether bloggers make us feel jealous or inspire us, but whether they are blogging genuinely out of passion and knowledge in the field, or out of some sort of need to feed off of others’ insecurities. As Nada perfectly puts it, “there are bloggers that show people that this false illusion constantly presented is not true, and they give valuable tips and advice regarding fashion and are actual bloggers. However, regarding other ‘bloggers’ I truly wonder: Have they become so depressed that they must escape their lives using superficiality?”