We Need to Talk About The Millennial Tuck
Some thoughts on the inherent anti-fatness of styling videos
A few weeks ago, fashion influencer Emily Schuman posted the latest reel in her Not Styled/Styled series. In these videos, Emily wears outfits the way any mere mortal might wear them — say, a shirt with pants — and then she wears them STYLED. This means she adds cute shoes, a purse and some giant sunglasses, yes. Sometimes a jauntily tied sweater. But mostly, it means she tucks in her shirt.
Oversized t-shirt and baggy pants? “Styled” with a tucked-in shirt and a belt.
Form-fitting white tank top and jeans? “Styled” with a tucked-in tank layered under an unbuttoned black tunic top.
Giant sweatshirt and leggings? “Styled” with the sweatshirt artfully tucked to become a semi-cropped top.
Yes, there’s more to it. (The sunglasses! The crossbody bags!) But over and over in social media styling videos right now, we are told that there is one pivotal ingredient for taking an outfit from not styled to styled: The tuck. The tuck raises your visible waistline at least six inches. It makes your legs look longer. It makes your waist look tinier. It makes whatever you’re wearing appear both more pulled together—literally, by pulling together your middle layers like outfit origami —and yet also somehow effortlessly disheveled. And in doing all of this, The tuck equates style with thinness.