The problem with Instagram posts where young women claim to look ‘weirdly pretty’

There’s a new trend doing the rounds on TikTok, but there’s a problem with it (Picture: Getty Images) A messy-haired woman smiling at golden hour. A 20-something laughing with her mates. Two friends half asleep on the beach. Pictures like these have long been staples of most Instagram feeds — now though, they come with a new, rather confusing, caption: ‘Pics I feel weirdly pretty in.’ This recent trend sees young women posting snaps of themselves where they look 10/10, but aren’t conventionally camera ready. Maybe they’re makeup-free, pulling a funny face, or holding a half-eaten burger. Either way, they pull off an essence of chic, despite supposedly not trying. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. And as you’d expect, the comments are flooded with compliments like ‘girly, you are always beautiful,’ ‘you’re a stunner,’ ‘love how real you are for this,’ and ‘love for yourself is the best medicine.’ At first glance, this trend offers something hopeful. Georgina Sturmer, an MBACP-accredited psychotherapist, tells Metro: ‘It’s the positive idea that women can look pretty, and want to share images of themselves, when they’re not just “striking a pose.” ‘After all, most of us spend most of the day holding ourselves in poses that aren’t camera-ready.’ However, it’s the announcement of these poses as being ‘weirdly pretty’ that Georgina says is a problem. Society dictates that women need to be beautiful to be acceptable — but equally, we need to be humble, modest, and not actually think we’re beautiful. Oh, my hair? I only slept with rollers in. My skin? I’ve just been drinking more water lately. My top? It was only a fiver at the charity shop. It won’t go unnoticed by anyone who sees these images that the women sharing them are indeed conventionally attractive. Many are slim, white, and young. However, Georgina notes that despite conforming to this Eurocentric ‘ideal’, they still feel the need to accompany their photos with ‘what feels like a disclaimer, or apology.’ ‘And it’s this disclaimer that reflects a level of discomfort and a wider cultural expectation surrounding female beauty,’ she adds. The expectation is that we shouldn’t be happy with the way that we look. From injectables, to GLP-1s to anti-ageing beauty, women are constantly told we need to improve. ‘Women often feel they should apologise for acknowledging that they are happy with how they look,’ Georgina concludes. Being fine with your lot just isn’t the done thing; a rule reinforced throughout modern pop culture, from One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful to She’s All That. So next time you want to post some silly — and stunning — images of yourself, why not subvert the standard and do it without the ‘weird’ caption? You’re hot. Own it. Don't hate your sweat patches — you're being a feminist From a young age, girls learn to stuff tissues under their clothes and choose their outfits strategically to avoid sweat patches. And while nobody wants to be noticeably sweaty in public there’s often a disparity in how a perspiring woman is viewed, versus a man. Products such as ‘Ta-Ta Towels’ and ‘Dress Shields’ are created as a reminder to women that concealing sweat should always be a priority. In pop culture, when a woman sweats it’s because she’s flustered – think any scene featuring a ‘hysterical’ Miranda in her eponymous British sitcom. Or, it’s something to be horrified by. We can thank Emma Roberts’ movie, Wild Child, for making S.U.L.A a thing (that’s Sweaty Upper Lip Alert for those not in the know). Meanwhile, a single shot of Jeremy Allen White sporting a sweaty brow and the entire internet goes feral. It might seem trivial, but women’s rights activists say this difference is part of a wider problem in a society where women’s bodies are so heavily policed. And, ‘normalising body realism’ — including acknowledging sweat without shame — is a quiet rebellion against that. Want to know more? Read our full report here. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: SABSing is the offline dating trend set to take over London — here’s how you do it Arrow MORE: Perez Hilton hospitalised after police respond to distressing livestream Arrow MORE: Andy Burnham responds to Scottish athlete with terminal cancer’s heartbreaking plea