If you haven't got anything nice to say....

Being a Feminist Fashion Blogger during awards season...

...If you didn't know I run a fashion blog. I've been doing this for over three years and one of my regular features is writing up round ups of the red carpet fashion during the January/February awards season (and occasional events throughout the year).

Now I'll be honest. I love awards season. It's Hollywood glamour cranked up to 1xmillion and full of beautiful dresses and gowns and jewels and you bet I flock magpie-like to sites like Red Carpet Fashion Awards or Zimbio or Style just to get a glimpse of what people wore. 

But what often happens during this time is critique and I'm not talking about whether Oscar De La Renta's tulle gown held its shape off the runway. I'm talking blatantly harsh, and often incredibly sexist comments towards the women who attend these shows and their choice of fashion. 

If a guy turned up in a ridiculous outfit, he'd be called kooky or a little whacky. If a woman dared to wear something left field she'd be thrown into the modern day equivalent of pit of hissing cobras. 

I've seen women called fat because they wore a body con gown. 

I've seen women told they look slutty because they decided to wear smokey eye make up and a short mini dress.

I've seen women called out for 'dressing like an old lady' or 'frumpy' because they wore a dress that covered their arms.

And I'll openly admit to not being a saint when it comes to reporting on fashion responsibly and writing off women in the same way.

Fashion is so subjective and so closely tied with personal taste and opinion. 

And what often happens during awards season is that this manifests itself in plain nasty and hurtful comments about the women themselves because "Hey, fashion is an extension of self, right? So if she's wearing a short dress she must conform with the social stereotype of being promiscuous, right?"

No.

Surely the women of Hollywood should be allowed to wear what they like without the fear of harsh comments and assumptions of their personality based on their wardrobe choices, but alas this is not the world we live in yet.  

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having an opinion on a red carpet look. If you don't like it. 

Fine. 

But I for one am leaving the personal attacks offline and I'm adopting an "If you haven't got anything nice to say, then don't say it" attitude. 

I'm still gonna write about these events, I enjoy looking at how runway looks get translated by different women and like I said I'm like a magpie for couture. But I'm getting rid of 'worst dressed' labels and criticisms based on the fact that I'm not a fan of a person. 

The red carpet has and always will be a surreal place of fantasy and sartorial freedom. 

And who am I to slander the women who walk it based on what frock they've got on?