The latest Instagram trend sees young women posting candid photos of themselves looking effortlessly attractive, but captioning them 'Pics I feel weirdly pretty in.' While the images often show makeup-free faces, messy hair, or playful poses, the accompanying caption has drawn criticism from a psychotherapist who says it reflects a deeper societal discomfort with female beauty.
What Is the 'Weirdly Pretty' Trend?
This trend features snapshots that are not conventionally 'camera-ready'—perhaps a woman laughing with friends, holding a half-eaten burger, or pulling a funny face. Despite the casual nature, the subjects appear chic and attractive. The comments section fills with compliments like 'girly, you are always beautiful' and 'love how real you are for this.'
Georgina Sturmer, an MBACP-accredited psychotherapist, told 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, she notes that the phrase 'weirdly pretty' acts as a disclaimer, undermining the positivity.
The Problem with the Caption
Sturmer explains that society dictates women must be beautiful to be acceptable, but also humble and modest, not openly acknowledging their attractiveness. By labeling their photos as 'weirdly pretty,' women preemptively apologize for looking good, reflecting a cultural expectation that women should not be happy with their appearance.
'It's this disclaimer that reflects a level of discomfort and a wider cultural expectation surrounding female beauty,' Sturmer added. The trend often features women who conform to conventional beauty standards—slim, young, and white—yet they still feel the need to downplay their looks.
Cultural Pressure to Improve
From injectables to GLP-1s to anti-ageing products, women are constantly told they need to improve. This pressure is reinforced in pop culture, from One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful' to the film She's All That. Sturmer concludes: 'Women often feel they should apologise for acknowledging that they are happy with how they look.'
Related: Sweat and Feminism
This trend parallels another issue: the policing of women's bodies, such as the stigma around sweat. Products like 'Ta-Ta Towels' and 'Dress Shields' remind women to conceal perspiration, while pop culture portrays sweaty women as flustered or horrified—think Miranda in the British sitcom or the 'Sweaty Upper Lip Alert' in Wild Child. Meanwhile, a sweaty Jeremy Allen White sends the internet into a frenzy.
Activists argue this disparity is part of a wider problem where women's bodies are heavily policed. Normalizing body realism, including acknowledging sweat without shame, is a quiet rebellion against that.
