How-to posts have become increasingly more popular, thanks in part to Pinterest. As a writer for an online lifestyles magazine, I can attest to the fact that pictures are most helpful in explaining how to do something. The end result is vital—the reader has to know if they’d like it, right?
Veronica Misako Gledhill was on the right track with her article “How to Wear a Blanket to Work and Have Nobody Notice” on The Cut, the fashion portion of New York Magazine. This post has appeal for a variety of reasons, the main one being who wouldn’t want to wear a blanket to work? It sounds incredibly cozy. The timing of this article is great with the oncoming cold weather.
I had a few tiffs with this article, however. First of all, a blanket isn’t even used in the demonstration—it’s a scarf. That makes the title misleading and, as a reader, I was a bit miffed. The fact that there was only one way depicted to turn the “blanket” into a top suitable for work was also troubling. People like options, and when it comes to styling something unconventional, the more options the better. Finally, Gledhill did not include a full-body shot of the end result of the piece. After the belt was placed around the model’s hips, the camera stayed on that area as she placed her hands on her hips. Doesn’t give the reader much of a visual and, as one, I am in no way tempted to mimic this style.
While this piece has potential, especially with the cold fronts looming, it is lacking much. More ways to style the scarf into a top, changing the word blanket to scarf, and having a full shot of the end result would have benefited it greatly.