Kardashian Partygoer's Controversial Denim Outfit Is Misguided Rage Bait - Here's Why
Who knew denim could cause so much drama? For Mikayla Nogueira, unfortunately, the fabric has landed her in hot water this week. The beauty influencer is being flamed for wearing jeans to a Kylie Cosmetics pop-up event, which saw the Kardashian-Jenner crew stylishly celebrate ten years of the brand.
After Nogueira shared photos from the October event to social media, internet users were hung up on the fact that the Massachusetts native paired simple, light-wash jeans with a basic brown bodysuit for the star-studded event. To be fair, the surprise isn't completely unwarranted. Even with a full beat done by Patrick Ta and her hair equipped with a bouncy blowout, Nogueira's outfit pales in comparison to the hosting family. While the Kardashian-Jenner clan has worn their own share of inappropriate looks, the youngest Jenner sister abided by the glam dress code in a bubblegum pink wig and matching latex dress while Kim stepped out in a halter gown from Vex and layers of chunky necklaces.
@mikaylanogueira What is my life 🥹
Of course, the event was heavily photographed, so it's not surprising that the trendsetting Kylie Jenner brought her normal level of luxe fashion prowess. But the backlash to Nogueira's outfit does seem overblown. One TikToker declared he choice to wear jeans as evidence that "money can't buy you taste." However, zooming out on the denim drama reveals some folks are off-track with the denouncing the denim look, as there seems to be some residual hate lurking underneath the backlash.
Mikayla's scandal-filled past has brought her unwarranted fashion scrutiny
It's worth noting that this isn't the first time Mikayla Nogueira has come under fire. Throughout her online career, the TikTok creator has been criticized for seemingly dishonest ads, tone-deaf statements, and questionable beauty brand choices. Though some of these past criticisms have definitely been warranted, it's hard to not think her status as a polarizing figure has translated into people unfairly scrutinizing her fashion choices, with her denim party outfit ranking as collateral damage.
This is especially obvious when you compare Nogueira's slightly understated event outfit to looks some of the other party-goers wore. Critics seem to be oblivious to the fact that she wasn't the only one to wear jeans. Makeup artist Patrick Starrr was definitely the most fashionable denim-clad attendee, sporting a pair of bedazzled jeans, a matching headpiece, and statement earrings. While the look certainly had more flair than Nogueira's minimalist ensemble, other celebs opted for similarly simple pieces, uncovering a double standard at play.
Photographer and filmmaker Tyrone Lebone, for instance, looked especially cool and casual in a white tank top, dark wash jeans, and simple jewelry while influencer marketer and social media figure Zach Zumbusch wore a black t-shirt and brown, leather jacket with denim pants. Even model Gabriette sported a pair of low-rise jeans with a velvet top and sleek boots.Though there's a case to be made that slightly different styling could have helped Nogueira, the lack of online criticism surrounding these other celebrity outfits suggests that the hate surrounding the influencer's denim look isn't really about fashion after all. What's more, Nogueira had a good reason for her toned-down look, explaining in an Instagram comment that a last minute invite left her with few outfits to pull from her suitcase.In other words, despite what some internet users may theorize, the choice to wear jeans wasn't intended to be disrespectful. It was simply the influencer working with what she had.