Ella

I've decided this is the year I'm finally watching past season two of Pretty Little Liars. Being now on season four, something that has really made me wonder is how many age-gap relationships there were, and how usual they made them seem to be.

The main controversial relationship is obviously Aria and Ezra. It amazes me that every time they are questioned, their defense is saying they met before he became her teacher, as if that's supposed to make it any better. Technically, yes, he did meet her at a bar where only people of age are supposed to be at. But the next day, he sees her sitting in his classroom, being his 16-year-old student, a child. Ezra, being a 20-something adult, falls in love with his student and somehow makes her believe it's okay, because he "doesn't see her as a child". And Aria falls into his game, trying constantly to come off as mature enough to be with him. But she's not, and we see her struggle with this all throughout their relationship; because no matter how hard she tried, it's impossible to keep up with someone so ahead of you. Someone who has gone through high school, through college, and is now a fully functioning adult who knows she's hurting, who knows she has and is experiencing constant traumatic events, and uses it not only to manipulate her into loving and trusting him, but also to fulfil his dreams of being a writer. That´s right, instead of coming up with an original idea, he used his underaged girlfriend's life and trauma to write a book.

Their relationship being so romanticized does not only send a dangerous message to viewers, young girls in particular, but it also shows how we are able to overlook a man's wrong actions just because he's cute. This goes beyond them meeting before school started, it's about power imbalance. The same goes for Byron and Meredith, although they are both adults in this case, him, as a teacher, has an unspoken power over her that is blinded by what may seem like affection.

This romanticized kind of relationships with older men are also a very common trope in fanfiction, and I'm not talking in the older brother's best friend sense. I mean the types of fanfics that hide behind being just a story to infantilise the oc/reader and turn twisted situations into something appealing, usually leaning dangerously into not only paedophilia but also incest.

When I first watched Gilmore Girls, I was 16 years old. I related to Rory, she was studious, loved to read, she had great ambition, and she was set on achieving her goals. But there was a moment when everything started to go down for this character, and I could no longer relate to her. Why was such a smart person making such bad decisions? She had endless opportunities and was one step closer to reaching her goal, after so much effort, why did she throw everything away?

Criticism is something you would never expect if you’ve been praised for even the smallest things by everyone around you your entire life. Imagine a person you barely know, a big name in the industry of your interest, telling you that the one thing you consider your passion, isn’t for you. “You don’t got it”. I would crash out too. What Rory could've done, should’ve done, was work hard to prove him wrong. But even a bit of questioning from someone else can make you wonder if you chose the right path, if you’ll be able to make it, if you’re enough.

After my first year of university, I can say I relate to Rory once more. In a classroom full of people working towards something, I’m only floating. The fear of being a disappointment is what keeps me from dropping out.

Is following a career that you’re not sure you even like worth it? What do I want my life to be like? What are my dreams? My goals? Who do I want to be?

In my opinion Alexa Chung’s career in fashion and her characteristic sense of style have granted her a very deserved title of it-girl. She makes even the most basic of outfits look chic and the way she carries herself is just so cool-girl coded.

According to her, 4 items that must be in your closet should be: something animal print, classic jeans, white t-shirts and ankle boots. Her style could be defined as twee or indie sleeze, being heavily influenced by the 60s and rock and roll; she tends to go for a more classic look, elevating it with prints, shoes, bags and different accessories but never stepping into maximalism. Based on her street style we can see she tends to have jeans, trench coats, sweaters, skirts and loafers or mary janes as a basis in all of her outfits, always staying true to her preferences and not just following trends.

And who could be a better muse for indie rock than Alexa? As a bonus, I would like to use this paragraph to reminisce a time in which, in her own words, she enjoyed cosplaying as a “band girlfriend”. Between 2007 and 2011, she established a relationship with Alex Turner, singer and songwriter from the “Arctic Monkeys”; becoming the inspiration for songs like “She’s thunderstorms” and “Knee Socks”, but also the recipient of one of the most heartfelt love letters of modern times, in by biased opinion. Oh, to be loved in such a poetic way…

To conclude, I think what really makes Alexa a fashion icon is the fact that she stays true to what she likes and she only wears what suits her vibe. In many interviews she has stated that her biggest fashion advice is that you should find your own sense of style and not follow what’s trendy just to show off. Fashion is political, but it’s also supposed to be fun and a form of art. Alexa said for Who What Wear that she “thinks she has never done a bad outfit” and she’s so real for that, because if you wear clothes you love, clothes that make you feel confident, no outfit could be a bad one; maybe outdated, but never bad.