The Man Repeller

Leandre Medine, 21, is making her living doing what most young women fear: repelling men. Her clever fashion blog has gained tremendous fame; Medine has been featured in the likes of Harper’s Bazaar and The New York Times, and has over 12,000 followers on Twitter. Her blog, The Man Repeller, preaches a neo-feminist approach to women’s fashion: fashion’s purpose is not only exclusively for women to enjoy and impress one another, but it is for women to be so unique and over the top that they in fact repel future suitors. On the blog, Medine defines a “man repelling” as “outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex.” Man Repelling, Medine explains, includes but is not limited to wearing Harem pants and something she calls “birth control glasses,” which are essentially nerd chic thick rimmed glasses. Medine makes man repelling a fun goal with every wardrobe; she advocates head turning get ups, but not for the classic head turning reasons. Medine does not bare her midriff in pictures; she is pretty covered up. The only sexual innuendo she uses in the blog are in a way that promote abstinence due to crazy clothing choices.
Fashion blogs often show runway models wearing clothing that would freak out anyone other than a true couture fashionista, but what is so unique about The Man Repeller is that she portrays herself as none other than an average girl wearing outlandish outfits on a daily basis. Medine always lists where one can purchase her strange getups like her layered prints and high heeled sandals with printed socks, and often has links on her blog and Twitter of how to shop for man repelling outfits on the cheap. In a strange way, Medine seems to be starting a fashion revolution of sorts.
Medine’s approach may be just the sort of “forget men” boost girls need when looking towards a fashion icon.