I'm increasingly seeing people, even on the 'the left' - or perhaps *especially* on the 'the left' - laying into them over how they dress/look.

Their unique kind of style isn't really my cup of tea. I mean, it's not how i'd choose to dress myself*. I've always been a sports/casual kind of guy (or 'normcore', as it seems to be called these days).

But since when has it been acceptable to criticise or take the piss out of someone based on how they look?

It doesn't achieve anything politically, and it risks undermining the self-esteem, confidence and emotional well being of the targeted person.

Surely they should be free to go about their lives dressed how they want, without the fear of being harassed and hassled for it?

And if they have terrible politics to go with their beards and knee socks, then okay, criticise/challenge those politics.

But to attack their appearance doesn't strike me as being any different to those who would bully people based on their being too fat/too thin/bespectacled/too spotty/too tall/too short and all the other usual playground taunts.

No-one on 'the left' should have any truck with it at all.

(*Perhaps because I know i'd have been absolutely f*cking slaughtered for it, and didn't want to put myself through that needlessly)