Avril's New Look

Thank you for participating in this week's Naked Lunch. We discussed Avril Lavigne's new look and what we might expect from Avril in the future. Please read the discussion and comments and use the comment link below to contribute further. We look forward to next week's Naked Lunch!

Avril hasn't given the runway looks her own twist yet. And there is probably a stylist helping her. Perhaps once she gets rid of the stylist and starts wearing high fashion her own way, we will see more of Avril - the individual - come through in her dress. Derick

AP PHOTO

Avril Lavigne poses in an Armani gown at the 59th International film festival in Cannes.

The point about how Avril's exposure to the fashion and Hollywood establishments will affect her music is a really interesting one. We have very few clues as to what she REALLY thinks about high fashion and Hollywood. She appears to be embracing it. But we still might see her rebellious side emerge. I think that her true opinions will surface in her next album. Bernadette

And what about record sales? You could argue that this new look will be much more appealing on a record album cover than before?

Yes, and she will likely appeal to a much broader market. When she first came on the scene Avril was anti-establishment and stood out from all the other manufactured pop stars. She wore vintage, beat up sneakers and didn't seem to care about grooming. And she looked like a real teen, which is probably why her young fans identified with her, beyond the lyrics in her songs. Is she running the risk of alienating her original fans? Perhaps they are ready to grow up too? But very few will be able to afford the expensive designer clothes Avril is wearing. So if they dressed like her before, what will they wear now? Bernadette & Derick

Someone in today's story on Avril makes a comparison to Madonna, saying that her evolution was much slower than Avril's sudden overnight change. Is this the second coming - of a singer who understands the power of transformation?

In today's pop star arena, talent is just one part of the equation. To keep the fans, to gain new fans, to constantly stay in the spotlight you have to reinvent, provide change, keep them guessing. No one understood this better than Madonna. However, each of her image overhauls have been carefully and slowly orchestrated - not one look today and another 2 weeks from now. Her transformations always coincided with a new album, new project, etc and was heavily splashed around the world. It appears that Avril is embracing her new-found love for high fashion but it remains to be seen how she will play it out. By attending the Chanel couture show earlier this year in Paris, she is slowly building a style conscious profile. And it will be interesting to see how this will reflect in her new album. Derick

One of the comments suggests that Avril should go after the cover of Vogue or InStyle. What do you think?

AP PHOTO

The Canadian actress-musician, promoting the film Over the Hedge in which she voices an animated character, also wore a ruffled blouse.

She was already featured this year in a fashion spread in Harper's Bazaar with her new blond look. And I'm sure if she lands an advertising contract with a major fashion house she will be gracing a few fashion magazine covers. She is certainly prepping for it wearing those major fashion labels. Derick

Do you think that Avril's new look is authentic? Or has she been pushed into playing the role of a Hollywood starlet?

Time will tell. Maybe she will stick with this new look and grow into it. Or maybe she will go back to her old, rebellious self. One clue might be the rocker pose she struck on the steps of the screening hall at Cannes. (See the photo gallery with today's online Fashion section.) As the caption with the photo says, you can take the girl out of the rocker clothes, but you can't take the rocker out of the girl. Bernadette

Here are more comments from readers that arrived over the last week:

Avril looks greatly startling and this new face of style looks wonderful on her. As a trademark of Canada, her slacker style now gone exposes her maturity. Go Avril, get on the cover of In Style! or Vogue...We're behind you! -- Michelle

She's growing up and realizes that youth is fleeting. More importantly, fame is fleeting. You sometimes have to change your appearance in order to stay in front of the cameras. -- Kerry Burrage.

I think it is refreshing and encouraging that this young woman who is a role model for so many young girls has demonstrated such maturity. She has shown us her talent and now she shows her fans that you don't have to be a "bad girl" with "attitude" to succeed and there really is a place for those young stars who really "grow up." -- P.Fisher

Who cares about her new look. She chose her skater-boy look when she was just in her teens and she's a young adult now. Imagine how stupid we would all look if we never made a change to our personal style.

I think that Avril has tremendous style right now, although I do feel that she is trying very hard to fit the mold that she is being asked to conform to…  I’m hoping that Avril has matured instead of conformed to satisfy the public and simply realized that what she was wearing before may have been fine for a girl/teenager but was inappropriate for a young woman trying to fit into mainstream society.  Post-transformation, Avril looks polished and classy. -- Jaymee MacKenzie

As long as see she looks greats, who cares, she can't be 17 forever.

Her new look is horrible.  She used to look like a breath of fresh air, with her own quirky sense of style; then, in poorly chosen Chanel, she looked as though she was wearing her mother's clothes.  Now she looks tart-ish and insecure -- always with an uncomfortable smile, as though she knows she's trying to be something/someone that she isn't, and shouldn't be.

Avril looks great. She's growing up. Do we want her to look like a punk at age 40?- Jim H

She sold out, just like Nelly Furtado. -- Simone

Avril ..... Chubby face, stringy mousey long hair, cover the shoulders & arms, hips too wide, always poor eye makeup choice, spoiled brat attitude, all = Misfit. --
Benni in Waterloo

The new Avril is disappointing. She had such a uniqueness and spark about her and she has definitely lost that with this new look. She now looks like all the other celebrities - boring! Be yourself, Avril. That's what really made you interesting and made you stand out from the others. I'm not even close to being a peer of Avril's but her inimitable qualities attracted me to her and her music. Let's go back to the awesome and the original, real you, Avril. -- dk

As a Canadian, and a proud one, I find it really, really, disconcerting that you would devote the cover of your fashion page to judging Avril's choice of clothes. I find this petty, mean spirited, and distasteful. We celebrate American's who dress in outrageous styles, but never seem able to support our own talent. Wearing wild clothes just goes with the territory of being a star -- why do we need to mercilessly judge them?
-- Dr. Marina Quattrocchi

Comments

[Darlene]

I think she's finally discovered that she's a beautiful woman. Let's not forget that her Sk8r punk look was worn by a tough, finding-her-way teenager. If an artist is not permitted to evolve then why would they be worth paying attention to in the first place?

[Tracey]

She's finally growing up that's all. Oh and buying into the Hollywood glam! Either way, she's doing what it takes to diversify her portfolio in Hollywood.

[Anthony Vlasics]

Avril Lavigne looks much better in her new clothes. Her old "look" was not really punk anyway -- she just looked like an unkempt teenage girl with too much eye make-up on. She should top it off by finishing her education. Not everyone has the opportunity to get a full education, and that is a real shame. With her money, she could afford the kind of education that suits her, and it would polish off her new image nicely to be able to speak well at interviews and have intelligent opinions on world issues.

[Stephen]

Avril's new look opens like a flower in May, tentative and reflecting the season of her life. I'm all for it! Hope the music doesn't suffer. But there is no saying a teenage rocker can't evolve or that the concept of rock music itself can't evolve too.

[Adriana]

I'm Avril's age, and even though she is trying to dress like a young woman, there was no in between. She changed over night, and this rapid transaction may have made her fans feel like she alienated them without any warning. Being a young woman is to be in control and not follow cookie-cutter politics, but be your own person and dress in what you feel comfortable in. You can look glam in a knock off version or even something from Sears or The Bay. Money doesn't always buy you happiness. Follow your heart and love who you are.

[Deborah Haig]

I think she looks fabulous! She is a role model for young girls that trends are not individual and you don't have to stay the same to be yourself. Avril is growing up and we should appreciate her efforts to be more mature.

[Johanne Vincent-Haffner]

What a pleasure to watch as this young moth turns herself into a butterfly.

[Mark Collins]

Does her new look promote world peace, feed the hungry, or end state terrorism? Or is it another pretty person's preoccupation with themself?

[Jaymee MacKenzie]

I think that Avril has tremendous style right now, although I do feel that she is trying very hard to fit the mold that she is being asked to conform to. I’m hoping that Avril has matured instead of conformed to satisfy the public and simply realized that what she was wearing before may have been fine for a girl/teenager but was inappropriate for a young woman trying to fit into mainstream society. Post-transformation, Avril looks polished and classy.

[Cindy Hum]

She chose her skater-boy look when she was just in her teens and she's a young adult now. Imagine how stupid we would all look if we never made a change to our personal style.

[Pam Fisher]

I think it is refreshing and encouraging that this young woman who is a role model for so many young girls has demonstrated such maturity. She has shown us her talent and now she shows her fans that you don't have to be a "bad girl" with "attitude" to succeed and there really is a place for those young stars who really "grow up."

[Kerry Burrage]

She's growing up and realizes that youth is fleeting. More importantly, fame is fleeting. You sometimes have to change your appearance in order to stay in front of the cameras.

[Katie Hudson]

I think that Avril looks good and shes changed beucase she has grown up. I used to be a tomboy when I was younger and as I have gotten older I have wanted to dress more and more like a girlie girl. Its not that I have changed my personality -- it's just about changing how you want to see yourself and how you want others to see yourself. I think she has done good with herself. She shown girls how its okay to be either tomboyish or girlie.

[Sam Jhangiani]

It's about time. She's grown up and I like her new fashion sense. Elegant, tasteful and sophisticated look! Keep it up Avril!

[Cameron Pallett]

And you thought Madonna was the queen of reinventing herself. Think again. From skatr gurl to high fashion mannequin is more of a transition than Madonna ever dreamed of, and Avril pulls it off beautifully. You go girl!

[Grant Thomas]

She always was a marketing team’s engineered joke, so her new look is only reflecting that more. She should leave music and become the Jean-Bennet Ramsey pin up poodle she was born to be.

[Melissa Dalgleish]

Critics of Avril Lavigne's new look often cite her past declarations that she would never dress like the rest of her generation of celebrity women, and that she would never give up wearing boy shorts and her dad's ties. These critics are ignoring two key facts: a) Avril was sixteen when she made these declarations, and is therefore entitled to grow up and change her mind, and b) she now looks fantastic. Whether it was fear of being a real woman or just being stubborn that made Avril stick to her grungy look for so long, I for one am thrilled with the change. Avril's new look is sophisticated, womanly, age appropriate and beautiful. It is also distinctively Avril -- a good compromise between dressing like a boy and dressing like Paris Hilton.

[Karen Maxwade]

Well Avril seems to have grown up right in front of our eyes. I loved her old look, and you can't deny that she does look beautiful. So long as she still has her voice she can do no wrong.

[Antonella Spadone]

She looks absolutely fantastic. This look brings out her feminie beauty which was hidden before.

[Jane Ridpath]

Avril rocks!! She is a fine representation of a Canadian on the world stage, in the spotlight.

[Erin McCracken]

She certainly had her own trademark look -- straight brownish hair, pants and white wife-beater shirts and neck ties. But in the time between then and now, she's moved from Napanee to L.A., toured the world, fell in love and probably changed all her friends. She's grown up quite a bit and combine that with being surrounded by high L.A. fashion and an excess of blonde dye, she can't be blamed for losing her old look. But she recently attended Cannes wearing a long gown that sported black and white stripes. I think that was very Avril (the new Avril with a bit of her old rebel teen self thrown in): it was edgy yet high fashion. Change doesn't have to be a bad thing...as long as it remains her own look. Which I think it does.

[Inder Mudhar]

I think Avril looks amazing. I mean, even with her former edgy look she was very beautiful and I think there comes a point for every women, weather it's sooner rather than later, where she sort of steps into her "women" and I think that's what's happening here. It's not like she's washing cars in a bikini. She's become sophisticated and classy in her looks and I think that's something everyone can appriciate.

[Shannon Sinclair]

I think she sold herself out to her fans, she started as a skater, with skater music. I guess the world just needs to wait and see what she produces next.

[Janet Roeder]

It's all a matter of growing up and maturing. I have a 14-year-old and how she looks and dresses changes constantly. It's all part of growing up and finding your own identity. Plus I think with Avril the record label had a lot to do with keeping her alternative look going on.

[Norman Bloom]

WOW! I couldn’t recognize her. Avril is quite the young mature lady now that she has changed her appearance. Not like the kid from Home Hardware in Nappaneee.