“The Substance of Style” by Virginia Postrel is a fascinating essay on the topic of the Afghani liberation
from Taliban rule. On a deeper level, Postrel dives into and unpacks this event and examines it on a larger
scale as well as its effects on a larger scale. The author discusses how the whole cultural norm switched quite
rapidly and why this happened. Many people that viewed this political event took it for face value, not caring
about the people affected by the Taliban and how they would react to being free. Throughout Postrel’s essay, it
is clear that style can be restricted by rule, and also that the weight of style and the substance of style are both
underestimated.
Postrel says in the first paragraph of her essay, “Even burka merchants diversified their wares, adding
colors like brown, peach, and green to the blue and off-white dictated by the Taliban’s whip-wielding virtue
police” (6-9). This quote directly shows that the new style fabricated by the newly free Afghani people startled
many people, even Postrel herself. This new form of style did not startle others because it was wrong in
anyway, it is just a new form of style that is not familiar with others, even the liberated people themselves.
Next, Postrel underestimates the value of style and how much the lack of style can affect oppressed
people. Postrel states, “Liberation is supposed to be about grave matters: elections, education, a free press.
But Afghans acted as though superficial things were just as important” (19-21). Her use of the term “superficial”
is quite bold and somewhat unnecessary. What is superficial to her may or may not be superficial to other
people around the globe, especially people that are drastically different than her. These Afghani people were
deprived of style for so long that they forgot the feeling of being unique, and it robbed them of their creative
selves as a culture.
After reading this essay it is clear that style is pushed to the background of many situations as almost a
secondary option or backup plan. The story of the Afghani liberation challenges this common misconception,
showing that sometimes style is the most relevant part of some people’s lives. The style of some people truly
make them who they are, whether this be as a singular person or as a group of people. Style and the
substance of style should not be taken lightly by anyone, rather, it should be accepted and people should seek
to understand the style of others around them, enhancing their own as they do so.