Public Image

When Lavigne first gained publicity, she was known for her tomboyish style,[124] in particular her necktie and tank-top combinations.[125][126] She preferred baggy clothes, skater shoes or Converses,[63] wristbands, and sometimes shoelaces wrapped around her fingers.[9] During photo shoots, instead of wearing "glittery get-ups", she preferred wearing "old, crumpled T's".[7] In response to her fashion and musical influences, the media would call her the "pop punk princess".[80][127] Press and fans regarded her as the "anti-Britney", in part because of her less-commercial and "real" image, but also because she was noticeably headstrong. "I’m not made up and I’m not being told what to say and how to act, so they have to call me the anti-Britney, which I’m not."[9] By November 2002, however, Lavigne stopped wearing ties, claiming she felt she was "wearing a costume".[8] Lavigne made a conscious effort to keep her music, and not her image, at the forefront of her career. "I'm just saying, I don't want to sell sex. I feel that's sort of lame and low. I've got so much more to say."[128]
Lavigne eventually took on a more gothic style as she began her second album, Under My Skin, trading her skating outfits for black tutus[127] and acquiring an overall disposition of angst.[129] During The Best Damn Thing years, Lavigne changed directions entirely, dying her hair blonde with a pink streak and wearing more feminine outfits,[130] including "tight jeans and heels,"[63] and modelling for magazines like Harper's Bazaar.[124] Lavigne defended her new style: "I don't really regret anything. You know, the ties and the wifebeaters and all... It had its time and place. And now I'm all grown up, and I've moved on".[130] She now tries to eat healthy foods and participate in athletic activities, including yoga, street hockey, soccer, rollerblading, and surfing.[63]