What Not to Wear

What was the idiot watching when she/he made the comment about this show being awful? I've only begun watching this show this season, and all I can say is how helpful and passionate Clinton and Stacy are towards their fashion victims. Often times, they do make cracks, but it's always about the person's fashion sense, and NEVER about the person. There are many clueless people out there, myself included, when it comes to wearing clothes that truly flatter one's figure. Yes, it's arguable that there's maybe too much "cookie-cutter" and "conformist" views of fashion, but it doesn't take away from this show still being very educational (and entertaining).

I love their sarcastic and very dry sense of humor. There's a huge difference between being sarcastic for entertainment purposes and being downright mean and cruel, which they're not. The original UK version of this show is actually even more brutal, as the Brits/Europeans are famous for being no holds barred. And that show is still showing and has been wildly successful! As for this US version, I haven't seen a show yet where the participant walked away not feeling better about herself. Besides, you get flown to NYC, given $5,000 for new clothes, AND are given a hair and facial makeover. If you were to get a haircut from Nick Arrojo, you'd be paying through the roof! What's not to like?

The author of the another comment regarding this show failed to mention that the men and women feel much better about themselves after their makeovers. It is not all personal style. Some people get stuck in a rut or have no fashion sense and really do not know how bad they look. No one wants to look bad no matter what their personal style is. The stylists always try to take the "victims" own sensibilities into account while updating them. Some of the people only dress bad because they do not have the money to spend on clothes, and if that were me, I would welcome $5000 and a chance to shop in NY. I do think they went a little crazy on the pointy toed shoes last season which I hate regardless of trend, but all in all the show is fun, and educational for people who are unaware of what shapes, cuts, and fabrics flatter their figures.

I was late to this party, but I'm glad I found it. Now I've been a fan for the past year and half or so. If you're leery of reality TV like me, don't be afraid to watch this show. It's not superficial or mindless. It's very constructive for the most part and you come to trust the expertise of the two hosts. The only down side is the hair stylist, he rarely makes contestants' hair look better, I don't think he "reads" his clients well or helps enhance their features. He's the only weak link of the show, the rest is great! Even if you think you're already a fashionista, I think you'll find it entertaining to see how these people get made over. And if you're a fashion misfit, this show can definitely help you in the educational department. Not perfect, but darn close, so I'm giving it a 9.

One major issue that this show had for me were negative comments that were often extreme made by Stacey and Clinton. This has nothing to do with the year in which the show came out. It is not "a product of its time". The humour was sarcastic and condescending which is the last thing participants wanted to experience after realizing they were filmed in secret. I wonder how many participants said no to makeover. Some people do deserve it though because you don't need a stylist to realize that wearing stained, ripped, clothing with shoes that are way beyond repair is acceptable, when you are far from being poor. I would be insulted in their presence.

20 years later and still Stacey's and Clinton's advice holds. Many ideas and outfits are great if you like Kate Middleton - Catherine, Princess of Wales classic sort of style. I can't wait to see their new show that is coming out soon - I hope they will finally focus on the person and what they like and that they will find what works not just for their figure but their personality too. I was getting tired of constant super feminine styling ideas and heels. I also hope that they will tone down their criticism.

While you may think the show is cruel, I have yet to see an episode where the person receiving the makeover ends up upset and hurt at the end. They are always thrilled with the results and always comment on how it changed them both inside and out. They do make some cruel comments, but they're clearly all in jest. I love the show and don't see anything wrong with it. The makeover recipients also rarely say that their feelings were hurt by the comments. It's likely that they realize that the comments are true and have wanted to change for awhile. I've seen the British version and don't care for it nearly as much. No surprise to me as I'm not usually a fan of British humor, style, etc...