Have you seen the TV show called What Not to Wear?1 Each episode focuses on a woman who is a walking fashion disaster. These sartorially challenged individuals are secretly nominated by their friends or family members to be invited onto the show, told what not to wear and then shown what to wear instead. In some cases, the woman thinks she is dressing okay, but most people looking at her realize that her clothing choices actually work against her, making her look sloppy, unprofessional, careless or even cheap.
Before these individuals are invited onto the show, a videographer secretly films them while they are out on their daily routine, dressed as they usually are. Then, once the person has been ambushed by the co-hosts and comes onto the show, these “before” clips are shown during the episode.
The co-hosts, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, use a mix of friendly ridicule and humor to help participants see where their clothes are undercutting their goals.
One segment of each show is when the co-hosts bring from the participant’s home the contents of her closet and go through the items, pointing out the shortcoming of each garment. By that point, the participant has been told she is being given $5,000 to shop for a new wardrobe in New York City boutiques, but she can only have the money if she allows Stacy and Clinton to critique, and, in most cases, throw out her existing wardrobe. Interesting, some participants resist having certain garments discarded, appearing to cherish them. On one show, a woman in her mid-30s wanted to keep cut-off jean short-shorts that she’d been wearing, though now weighing more than she had in her high-school years when such garments might have worked for her.
By the end of each show, the participant has several new outfits that are flattering and that unquestionably improve her appearance. The person also is sent to a hairstylist and a makeup artist for finishing touches, and the result of the fashion makeover is always impressive. A
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