F06 :: Feminist Film Studies

Have you ever heard the term “Fashion police?� Growing up, it was often used in my house when my dad would wear things that made him look un-kept, and not flattering. Hosts Stacy and Clinton of the television show What Not to Wear can be considered fashion police for Americans today. While watching and analyzing an episode over the weekend, they made some interesting comments and helped a woman improve her self esteem.

The woman on the episode I watched, Christina, was in her late 30’s but “tried dressing like she was still 20.� She was in need of assistance with improving her style. With the help of the show, she walked away with a new sense of pride and power. Stacy, Clinton, and the rest of the What Not to Wear staff helped this lady immensely. They started by analyzing her outfits from the past couple weeks. While watching the videos they had of her and going through her clothes, she realized that some of the things she wears are not flattering to her. It was never the case that they brought her self esteem down; they were very helpful and always had productive criticism.

After Christina discovered her style could use an adjustment, What Not to Wear was more than helpful in finding her clothes that were figure flattering, stylish, and comfortable for Christina. They took into consideration her personal style interests but explained to her why some things are not appropriate in certain situations. Instead of only criticizing Christina, Stacy and Clinton were helpful and made productive comments. They also overcame an issue that is largely at hand in today’s society. As discussed in the “Introduction: Gender and the Plus Size Body,� society is trying to accept every size. But Sujata Moortia and Karen Ross say different, what in my opinion is really the case.

“To me it seems clear that “size acceptance� is limited only to the “average� rather than to all sizes…And yet there are surely many women like Wann, whose weight is no physical impediment, but whose bodies are deemed “unacceptable.��

Stacy and Clinton do a good job of accepting Christina’s body shape and helping her feel good about herself as opposed to making her feel like she needs to change.

Where some might criticize What Not to Wear, they do a good job at empowering women and helping them feel better about themselves. Watching this episode and others in the past, the end of the show is almost always positive. The women feel great about themselves in real life situations, not just when going to a party or a big event. They often end up having a new feminine side they are often excited to show off to their friends and family. They have a new appreciation for themselves and have confidence that was not present before their makeover. To be able to have self confidence is one of the most difficult things for women in today’s society. What Not to Wear helps many women overcome the low self esteem some say they have or simply give those that do not have low self esteem extra confidence they did not know they had within them.