|
|
'What Not to Wear' for Spring As even the battered Northeast begins to emerge from the winter doldrums, women across much of America face the daunting prospect of pulling out that warm-weather wardrobe and seeing if it's fit to wear.
But fear not (or less, at least), because the style gurus of TLC's Saturday-night series "What Not to Wear" have a few basic tips. Based on the British show of the same name (which airs on BBC America), the series takes unsuspecting fashion victims -- nominated by friends and families -- secretly films them in their reportedly hideous wardrobes (and in various stages of undress), shows them the footage for maximum humiliation and shock value, then rebuilds their shattered egos with fashion advice and a paid-for clothes-shopping spree.
According to London, accepting a harsh assessment of one's stylistic missteps does not indicate a lack of self-esteem. "It speaks, not to people's self-esteem," she says, "but to their confidence level. In a lot of ways, their honesty is what shows me that they have a lot of confidence, even if they're saying, 'Look, I know I'm a mess, help me.' They're willing to be up front about it, in the same way they're saying, 'Look, teach me.'" "What is common about everybody?" Lukas asks. "We all have body issues, and all of our body issues are huge, and all of our body issues are secrets. We don't share our body issues." "But when me and Stacy get you naked, in a room, and we say, 'What do you hate about your body?' When they have to say it, their world crumbles." "We're asking them to confront it," London says, "not to say, 'Well, then, you should lose 10 pounds.' Work with what you've got. Let's make it better, from the clothing and style point of view." The stylists insist, as well, that it's not about shelling out the big bucks for designer duds. "That's not the show," Lukas says. "It's the rules, not the price of the clothes." "We sell you the rules," says London, "and the techniques that empower you to look your best, no matter what the cost."
>"You have to know what to look for when you're shopping," Lukas says, "because every store has one piece that's going to work. You can find that one piece if you know the rules about your body."
"It is not easy for anyone to just buy off the rack," says London. "I do think it is important that people know there are things that are worth buying and altering." "Most clothes off the rack don't fit correctly. There are things that are worth taking in and having altered. It can make all the difference in the world." "We are so desperately stuck on fit," Lukas says. "Fit is so important." Asked about pet peeves, Lukas says, "Dressing for their partners. 'My husband wants me sexier,' or 'My husband likes red.' Never doing it for themselves. That's my thing. We put our clothes on for the world. It's bigger than just saying, 'I put this on because I really want to please the public,' who could care less about you. It starts from the inside out." "Really an extension of that is the way people try to hide their bodies," London says. "That's my biggest pet peeve. You don't look thinner when you put yourself in a sack. It makes me crazy, and I don't know how it all got started -- lose yourself in big sweatpants, lose yourself in something." "It's people feeling like they're disappearing, but really what you see is shapeless." And, says Lukas, no sloughing off at home in a torn T-shirt and stretched-out leggings. "It matters what you feel when you're home by yourself. Sloppy clothes mean sloppy feelings." More Headlines
TV Gal
| |
Print
Email
Return to Headlines ;