Would you want to be nominated for "What Not to Wear"?

I would beat the sh!t out of my friends and family if they nominated me.

Doesn't matter if I really need it or not. I would kill them.

It's not the idea of getting a makeover and being taught 'how to' stuff ... it's the public humiliation that I would be pissed about.

Mind you ... I think my friends and family know me well enough to know that I would be, on camera, getting surprised by Stacey and Clinton and I would look right into the lens and say "F-off you can keep your crappy money!"

There's got to be plenty of people who have been set up and said no to the money/makeover, but none of that is known since obviously they can't show it on TV.

I guess it would depend on who nominates me. If it was my mother, I would probably be pissed. If one of my friends nominated me, I would find it funny. I can't explain rationally what the distinction is.

Have you ever teased her about her clothing? How did she react?

I'd be a shoo-in, as I wear some of my various outfits because they amuse me, not because they enhance my great beauty or because they are in style. Take my gawdawful gold velvet dress, for example...

I read the sartorialist blog, and, alternately, the hel-looks blog, because, to some extent I do keep up with styles at the same time I'm way past what is in this season or not. I have a lot of wonderment at all the free-floating judgement out there.

Haven't seen the tv show. I did used to feel sorry for the folks featured in some magazine and newspaper articles of this sort, though. Can't remember which, maybe Glamour? Dunno.

Yeah. Ideally I'd ask her first, but I've been through the nomination process before (E.G., he knew and approved) and the element of surprise is heavily emphasized.

I haven't teased her, no. We were talking and an outlet store I like to go to came up, which she hadn't been to, and I happened to be wearing several things I'd gotten there -- "this was $3, this was $10 I think" -- and she was very interested. That started a conversation about how she loves clothes and shopping but has just given up in the last several years for the reasons I mentioned (no money, and not wanting to waste what she has on clothes that wouldn't fit before long). I had the definite impression that a $5,000 Visa card to use on clothes would make her very, very happy.

Osso, I like the show but their disdain for a certain kind of nonconformist expression grates on me. Sometimes they're able to do it in such a way that at the end the nonconformist looks both interesting and put-together, and seems happy. But that's part of my talking-to about money. If all you can genuinely afford is either boring, low-end "fashionable" stuff or more interesting, second-hand type stuff, I see the appeal of the latter.

Plus that show annoys me in how they stick to the same rules.

The pants are all the fashionable low-waist type (even for people with fat bellies) and all have straight leg/flares, as is the fashion these days.

The shoes are high heeled, generally, with that pointy toe thing going on. I don't care how expensive the shoe is, they are not all comfortable.

The jackets are always fitted close to the body.

They make people buy Cashmere, even those that don't like the feel of it. I mean they really push them into it, getting snippy with them when they buy look at any other wool other than Cashmere-blends.

They do pick various styles, colors, etc., for different types of people, but their basic rules are always the same same same. I've seen many people on the show and they all come out looking like factory models of the same thing.

It's a shame but there is no 'give' to express different styles or flairs. It's all about a preconcieved notion of what looks good from one aspect only.

Oh yeah, I may crap all over the show, but apparently I watch it ... a lot!

It's quite a low number, definitely less than 5, I think it might have been 2 - they talked about it in the "behind the seams" episode. They definitely showed 1 person turning them down - and I think Clinton said there had been 1 other.

it's interesting how often the issue isn't really about the $, but about how people undervalue themselves or literally aren't able to 'see' themselves - I suspect that's part of the selection process - there's often a fair bit of discussion by friends about how the nominees don't care about themselves/are more concerned about taking care of others - and a lot of those night-time self cams reflect that perception.

I wish they'd do the hair/grooming part first, since that seems to be where the biggest internal change happens - then again, they'd end up with a very short program.

I would never be nominated. I'm so cool, I wear my jeans backwards like Kriss Kross did.

I am sooo totally tres chic.

I'm supersonic, magnifique.

I agree with you Heeven, they try to get people to wear the same thing.

To me, some of the fashions they dress people in don't look good at all. Sometimes the material for casual clothes is too clingy, and just doesn't look like it fits the person right. Some stuff that's oohed and ahhed over is just plain ugly and doesn't suit the person.

If I were nominated? I'd do it. I mean they give you, what is it? a few thousand dollars? The clothes they show you buying on the first and 2nd day is only a few hundred, maybe plus a special piece. I'm sure they don't follow you around for everything you get, so you'll end up buying what you want anyway, on the whole.

There's only a couple of things I'd really stick to. For instance, I never, never, never, EVER wear open toed shoes. Don't like how they look, on anyone let alone me. Kicky and I are alike in that feet are not attractive, and toes are....(shudder), I can't go on.

Also, I do....not.....like.....prints....period.

stripes sometimes, or maybe a white shirt that has ginchy black shapes on it, very coco chanel...but that's it.

I know someone that we were seriously thinking of nominating. If you looked up the word frump in the dictionary, here picture would be there. Strange as this may seem, a hard time in her life made her change her style.

She had a lump in her breast, and went through chemo....her horrible hair fell out. She actually looked better bald. She had really bad fine hair with no texture, and she would actually go get that mess permed like an old lady. she wore polyester shirts tucked into polyester pants, and she has an apple shape. All she ever wore were like "life stride" flat shoes. She looked like she dressed out of a Montgomey Ward catalogue. Money wasn't the issue, she makes 6 figures. The thing is, her clothes in no way match her personality. People close to her would try to nicely recommend changes, or encourage her on days when she didn't look completely horrible.

Anyway, as her hair grew back, she's now got it cut in a really short, carefree way that's really attractive. That got her started and now she's wearing more things that suit her figure and have some style

Usually $5000.

Stacey and Clinton don't go with them the first day - they have staff that stays with them the entire time. If Stacey and Clinton don't like what they got the first day, it gets returned. Second day is Stacey and Clinton shopping time.

(I learned a lot from that "behind the seams" episode)

I know what you mean. It's amazing how different people often are in the "after" -- how they hold themselves, how they speak, how they smile, everything.

The money thing is that it's not just the clothes but the whole thing. There are people who look great when they step out of the shower, shake out their hair, slap something on and go. There are people that need a whole lot more than that to look great. And it's those people who either a) have to make a real commitment to figuring out what the current fashions are (not just in clothes but hair, makeup, etc., etc.) -- which is a commitment many people just don't feel like making, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing -- or b) they have to pay the people who can do that for them. (The high-priced hairstylists, the makeup artists, the personal shoppers).

I've always had an interest in fashion and have always pretty much known how I can maximize things, but haven't always been able to put things together. And it just doesn't work if it's not all together. If you have hair, clothes and shoes that are right-on but you don't have any makeup and you no longer are young enough to pull off the no-makeup look -- doesn't work. You're almost all "look at me!" but then that one jarring note makes people go who get the "look at me!" message sent by everything else go "eek!" Or if you have a great dress but you just don't have shoes that will work with them. Or even if you have a single outfit that is all exactly right but it's just the one.

At some point there is a decision made to not bother to pursue this stuff since it's financially out of reach. I've only had a fairly short stretch of that -- when I was truly poor I was young enough that I needed no makeup and I never cut my hair and I just went to thrift stores and really-truly looked good. But between when sozlet was born and about a year ago, I just wasn't able to put things together financially. I've only really started to be able to get back into the swing of things appearance-wise, and I like it.

There's also the meta-messages, and whether they're all good or bad. Like, there was this one girl who was purposely quirky -- young, gorgeous, but would wear like striped knee socks with Chuck Taylors and a 50's dress and cateye glasses. I thought it was a cool style, actually. She was pretty defiant about it. She ended up this polished bombshell. I had really mixed feelings. Her posture, her way of speaking -- something had happened there. But there also seemed to be something lost. Hard to explain. I was thinking about for example what kind of guys she would be attracting now as compared to before. I think before she'd get a certain kind of goofy indie sweet guy. Now it'd be like country club lawyer types. Or something.

Overall I really like the show though, lots of fascinating stuff there beyond fashion per se.

You have now, officially, freaked me out! I feel exactly the same! I am a foot hater! I want to barf when I see (or hear) people with their 'slap-slap' flip-flops.

For me, it's know your toes are all exposed and getting all dusty and dirty, along with the inside of your shoe. Especially those strappy little sandals.

I walk around barefoot in the house of course.


wow, I just remember this friend of a friend. This was back when we were in our late teen. She NEVER let her feet go uncovered. Even when she wore her bikini, she kept little ankle socks on.

It was funny, she'd walk over to the pool, take off the socks right before we'd get in the water. We'd hide her socks and she'd get so pissed.

One of the things I like about a2k, all the heartfelt differences...

So funny that this came up now-- I was just thinking of this exact topic about fifteen minutes before I saw the thread!

I would love love lovitylove to be nominated. I even try to subtly hint to my husband to do it...and then I try outright telling him to do it I don't know that I'd have the nerve to do it for to someone else-- it's definitely a risk. For example, I had seriously considered nominating my mom; she'd be perfect and I think they might actually choose her, because of the sad story thing to go along with it, but then one day out of the blue she mentioned that she'd hate to be nominated!

I'd be pretty tempted to go ahead and do it for the woman you mentioned, though, Soz-- she sounds like she'd be really good for it and would end up liking it since she actually does enjoy having nice clothes but just can't afford it.

Heh, I've hinted to my husband too, that conversation ended up with me nominating him... I've decided to just go ahead and gradually do stuff, myself. (New glasses more than a year ago -- just regular covered-by-insurance glasses, but way more interesting than the ones I'd had; new clothes, gradually, and cheaply, but really paying attention and getting more out-there stuff; new haircut as of a month or two ago, that was a big step, 10" off and way more style than I've had in, well, a long time; and working out regularly, which isn't something Stacey and Clinton can do anything about but the fitter I am the better things look.)

One thing I'd thought of that your post reminded me of is to just bring up the show obliquely, in conversation, without it being about her. The fact that I nominated E.G. would probably be a good way to bring it up, if we're talking about anything even vaguely on that topic (men hating to shop, or whatever). Then see how she reacts. "I love that show!" or "they are so mean! I pity the people who they select." Etc.

That's so funny, your first paragraph there-- I could have written that! I've been gradually trying to improve what I have, like piece by piece, just a few really good things at a time...more interesting and stylish glasses are one of the next things I'd like to do...and I've been working out more with the same thought, that at least I can improve the way things fit if nothing else... I dunno, I think we might really grok each other in real life, Soz-- I always read your posts and think, hey, me too! <grin>

And I was really thinking about nominating my husband too, after it became clear I'd never get him to do it for me, heehee...What was it like nominating E.G.? Do you hear anything back from them after you nominate someone?