The Transformative Heart Of ‘What Not To Wear’

I hear voices in my head if I’m tempted to run to the grocery store to pick up a couple of things dressed in my work-at-home uniform of an oversized T-shirt, sweats and well-worn Birkenstocks. Those voices say things like, “Why are you going out in public in that schlumpy, sad sack of an outfit? Have you learned nothing at all from a decade of watching our TV show?”

Beyond a mere makeover show, TLC long-running What Not To Wear explores the emotion and esteem issues behind our clothing choices. The show’s hosts, style mavens Clinton Kelly and Stacy London, have demonstrated how pleated mom jeans, hippie-era resale store ponchos, or sparkly spandex club-wear alike can be ersatz versions of fig leaves in which we hide our best selves. [read more]