What do you think of makeover TV programs?

Sitting quietly with a cup of tea and a house to myself, watching mindless TLC and it's various makeover programs is one of my rare treats and guilty pleasures. I often (although I have a long way to go myself) makeover people in my head, so seeing the cinderella transformations on TV is fun.

When I stop to think about all our personal struggles, feelings, thoughts about our clothing styles, I wonder if those shows ever achieve anything for the wearers long term? And how much do they take into account the wearer's personality. I have seen countless hardcore rock chicks made over into demure little pretty things - not true to their personalities at all.

My personal favourites are the various What Not To Wear series. I love the Trinny and Susanah series in the UK and I love the US version to. Having said that though, I find some of their rules - although good guidance - a little stifling and go against the have fun with fashion mantra. I also adore Gok Wan's "How to look good Naked" series - because that deals a huge amount with women's insecurities about their bodies. I think my least favourite is "How do I Look?" - I reckon if anything, this achieves the least long term as the styles are dictated by the person's family or friends, who very often could do with a makeover themselves.

I'd love to hear your thoughts?

12 years ago

rute

Veteran

My personal favourites are What Not To Wear and Trinny and Susanah series also.
I find interesting how fashion can change so much more than just the exterior!

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

I watched Gok Wan's show a few times and really enjoyed it. I think they did a great job with the transformation and helping the participant see themselves without the negative lens.

I sometimes like WNTW as well but do find that some of these shows (including home reno/decorating) have a formula that becomes too obvious too quickly and they start to feel overly staged and scripted.

Day Vies

I'm in the US and I love Stacey and Clinton on WNTW. I feel like their make-overs/unders are authentic to the people. It's not so much the transformation I like but the individualized process for each person. Everybody needs something different to get to the same end result. I have had so many personal revelations watching the show.

For example I had what I call "garment goggles". It's the erroneous belief that regardless of your body type that because you are wearing a certain garment you look like the model or other person you admire who wore that garment. It's odd. Because of this phenomena for the longest time I did not realize/understand that some things just did not look good on me.

Glory

I enjoy many of the makeover shows and find it relaxing at the end of the day to watch. I enjoy WNTW but haven't seen the Trinny one. I will see if I can get it here. I also have a thing for the home design shows. What I like about WNTW is that they take various ages of women (well, some of the time). However, I find that the clothing items are often not practical for the average woman and her lifestyle.

Jules

Love WNTW although it became a formulaic and a bit boring after so many episodes. I also find they give everyone the same style, there's not much allowance for personal taste or lifestyle. Hate the ones that are really about selling cosmetic dentistry and other procedures to people - that one where people stand in a box and passerby evaluate their age comes to mind.

hedgiehog

I really like WNTW and I've learned so many lessons from Stacy and Clinton over the years. I think the most important thing I learned is that I need to dress my body type. Just because I like a certain garment after seeing it on a tall, slender person does not mean it will look good on my 5foot 2 frame. Another thing I now consider before buying a piece is how does it go with what I currently have. In the past I would purchase a garment only thinking of it as an individual piece, not part of a whole picture.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

I love those shows! but they get very repetitive: same show, same look, different person.

I would love to see a bridal show or dressing-for-a-special-event show, where they were honest and forthcoming about what fits and flatters someone's body type.

rachylou

That Jeannie Mai / How do I look? drives me nuts. I don't take style advice from someone who dresses like a clown! Ok ok. That was harsh and disloyal. She's a local girl. But, like, I have to be honest. We California girls look like clowns outside of the state. Jeannie's a tinsel town celebrity stylist and native Cali girl and that's an unfortunate double whammy of clown style.

Anyways, I'd like to see Gok Wan's show and enjoy both WNTW's, with a slight edge to the original. Trinny and Susannah were a little more nitty gritty in my mind. But I have to agree about the punky, edgy people being cookie cuttered. I don't see these shows helping people find personal style. I see them helping people to stop dressing inappropriately or in ill-fitting clothing.

Anonymous

There is a tv programme in the UK called 'Snog, Marry, Avoid?' It takes the most outrageously dressed people, and we are talking seriously strange, to the point where they would possibly put other people off even talking to them let alone date! and then the person in question gets made-under. The programme strips back layers and layers of fake tan, false eyelashes, wierd hair pieces and extremely eccentric clothes. I call it car crash tv because you can't help but look. Sometimes the person in question likes their new look and keeps it and occasionally they go back to their previous style but in a more moderated way. It's great fun.

K. Period.

They are totally my indulgence too!

I love WNTW, both versions. I think a lot goes on on those shows behind the scenes that we never see. And I think that the hosts are really committed to the idea that sometimes changing the way that a person sees themselves in their mirror can really help them think about changing their lens for looking at themselves emotionally. I also adore it for Clinton's off the cuff mention of a style mantra that really started me on a major re-styling mindset: color, pattern, texture and shine. Those four components aren't essential to every outfit, but when you start thinking about incorporating them in what you wear, it really changes the depth of composition of your outfits. They become much richer and lusher.

I'm not a fan of the How Do I Look? series. That always seems to me like a temporary dress up show. It doesn't really analyze people's needs and give them tools to understand why something works well or doesn't work at all. It is exactly the problem of going into a store and buying a once-off outfit. You can wear that outfit, but where is your wardrobe?

Diane - 'Snog, Marry, Avoid?' - that is hilariously brilliant!

"I don't see these shows helping people find personal style. I see them helping people to stop dressing inappropriately or in ill-fitting clothing."
I think you are right rachylou. The structure of the makeovers don't allow enough time for that. Some of the guests really need help getting out of their style rut or extreme lack of self-confidence, even depression. So personal style would hopefully come later. In other cases, however, I wonder why they can't let ie/ the aging southern belle keep her big blonde hair (she went back to it anyway in the epilogue...). Some of these people HAVE personal style, even style they are still happy with, that just needs a major upgrade or push into the current decade. But they have things about their style that are important to them and are overlooked in the makeover. Actually, those are the rare cases where they aren't happy with the makeover and I'd say the stylists failed in their jobs then.
I also saw an episode of Ellen where they were making over a backstge staffer, for the second time. Her job involves moving sets etc and they initially had put her in a pretty dress. Sure she looked good, but it didn't fit her lifestyle or help her dress presentably but practically, so she went right back to old habits. They admitted they hadn't addressed her real needs and gave it another go.

Niefern

Active Member

I really enjoy those shows, although I can only occasionally watch them. My favourite is "Style by Jury", I think it is Canadian - I do not know most of the shows you have mentioned.

Ya, some styles are not appreciated on these shows. I think the shows do push for more generic, wider social acceptance for the people they makeover. But sometimes, you know, it's just tribal snobbery coming through.

Nicole D

I like WNTW when they get D list celebs to have a makeover. Money can't always buy style! Stacy and Clinton are THE best. Just good chemistry with each other and so funny.

Diane, I will have to keep an eye out for that programmer when I'm over there. It sounds absolutely hilarious!!

Gaylene

I'll have to watch for that "Snog, Marry, Avoid?" show the next time I'm in the UK; it sounds hilarious. And I'll admit to having quite a bit more respect for Stacey London after reading her book; I think she and her co-host Clinton actually try to address some of the psychological issues behind why people opt to dress the way they do.

To me, what most of these shows try to do is to get people to understand that how they look affects how others judge and respond to them. The hurdle is, of course, that most of us would prefer that others change their judgements and responses instead of we having to change our appearance. And it's that tension as to whether or not the person can make that leap into changing herself (or himself) that makes these makeover stories so fascinating; we see another person trying to become someone different.

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