What TO Wear: my spin-off of TLC's "What Not to Wear"

I have been a dedicated viewer of TLC's "What Not to Wear" since it first aired in 2003. 

Over the span of nine seasons of watching and constantly learning from my favorite fashion gurus, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, I not only feel like I know them so well, but I carry their words of wisdom ["style rules"] with me when out shopping for potential new additions to my wardrobe, when I'm approached for advice from customers at work, or when I'm acting as my mom's personal stylist. 

What make Stacy and Clinton such effective stylists is that their work is so much more than simply helping people to shop. They make a relentless effort to figure out who their client is, what she likes or dislikes about herself, what these misconceptions stem from, and then they work over a span of a week to evolve her negative ways of thinking, help her to be able to look in the mirror and see herself in  a whole new light. It's not easy.

Throughout the years, we've seen a wide variety of personalities, women from all over the U.S., from all walks of life, all ages, body types, and each with their own unique stories. Many of them, however, do share common issues, insecurities, and you can make a list of those frequently used excuses and copouts that Stacy and Clinton bat down without a flinch. Each woman deals with these issues differently, some dressing in costumes and loud busy outfits that attract the wrong attention, dressing too young or too old for their age, etc.

Common Excuses Include (but are not limited to):

• "Why should I care about people who judge me for what I'm wearing? They should like me for me and what I have to say and that's all. I don't care what they think..." 
• "I spend so much time taking care of everyone else and don't have time for me."
• "I am not content with my current weight and don't want to wear anything tight-fitting or loud because I don't want to attract attention."
• "I only wear black because black is slimming."
• "I dress for comfort and would die in a heel."

This show isn't in existence to slowly capture women and make them all the same. These women were nominated because they're so used to being in this fashion rut, wearing clothes that don't fit/flatter, many of whom haven't updated their wardrobe in decades or only wear baggy t-shirts, ripped jeans, ill-fitting bottoms, etc. No matter how hard you try to deny it, the way you feel about yourself on the inside is conveyed on the outside, through what you wear, how you put yourself together and present yourself. And after the two intense shopping days, it never fails: each contestant morphs into, well, themselves, only now living up to their potential, radiating with newfound confidence and unafraid to participate in the world. Stacy and Clinton push each woman for a reason: because they know that she'll thank them later and in the long run. There is something about wearing a pair of high heels that really make you hold your head higher...besides the obvious fact that you are higher....ha!

Viewing high-fashion runway shows is fun and exciting and sort of like watching art in motion; however, the majority of women cannot help but compare themselves to who they are seeing in the spotlight and in magazines: iconic 'flawless' women, all with identical body types strutting in the newest and finest clothing. After viewing the same "ideal" figure, one after the other after the other......................it's hard not to get a little down on yourself and wonder why you don't look like them. Stacy and Clinton constantly stress what a toxic state of mind that kind of thinking is. Instead of focusing on who you are not, turn that outward focus inward and focus on the good things you have to offer and make fashion choices that enhance your best qualities.

Below is a link to a blog with extremely helpful body-specific tips:
Dress for you Body Type Tips

Here is the link to TLC's "What Not to Wear" page with instructional videos and more:
Clinton & Stacy's Style Rules


When listening to fashion advice and trying to take in each and every minute detail, it can become overwhelming for many. The best approach is to try and catch the general concept of what to look for and when you start trying on pieces and talking about why they do or don't work or what could be done to make them work, you'll then start to notice how the little details in each piece work together to create an overall look customized for you.


I have absorbed oodles and oodles of information from Stacy and Clinton over the past nine years and to demonstrate what I've learned, I have created a few tutorial sets via Polyvore of outfits that I pieced together to create looks for different occasions. Remember that these just serve as a few visual examples and sometimes  pieces of an outfit have to be traded to cater to an individual.

Before looking over the sets, keep these things in mind(this information has been installed in my brain from "What Not to Wear"):

• CPTS! CPTS!COLOR. PATTERN. TEXTURE. SHINE. These components bring interest and flare to an outfit.
• FIT is everything. Always consider the option of tailoring, especially when it's a piece you absolutely love, but it just needs to be hemmed or taken up in the shoulders, etc.
• Colors don't have to MATCH, they have to GO. This is personally one of my pet peeves. Matchy matchy is outdated and, in fact, it ages you.
• Accessories shouldn't overpower an outfit, but rather polish it off.
• "Take control of your clothes," says Clinton. This means to use your creativity and take clothes off the rack and make them work for you. Layering is an example. Adding a structured jacket does all the work for you.

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That was fun! Of course, everyone has a unique body and with each body comes different features to accentuate, camouflage, lift, lower, etc. etc. etc. The previous outfits were created to serve solely as a model, a visual tutorial that shows what clothes can actually do for you. They're not just a hunk of fabric to throw on because clothing is mandatory (well, mandatory in most communities). 

Fashion is a form of self expression and celebration. Embrace it and have fun with it!

Until next time!