Tuesday, I noted all of the things we can say “hello” to this fall. Sadly, there’s also a fall goodbye. It turns out “What Not to Wear” is ending its run. If I’m being honest I didn’t even know the show was still taping new shows. And yet somehow when I heard (via The Post) that it was going to be over I was a little sentimental…funny how that works.
If you’re not familiar with WNTW, it was sort of the first of the reality makeover shows. The focus is on clothing and guests who are the ultimate fashion don’ts come to NYC wearing their mom jeans, shoulder padded suits or rainbow awesomeness (above). Hosts Clinton Kelly (perhaps you know him from The Chew) and Stacy London then act as clothing tutors. There’s a whole new wardrobe, hair and makeup and the teary reveal. But I’ve always felt it was about more than outfits.
The article I read described the final episode where guests would come back and discuss their lives since they left the show. “They’ve gotten the confidence to leave toxic relationships. They’ve lost a significant amount of weight. They’ve gotten jobs they never thought possible.”
I see this pattern everyday. Weight loss can sound like a fluffy topic. I don’t think I could get up everyday if my biggest accomplishment was helping someone lose a few pounds but there’s more to it. Making a change to our clothing or our weight seems superficial but is indicative of something more. When you decide to change habits or invest time and energy on yourself it’s not about aesthetics alone. Sometimes even when nutrition visits are vanity driven clients will start to derive pleasure from cooking or feel calmer and then parent differently. And yes, changes to your eating can lead to changes with work or relationships as mentioned above. So if it’s less daunting to address what you wear or what you weigh, start there…maybe your ‘insides” will follow.
Do you feel superficial changes can lead to deeper ones? Do you like “What Not to Wear”? Do you ever like the before or “don’t” photos? I like rainbow lady, makes me smile.
