Addicted to "What Not to Wear"

I have an addiction. I blame my addiction on my Mother-in-love, Shirley. While we lived in the states, we never had cable TV. It wasn’t some moral stand we were making; we were just cheap and found we could use the money we’d spend on cable for other things … like groceries. However, when we would visit Shirley, we were exposed to the wild and wonderful world of cable television. Some of my favorite memories roaming around my head are scenes of sitting in Shirley’s living room, nice beverage in hand, watching TLC’s “What Not to Wear”.

Not familiar with the show? (Oh my … you have not truly lived until you’ve seen Stacy London and Clinton Kelly rake someone’s fashion choices over the coals. I used to think they were rude … and I will say sometimes their comments are sketchy … but they speak the truth … they just don’t always speak the truth in love!) Deserving, non-fashionable women are nominated by caring friends and/or family for a complete makeover. They are given $5,000 USDA to spend on remaking themselves and choosing appropriate and fashion forward outfits. The catch: they have to go by rules fashion guru’s Stacy and Clinton lay down AND they have to throw out their current wardrobe. They get to go to New York, receive the rules, get their clothes canned (literally … they stuff them in a trash can), shop, get a new hair-do, learn simple yet elegant make-up tips and then … at the end of the transformation … get a party to reveal their new look to those friends and loved ones who’ve had to endure their fashion mistakes in the past.

So, I’ve been spending this past weekend watching (thanks to YouTube) episodes of “What Not to Wear”. I love the tips they give.

If one has a large upper portion of your body, then you should wear a V-neck top to elongate the body, thus appearing longer and leaner.

If your want to slim a thicker thigh, get trouser jeans that are wide at the hip and carry the width all the way down the stride of the pant.

Pointy toed shoes always help a body appear longer.

Outfits should have: pattern, texture, color and shine.

Things don’t have to match but they do have to go.

Go with a few simple basics and then accessorize, accessorize, accessorize.

Stacy and Clinton walk fashion challenged individuals to take an interest in how they look, how they project themselves to the general public, and how they can find what’s beautiful in them.

I love how a simple blouse with an inset waist and an A-line skirt can make Debbie Downer smile, feel pretty, and giggle her back to the changing room to try on another outfit!

Ok, so the chances of me landing a fashion reality show on cable TV are pretty slim, however, I wanna be like Stacy and Clinton! I wanna be like them for a couple of reasons:

1. I wanna be fashion forward because it does make you feel more confident when you look good. It’s not about obsessing about your clothes and being shallow. It’s about feeling good in your skin, finding the positive about your body, and then dressing it in a way to let the world around you know you are actively engaged in the world around you. I spend way too many days hating the size of my “upper portion” and whining about the diameter of my thighs. No more! I’m gonna work with what I have … work with creating a slimmer look … be content and move on!

2. I wanna be the girl that looks at someone else, sees the best in them, and encourages them to be and live up to their full potential!

I’m reading in the book of Genesis in the bible right now. I like the way God, from the get go, made our physical bodies. He didn’t clothe us. He didn’t need to. It was pure and honest and right to be ok with our bodies and each other. However, after Adam and Eve broke God’s boundaries for them, things went terribly wrong.

Shame set in because what God had designed was sabotaged for a bite of fruit. Body image set in … they made fig leaves to clothe themselves.

What I find terribly tender is what God does next. He gives them the consequence of breaking the boundary … and then he gives them a fashion make-over. He trades in their fig leave clothes for ones made from animal skin (Who knew Eve was fashion forward in a nice leopard print skirt!) Fig leaves wouldn’t cut it in the world outside the Garden. Fig leaves wouldn’t hold up under the strain and stress of the work ahead of them. Fig leaves weren’t going to protect them from the weather.

Ok, so in my effort to tie this all together … God cares about us … all aspects of who we are. Do I need to obsess over my physical appearance? Heavens no … grow up. However, when we feel good about who we are there is a confidence and expectation that follows. I’m pretty sure Adam and Eve weren’t feeling pretty capable for the next chapter in their now difficult lives in fig leaves. However, animal skins, coupled with the love of a just Father, were what they got … and needed … and moved them forward.

Moving forward in last year’s jeans but making the most of it with some new accessorizes,
Christina