Just because someone chooses to wear “hippy dippy” clothing or activewear or leave their hair really long or wear no makeup DOES NOT mean she has low self esteem! Some women are completely confident to wear no makeup and throw their hair up in a ponytail or bun and leave the house in very casual and comfy clothing… and I am one of those women! I have always had a very casual and natural look and I have received many compliments from men saying how they love my beachy natural look and especially that I wear no jewelry and don’t paint my nails. I think being well groomed through great hygiene, such as taking care of one’s hair and skin, is really sexy. Who needs all this other fluff?! Everyone is different! Why can’t each woman choose her OWN unique style and why would society care one way or another? It is so frustrating!!

When I do watch “What Not to Wear”, it’s usually to watch the episodes where someone doesn’t want to be changed… such as the show with Lynn the Nanny. I LOVE that she would not let Nick cut her hair… woohoo!! You go Lynn!! Your hair is so gorgeous and I’m so happy that you aren’t going to “keep up” with the overly done makeup routine!

The worst example was the beautiful Sunny on “What Not to Wear”. She had fairy wings and glitter on her eyes and cute thrift store VEGAN (awesome, I’m a vegan, too!!) clothing and she was gorgeous and CONFIDENT! They ruined her. The only thing that was a positive change were the bangs that Nick cute… they were cute, but I liked her hair long. Poor thing… I hope she knows how sweet and cute she really is and I hope she went back to her adorable previous look. Her fiance didn’t deserve her because he didn’t appreciate who she really was and he wanted to change her. I sure wish I had the guts to wear exactly what I wanted when I wanted. Sunny is so inspiring to me! If I ever saw someone in a coffee shop with fairy wings, I’d think “Wow! They have the highest self esteem of anyone”

In conclusion… I wish society would just let everyone be themselves. I feel that women have low self esteem because society, fashion magazines, the media, etc. simply won’t let us alone to be ourselves the way we choose to be. Cheers to uniqueness in everyone!!

Sexism is bad; women shouldn’t be expected to be runway models 24/7. However dressing so poorly that people immediately make negative assumptions about you is just stupid. As far as I’m concerned, being such a stubborn mule (and looking like a disgusting mule too) in such a way that it hinders your career progress and social life is far worse than having high expectations. YOU’RE PREVENTING YOURSELF FROM FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY IN SOCIETY.

In all honesty, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Your hatred for the show is too overwhelming and you’re blatantly dismissing the facts because you’re worked up in a self-righteous rage. You’re not being accurate.

Get over yourself and realize that the show is filled with good intentions. Or better yet, CHANGE THE CHANNEL.

I just watched a show where the fashion victim was being “cured” of her thrift shop fixation, and they soon had her buying $120 pants and $160 dresses.

What normal person can afford that?! After I pay my bills, I don’t have much left of my paycheck. How is is possible that this show can run with the economy the way it is?

I’d like to put the hosts on the city bus I ride so they can try and tell the welfare moms that their kids can’t eat if they want to look “confident.”

To me, it would be the same if they brought in an expert to put eye makeup on Asian eyes because they look so much more different for everyone else’s.

It’s always a curious show when they have a black client, part black client semi-black client, LOL.

I will also say, I loved their 50K show where they took one woman who loved fashion so much she would spend exorbitant amount of her salary on her wardrobe. She was black, she was short and she was a size 12. Not the typical person that you would think they would chose for a shopping spree in Paris. The episode is one of my favorites. Yes, it promotes materialism and beauty standards, but so does the New York Times, the paper not the magazine.

Ignoring the “especially a woman” part (don’t you see how that immediately reinforces that how a woman looks is much more important than how a man looks?) I will agree that the women who appear on this TV show appear to have very low self-esteem and poor boundaries. I’m certainly in favor of raising self-esteem but I don’t think this television show is a good way to do so. It looks more like bullying and shaming to me. (Conflict on television seems to get good ratings!)

One issue for me is how they define fashion and makeup as so vital and important in life. Even if I had the good health, money and time to pass their standards (can you say upper middle class privilege?) I would never choose to follow the guidelines that this show promotes. I don’t think that I “need” makeup, hair dye, jewelry, a skirt, high heels, and accessories to “look my best.” I don’t begrudge others the choice to spend the time and energy on these things but why must I?

Another issue is how everything on the show is presented as either right or wrong. I’m fine with them having an opinion on fashion that differs from my own. What I find offensive is that any alternative opinions are presented as WRONG instead of just different. There’s not even a question that it is okay for a woman to skip the makeup, or not wear dresses, and so on. Let’s not even mention the idea that a woman not shave her legs. (gasp!)

To those of you who are trumpeting the “individual” looks created for each woman on the show – do you realize that they all still conform to a very narrow range of what is deemed “okay”? Any differences are quite small. Again, there’s nothing wrong with conforming to fashion standards but it’s not a matter of right vs. wrong or good vs. bad.

In short, the whole show is based on the idea that “this is the way you should look and if you don’t then you are wrong.” Period. Add to that the shaming and bullying and crying and you’ve got one heck of a messed up show.

Too many times women put everyone first before themselves and it eventually tears you down.

I also think Stacy and Clinton are hella funny so…

However, if you have a more compelling argument, I’m willing to be convinced.

Making ourselves “pretty,” whatever our own personal definititions of that may be, is an expression of pride in ourselves as women, and as individuals. Showing pride in our accomplishments, intellect, and physical appearance, what’s more empowering than that?

Being an avid watcher of the show, I have seen that when women put a wall up initially about the new “conformist” looks (which are actually uniquely fit to the person based on their lifestyle, interest and shown tastes), they have a point where they break down and admit the reason for their tattered clothing choices: A lack of pride. It’s not about everyone dressing the same, it’s about showing on the outside how you *should* feel on the inside. It’s not about “the male gaze” unless YOU want it to be.

I just don’t see how addressing Miyam’s outward appearance discounted her accomplishments? Why can’t you be a “cute” neuroscientist?

BTW, they are equally as harsh on men, I have seen it.