I have been a long time watcher, (many shows multiple times), and feel that I have outgrown the show. I bet there are many viewers like me who crave an advanced level WNTW which focuses on the specific blocks a fashionista in training may have, such as accessory assistance or coordinating multiple outfits or development of personal expression and INDIVIDUALITY. These are sometimes hit upon during the show, but not fully investigated. I think you could help two or three people per show because they already would have knowledge and willingness. I think this would be a spin-off that would really work, or at least a specialty show peppered in with the basic series. What do you think?
I think this may be a good idea. However, the station is always looking at ratings. I think your idea of mixing in a couple of advanced shows per season may work. It would be interesting to see how Stacy and Clinton shop for themselves, this would not only give some insight for the women who watch the show but also for the men.
I have often wished they would do a few shows a season for those of us who aren't total fashion disasters to learn how to master certain common difficulties, like accessory coordination. Or to go to a woman's closet who has difficulty making outfits out of her many nice separates. I've seen a few talk show segments where stylists have created new outfits out of what a woman already has in her closet that look awesome and that she would never have thought herself to put together. If they could help women with that it would be quite inspiring and helpful. I think it would give a lot of us some creative ideas with our own wardrobes (and would be good for ratings too!).
YES!!! You girls totally know what I am talking about! I have actually considered both of those ideas myself because I know I personally need help in both areas-coordinating separates and a comprehensive accessory analysis! Thanks for agreeing with me! Let's hope someone in authority is listening! ~Fif :-)
Originally posted by starlightbaby1: Sorry to point out the obvious here, but those kinds of things couldn't be part of the show. It's called What NOT To Wear.
If those things couldn't be part of the show because it is called What NOT to wear then explain why 90% of the show focuses on what TO wear?
I think those are GREAT ideas ladies. I for one would love to see some additions the show for those of us that do have a good fashion sense but are looking for a insipirational ideas.
Originally posted by starlightbaby1: Sorry to point out the obvious here, but those kinds of things couldn't be part of the show. It's called What NOT To Wear.
True, starlight, but even people with relatively decent basic pieces might put outfits together that would be a WNTW and could use help with coordination and accessorizing.
Like how about the woman who has relatively decent separates but her skills at color or style coordination fail miserably? Or the woman with decent clothing but awful shoes or accessories? Someone could go through her closet and help her learn how to put things together so they look right, and perhaps help her buy some new fill-in pieces that would really make the wardrobe come together.
Originally posted by ntuitive1: [ True, starlight, but even people with relatively decent basic pieces might put outfits together that would be a WNTW and could use help with coordination and accessorizing.
Like how about the woman who has relatively decent separates but her skills at color or style coordination fail miserably? Or the woman with decent clothing but awful shoes or accessories? Someone could go through her closet and help her learn how to put things together so they look right, and perhaps help her buy some new fill-in pieces that would really make the wardrobe come together.
It would have to be a spinoff of the show, like Clinton's couple of shows or Stacy's Fashonably Late show. The way the show is set up now, they don't have time to focus on accessories other than the casual comments they do now where they point out a necklace that goes with a particular neckline, etc. And those comments are just in passing. Not a bad idea at all, but that sort of thing really needs to stand alone. Just MHO.
Would a lot of women who already like and are interested in clothes love to learn to dress better? Sure.
Would it make entertaining television with a dramatic change from the way the person was to the way they are at the end? No.
And because it won't make great television, it won't happen. Right now they've got a formula that works, and they're not likely to change it to help women who already dress decently 'tweak' their look. It's better drama to go from 0 to 60 than to go from 50 to 60.
In case you haven't noticed, television is not a medium that deals in subtleties.
Originally posted by starlightbaby1: It would have to be a spinoff of the show, like Clinton's couple of shows or Stacy's Fashonably Late show. The way the show is set up now, they don't have time to focus on accessories other than the casual comments they do now where they point out a necklace that goes with a particular neckline, etc. And those comments are just in passing. Not a bad idea at all, but that sort of thing really needs to stand alone. Just MHO.
Yup, I agree. I agreed with the original poster when she posed it as a spinoff too.
Originally posted by cathlib: In case you haven't noticed, television is not a medium that deals in subtleties.
True, but it wouldn't really matter how bad a woman's original wardrobe was if the end result was a marked improvement. Not sure you get "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" there - It's on Bravo, starring Tim from "Project Runway". That show is more about the journey and the result than how awful the MO's wardrobe was originally. In fact I don't think they ever show you too much of the original wardrobe and it's obvious that the women are not total fashion disasters like they are on WNTW. I hear a new season is in the works.
Also, they did a version of the advanced thing on the Rachael Ray show. They went into a woman's closet and put together some WOW outfits that she would NEVER have thought to put together. It was a hugely popular segment on the show. The audience also loves when they reproduce designer outfits at a much lower price. There are some fabulous copies out there at Target and other places!
It only existed for a few minutes on one segment of a talk show. They haven't repeated the closet makeover. They have repeated the designer thing for less, but only a couple of times. When I saw the closet MO I thought it would be a good idea for a special WNTW. S&C would put their own spin on it and it would be nothing like "Guide to Style" either.
Incidentally, I have felt that some of the subtle changes on WNTW recently were loosely inspired by "Guide to Style". I have noticed a subtle change in S&C where they seem slightly more warm and focused on the person's feelings than they were in the past. Perhaps they saw Tim and felt they could incorporate some of his type of warmth into their approach.
Hi again Everybody, I am the original poster for this thread. It's great to see all the interest.
Bottom line is that Stacy and Clinton have a lot of competition in the field. If they want to retain the loyalty of their longtime fans who get frustrated they have outgrown the show and crave more specific style development themes they need to address that lack on TLC to stay current. We have all become more sophisticated since the show first started-Sex and the City, Devil wears Prada, etc. We are much better educated fashion consumers.
The show should keep up with trends, just like fashion itself. Right now the show is a bore and I hardly look forward to watching. I am hungry for the next thing. Stacy and Clinton have been my teachers and I don't want to abandon them. I sincerely hope they are listening. :-)
If someone is a longtime viewer, and now feels they have "outgrown" the info on the show, then Stacy & Clinton have done their job, IMHO. S&C can go on forever in the same format, as I'd bet there are an unlimited source of poorly dressed people to improve. The question would be how long could they maintain their viewer shares?
An occasional special episode in the suggested format would be interesting, but if you are teaching people who to use what they already own, the sponsors may not support that--no shopping, no stores, no advertising, no revenue.
Does anyone here now watch it less for the fashion advice (if you feel you are past needing it) and more for the Cinderella transformations? I also find it interesting that viewers expect the show to change to meet their needs, just because the viewer feels their needs have changed.
After all, TLC, despite its title of 'The Learning Channel', is not primarily a public-service educational endeavour. It is a profit-making business, which depends on advertising sponsors.
WNTW is, at some level, the ultimate 'product placement' show--and we all know that product placement is meant as a form of marketing, whose purpose is to get people to buy what they see.
It works, too. How many threads here get started about 'I have to have that dress, where do I get it?'
What profit is there in teaching people to use what they have? None....so you won't find a sponsor to do it, so it most likely won't happen.
Actually, there are many threads on this board complaining that they *don't* tell us where to buy the clothes nor what brand they are, so I find it hard to buy that they are trying to get people to buy specific clothing. The only times they have done deliberate product placements are with Zappos and Crest Whitestrips but not much else. If they really wanted to encourage shopping or new products they could always show how one or two new pieces could really make an outfit when paired with stuff that's already in one's wardrobe. That wouldn't be a hard angle to adopt and plus it might add the "wow" factor a little easier than if they stuck only to items already in the person's wardrobe.
There was another TLC show that incorporated what ntuitive1 mentions. I forget the name (it only lasted a few episodes) but it featured two men named George and Jorge. George worked with new designers who reworked pieces from the MOs closet and those pieces usually looked a bit too "out there" for my personal taste. But Jorge took the MO shopping to find pieces to work with the good items in her wardrobe. I liked that part of the show, along with the "Look Book" he gave the MOs.
In regards to WNTW, I think that they could spend less time on the beginning part of the show. They show many parts of the secret footage TWICE - not necessary. I think that most of the MOs have SOME items in their wardrobe which could be kept and combined with new items. I think they could also incorporate more educational portions during the time when S&C shop with the MO. They could also show more outfits at the end. Trinny and Susannah used to show more items at the end of their shows (for at least some of their seasons) with prices and where they came from or designers. I would love to get a better sense for what $5000 buys and how many outfits they get out of it. We only get to see a few and I would love to see more.
That all said, I do still like the show and always watch. But I don't get as excited about it as I used to. Some changes or more special "advanced episodes" would help.
Originally posted by ntuitive1:The only times they have done deliberate product placements are with Zappos and Crest Whitestrips but not much else.
Ummmm.
MACYSMACYSMACYSMACYSMACYS
DSWDSWDSW
H&MH&MH&M
Huge sponsors, calling a lot of shots. And I haven't even seen an episode since January, and those are pretty well tattooed into my brain as prominent places that they send the guests on the show.
Do you think they're going to stand still for a moment and let it become a show about anything BUT buying new? The naivete exhibited in the belief that the programme exists as any sort of public service or educational endeavour is touching and amusing.
They don't care about anyone getting 'wow' factor (what a tired phrase with no 'wow' left in it) from things they already have. They care about getting people into the store, searching for things that might have come from there, and finding a dozen other things to buy in the process.
Originally posted by cathlib: They don't care about anyone getting 'wow' factor (what a tired phrase with no 'wow' left in it) from things they already have. They care about getting people into the store, searching for things that might have come from there, and finding a dozen other things to buy in the process.
And he who pays the piper calls the tune.
I suppose that's what they were trying to do when they did a special on Clinton renovating his home, or the manners show, then. Or the underwear show - They didn't even mention a specific brand or store other than that cool lingerie shop that I looked up and went to myself in Manhattan. But that's one store.
And I wonder what they're pushing on "Ten Years Younger" other than running out and getting cosmetic surgery with your local dentist or dermatologist, unless you live in the area and can look up the featured doctors.
The point is, I'm talking about a special not an entire series. For a special, the idea would work. We're talking about one or two shows, not an entire series. If they wanted to, they could find a way to plug products. I'm sure they would have no problem doing that.
Then again, I wonder what products Tim Gunn is pushing on his show "Guide to Style"? Or Carson Kressley with his hugely popular show "How to Look Good Naked"? I don't think product pushing necessarily has to be a part of shows like that.
"There was another TLC show that incorporated what ntuitive1 mentions. I forget the name--it only lasted a few episodes......" (Why did it not take off and last longer?)
"Trinny and Susannah used to show more items at the end of their shows with prices and where they came from or designers..... (Why did they stop doing that?)
"Also, they did a version of the advanced thing on the Rachael Ray show. They went into a woman's closet and put together some WOW outfits that she would NEVER have thought to put together. It was a hugely popular segment on the show. The audience also loves when they reproduce designer outfits at a much lower price. There are some fabulous copies out there at Target and other places!" (Discounted stores like Target are not sponsors like Macy, etc. Now Bank of America won't care where you run up credit card debt.....)
"Bottom line is that Stacy and Clinton have a lot of competition in the field....." (What other shows are currently doing these types of MOs, other than the scary "10 Years Younger" and Tim Gunn?)
"...so I find it hard to buy that they are trying to get people to buy specific clothing." (They want you in the stores, shopping and hunting in the hopes you'll buy something else that catches your eye. Besides, how can they point you to specifics when an episode is a re-run from 2 years ago, and THAT perfect item is long gone? When the now ubiquitous empire tops are passe, and someone is watching a repeat in the year 2010, we'll see posts here "Where can I find that empire waist top?!")
I do think the "advanced" idea would be workable as a special episode, but not as a $$ making series.
Originally posted by ntuitive1: I suppose that's what they were trying to do when they did a special on Clinton renovating his home, or the manners show, then. Or the underwear show - They didn't even mention a specific brand or store other than that cool lingerie shop that I looked up and went to myself in Manhattan. But that's one store.
You really do not get the point, do you? I am not speaking of a 'generic makeover show.' I'm speaking of the TLC/US version of What Not To Wear, where several retailers are heavily featured. It is highly unlikely that they are going to stand still for a show that doesn't encourage people to spend a whole lot of money.
As much fun as it is, TLC's WNTW is an hour-long infomercial for the retailers whose names feature prominently--Macy's, DSW, Levis, H&M, Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant, NY&Company are the ones I remember seeing multiple times. They expect exposure, and they expect it to increase foot traffic and sales in their stores.
WNTW is not a public service--it is heavily advertiser subsidised infotainment. If these other shows are not featuring branding, location, retailers' logos, etc, then they are in a different category. So their nature and purpose may be more along the lines of information and advice than advertising, and they can't be intelligently compared as being of the same genre.
You really do not get the point, do you? I am not speaking of a 'generic makeover show.' I'm speaking of the TLC/US version of What Not To Wear, where several retailers are heavily featured. It is highly unlikely that they are going to stand still for a show that doesn't encourage people to spend a whole lot of money.