What not to gender...

     When I was in high school one of my favorite shows to watch was What Not To Wear. I would revel in watching Stacy and Clinton teach women, and the occasional man, what is and is not appropriate in the realm of clothing. The show was nothing more than giving people with no style the tools that they need to become a member of the world of fashion.
    Today I turned on my television and to my surprise What Not To Wear was on. I haven't watched the show in a few years as I rarely have time to watch television anymore (unless you count Hulu.) As I was watching I realized that the show is not only gendered, but it makes a point of forcing people into their prescribed gender boxes. The particular episode that happened to be on today couldn't have been a more perfect example. The woman featured on the show was not traditionally feminine. She enjoyed wearing men's clothing and had a very short haircut. When Stacy and Clinton get ahold of her, they immediately inform her that wearing men's clothing is wrong and she needs to get in touch with her feminine side. And how should she go about this? She should wear skirts and  dresses, bright colors like purple and pink, and she shouldn't wear flat shoes she should wear heels.
     Here's where this rubs me the wrong way. The woman did dress badly I agree with that. And yes she did wear men's clothes but they were ugly men's clothes. Why is it that she had to completely change how feminine she looks in order to be fashionable. It is more than possible for women who are not feminine to be fashionable. It is also possible for women who like men's styles to be fashion forward. For example, Ellen Degeneres is a very fashionable person but she often wears clothing that we categorize as "men's." Does this make her less fashionable? No. In fact many people admire the fact that she doesn't change who she is and what makes her feel comfortable just to fit into the feminine gender box. This is why I do not agree with the gendered nature of what not to wear. They could have suggested fashions that were men's styles but made for women. That is an extremely "in" form of fashion right now. However, they did not go in this direction and instead encouraged the woman to buy heels and skirts and to wear make-up. I understand the purpose of the show What Not to Wear however, changing the way someone expresses their style is very different from telling them that they have to express themselves in a way that is not who they are.