Nacho Mama loves Trinny and Susannah!

Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine (Photo via Wikipedia)

You know I believe that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Also, I believe in at least learning how to dress my body and make up my face to my best advantage, even if I sometimes choose to live in sweats and no makeup. Because you never know.


And anyone who knows me personally knows that I am a GIGANTE fan of the BBC series, What Not To Wear. Don't get me wrong, I love Stacy and Clinton but I really feel that the original BBC series was WAY better for the following reasons:


1. The hosts, Trinny & Susannah (and later Lisa Butcher and Mica Paris) really explored the emotional reasons women (and men) choose not to look, and therefore feel, their best. It was kind of the focus of the show. The US version does address these issues, but not in the raw, emotional manner of the original. The UK hosts really tell it like it is and somehow their participants seem to "get it" on a deeper level than on the US series-does that make sense?


2. These women had NO QUALMS about ripping off their own clothes to reveal their own flubby baby tummies or dimply thighs or cankles in the interest of giving a wakeup call to women who have spent years thinking they didn't deserve to feel good about themselves just because they've had a baby, or are going through menopause or have put on the "freshman 15." Goodness knows I love Stacy London, but does she have a flubby tummy? I don't know! I may never know!

I also loved their "Making Over America with Trinny & Susannah" show that aired a few episodes on TLC. PLEASE Bring them back, TLC!! There's room for these two and Stacy & Clinton in the battle for the self-esteem of the American Woman.


Since the series is not available on DVD and is not currently on the air, I wanted to take a moment and STRONGLY recommend all of the books by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine. Yes, they are all worth reading. Their first book, What Not To Wear, is a great primer for any woman. (the US version, Dress Your Best, with Stacy & Clinton is also fabulous-but I'll cover that in another post). I also recommend Trinny and Susannah Take on America and What Not to Wear for Every Occasion.

But if I had to choose just one of their books as having changed my life, it would have to be the aptly titled, What You Wear Can Change Your Life. This book starts with underwear, tells you how to choose colors that flatter YOU, and how to acheive different effects with jewelry, accessories and makeup. There's a great section on looking good while traveling, while pregnant and a FABULOUS chapter showing you how to look good in photos!


Some of their books are out of print, but still available from other sellers on Amazon (just click any of the titles I've mentioned-I am, after all, an Amazon affiliate). For a start, though, I encourage you to check your local library to see if you can get them. These books are extremely helpful and I find myself referring to them again and again over the years as my style needs have evolved.


And if anyone knows where I can get my hands on DVDs of the original series, please let me know!


*This post was originally published on my now-defunct blog, Ten Easy Pieces