Phoebe Reece
09-22-2005, 09:24 PM
In the previous week I had seen an ad on television earlier in the week indicating the “What Not To Wear” (American Version) TLC television show was going to be at Perimeter Mall in Atlanta for the weekend for some kind of promotion for the show. I had no idea what they would be doing, but I thought it would interesting to see in person. So, on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 17), four of my CD friends piled in my SUV with me and we set out for some lunch at the mall and a bit of adventure.
By the time we got to Perimeter Mall and got a parking space we were getting a bit hungry, so we walked quickly through Dillard’s department store to get to the food court in the center of the mall. We were on the 2nd floor and just after getting into the main part of the mall we saw the “What Not To Wear” set on the floor below. Nothing seemed to be going on at that particular time, so we continued on to the food court. The five of us managed to find sustenance at about four different eateries (I got pizza). Then we had to hunt around for a table with five chairs. This was no small task, as the mall was extremely crowded. We finally found a table and, with the help of some kind folks at a couple of surrounding tables, managed to get enough chairs for us to sit and eat our lunch.
After finishing eating, we wandered down to the “What Not To Wear” area and found a bit of a crowd in line there and there was a male and a female presenter with microphones and P.A. system answering fashion questions from those in line. The line was to get into the 360 degree mirror box (that is used on the show to allow people to see themselves from all angles) and to utilize some kind of interactive computer fashion simulation. While our other friends found a table and chairs to relax in, one of my friends (Edie) and I decided to get in line and hopefully ask the presenters some questions. When we finally got to a good position, Edie caught the male presenter’s eye and asked, “What skirt length is appropriate for a woman in her mid-50’s?” The presenter replied that a little above the knee to just a little below the new was appropriate and after checking out Edie’s skirt (about 1 ½” above the knee) said, “What you have on is just fine.” Before the presenters got too far away, I raised my hand to ask a question. The male presenter came over with the microphone to me with an apprehensive look and seemed somewhat relieved when I only asked, “Is it better to match one’s shoes to the skirt you are wearing or to the top?” The female presenter looked over my black shoes, black floral print skirt, and white top, and replied, “It’s better to continue the same things together, so black shoes are right for your skirt. White shoes would not look as good.” Throughout this exchange there were probably around 50 or 60 people in the immediate area watching and listening. Edie and I got a few smiles, but no one seemed to act like we were at all out of place there. Shortly after taking our questions, the presenters decided to take a break. A few minutes later, Edie and I decided we didn’t really want to stay in line for the interactive stuff and headed back to rejoin our companions who were still sitting nearby.
The five of us decided to head on to Dillard’s for some shopping. As we walked behind the “What Not To Wear” set, we saw the male presenter standing there not doing anything in particular (and with no microphones). Edie and I walked over to him for a brief conversation. Edie apologized in case we had startled him by our being there asking questions, but he indicated he was cool with it. I asked if they ever had any crossdressers on the show before, to which he laughed and said no. Edie remarked that crossdressers probably need the show’s help more than most people. The presenter looked at Edie and I and then said, “No, not really.” I took that to be a compliment. After all, Edie and I were certainly the most dressed up of those we had seen in line. Edie and I thanked him for his time and headed on to find our companions again.
With a bit of searching (Dillard’s is a large store), we found the rest of our friends in the Women’s section, searching the bargain racks. We spent quite a bit of time going over everything in that part of the store. When we were near the women’s changing rooms I noticed there were about three middle-aged guys sitting in chairs holding various selections that had been handed to them by their wives while the wives were changing or selecting other things. These guys were so unhappy with their situation, scowling and pouting. I really felt sorry for them, especially since in the same place my four companions and I were having the time of our lives. Eventually we realized there was nothing there we couldn’t live without and headed for the car with no purchases. We did have interesting memories to take with us though.
By the time we got to Perimeter Mall and got a parking space we were getting a bit hungry, so we walked quickly through Dillard’s department store to get to the food court in the center of the mall. We were on the 2nd floor and just after getting into the main part of the mall we saw the “What Not To Wear” set on the floor below. Nothing seemed to be going on at that particular time, so we continued on to the food court. The five of us managed to find sustenance at about four different eateries (I got pizza). Then we had to hunt around for a table with five chairs. This was no small task, as the mall was extremely crowded. We finally found a table and, with the help of some kind folks at a couple of surrounding tables, managed to get enough chairs for us to sit and eat our lunch.
After finishing eating, we wandered down to the “What Not To Wear” area and found a bit of a crowd in line there and there was a male and a female presenter with microphones and P.A. system answering fashion questions from those in line. The line was to get into the 360 degree mirror box (that is used on the show to allow people to see themselves from all angles) and to utilize some kind of interactive computer fashion simulation. While our other friends found a table and chairs to relax in, one of my friends (Edie) and I decided to get in line and hopefully ask the presenters some questions. When we finally got to a good position, Edie caught the male presenter’s eye and asked, “What skirt length is appropriate for a woman in her mid-50’s?” The presenter replied that a little above the knee to just a little below the new was appropriate and after checking out Edie’s skirt (about 1 ½” above the knee) said, “What you have on is just fine.” Before the presenters got too far away, I raised my hand to ask a question. The male presenter came over with the microphone to me with an apprehensive look and seemed somewhat relieved when I only asked, “Is it better to match one’s shoes to the skirt you are wearing or to the top?” The female presenter looked over my black shoes, black floral print skirt, and white top, and replied, “It’s better to continue the same things together, so black shoes are right for your skirt. White shoes would not look as good.” Throughout this exchange there were probably around 50 or 60 people in the immediate area watching and listening. Edie and I got a few smiles, but no one seemed to act like we were at all out of place there. Shortly after taking our questions, the presenters decided to take a break. A few minutes later, Edie and I decided we didn’t really want to stay in line for the interactive stuff and headed back to rejoin our companions who were still sitting nearby.
The five of us decided to head on to Dillard’s for some shopping. As we walked behind the “What Not To Wear” set, we saw the male presenter standing there not doing anything in particular (and with no microphones). Edie and I walked over to him for a brief conversation. Edie apologized in case we had startled him by our being there asking questions, but he indicated he was cool with it. I asked if they ever had any crossdressers on the show before, to which he laughed and said no. Edie remarked that crossdressers probably need the show’s help more than most people. The presenter looked at Edie and I and then said, “No, not really.” I took that to be a compliment. After all, Edie and I were certainly the most dressed up of those we had seen in line. Edie and I thanked him for his time and headed on to find our companions again.
With a bit of searching (Dillard’s is a large store), we found the rest of our friends in the Women’s section, searching the bargain racks. We spent quite a bit of time going over everything in that part of the store. When we were near the women’s changing rooms I noticed there were about three middle-aged guys sitting in chairs holding various selections that had been handed to them by their wives while the wives were changing or selecting other things. These guys were so unhappy with their situation, scowling and pouting. I really felt sorry for them, especially since in the same place my four companions and I were having the time of our lives. Eventually we realized there was nothing there we couldn’t live without and headed for the car with no purchases. We did have interesting memories to take with us though.