How are tits, lips and high heels aspirational for young women?

[Bouncealot]

Just watched The Apprentice on BBC and am following Rise and Fall on C4. Why are all the women styled like this? What does it say to younger women? Is it to signal feminine power? None of the successful young women I know dress this way. The equivalent dress code for men doesn’t bear thinking about, and guess what? We don’t see young men’s chests on display in the office, or even on TV.

I thought they were an impressive bunch of young women. They were all incredibly supportive of one another. I don’t care how they dress. They’re all great.

No, actually!😄 I was going on the description!

To be fair out of all the candidates, only 3 have ramped up the aesthetics (Victoria, Dani, Rochelle). The rest look relatively natural/diverse? It’s definitely not all the women who have the instagram look

I think it needs to be remembered that this generation grew up with social media with their 'role models' and 'influencers' essentially looking like this. Yes, they need to look smart and presentable but it what they do to their faces and hair which is really extreme. If you look at the two who were in hair dressing they were the most extreme (I am ignoring Victoria here). The rest were less manufactured.

Fair enough 😅 no they absolutely do not represent reality. Real housewives of Cheshire, big brother, love island… not reality for most.

This says it all to me. The implication is that anything that isn’t Botox, fillers, six inches of make up and skirts shorter than swimming costumes is “dowdy” and “frumpy”.

Most of them wearing a suit. 2 a dress. The light pink is a trouser suit isn't it? Can't see the problem.

Why are you making that assumption? I wore heels for around ten years, because I wanted to. I didn't (still don't) find them uncomfortable and could happily run for the bus in them. I certainly wasn't doing it to get male attention! I wore them because they were pretty and I liked wearing them, I liked how they made me taller and how they made me walk slightly differently than in flats.

Yes what’s the problem? What outfits, hairstyles etc do you suggest OP, what look meets your approval?

So it’s one extreme or the other? Not surgically enhancing yourself is “frumpy”?

Why is there no male equivalent for frumpy?

It’s not about the male gaze. I love heels as they tone my legs beautifully. I’ve stopped wearing them and my legs have changed shape since and look more “stumpy”. I’d have to commit to cardio to get my muscle definition back although I haven’t gained weight. My partner doesn’t care either way but I can see the difference in my figure.

Victoria from this year's apprentice has said they are given a £500 budget for clothes but that only covered her boardroom outfits and she had to use her own money for business wear on tasks. She didn't say if they could chose their own clothes or if they were influenced by production on what they wore.

There is - scruffy. The men are very polished on this show too, plenty of men don’t wear nice suits and make up to work in the real world either.

I agree with the OP. It’s so disappointing to see this presented as a way young business women should look. In fact, I feel the producers deliberately encourage it to subtly mock these women. You only have to read the comments on line or in the press to see the negative comments and the ridicule. Don’t tell me this isn’t another way of encouraging ‘chat’ around the programme.

In offices in London this look is so out of fashion. Flats, a touch of individuality and practicality are the look. It isn’t frumpy, it’s just appropriate and making the conversation about what is being said, not what is being worn. Bit like the way men have always dressed really …

Yes, I used to watch the Apprentice and thought "all of them"?

now I haven't seen it for about 5 years - still all of them? That's beyond mad.

The female apprentice contestants always look utterly ridiculous to me. Running down the street tottering in high heels and nor dressed for anything practical which considering they don't know what they may need to do seems crazy. The fact the all dress in this identical uniform makes me think the programme stylists do it to them but that doesn't account for the mick jagger crossed with sex doll lips. Fascinatingly awful.

Here we go. No one can express an opinion on a look because “judgemental”.
Of course I wouldn’t say it to one of these women’s faces- that would be unkind.

That said, it would hard to gauge a reaction because many are unable to make any facial expressions apart from wide eyed pouting.

I find it sad, depressing and concerning for young teenage girls who cannot achieve this “look”.

The apprentice isn't an engineering show?

I think your just looking for something to pick at because that is something you look down your nose at

It's been the fashion for quite a few years to look like you're going into anaphylaxis, hopefully their filler will wear off by the time it goes out of fashion. I think it only lasts a year or so anyway. There were a couple of naturally good looking women on it this year. I would also disagree that there isn't a male equivalent, theirs is toonky build muscles that are superficial and to overwork the front muscles and neglect the back so they are unnaturally hunched over, as well as the ultra bright teeth, fame tan/ real sun damage and permanently greasy looking hair. Vile.

Men don't often wear full suits to work anymore either yet they usually wear them in the apprentice. This year there were a few of the girls who evidently had fillers, not all though and probably representative of the proportion of that age range in real life who have them.

Several previous contestants have said that you take your own clothes in (but there are rules about patterns etc so it looks alright on TV) and you can only choose 3 boardroom outfits which you'll rotate throughout the show. Knowing you'll be on TV I suspect many want to try and make an effort, but actually there is a variety of what they wear. I do agree it's not good they have to wear heels (allegedly)- but they do look better imo and it's a show at the end of the day.

Agree with op.

porn permeates everything these days.

I’m an engineer and used to wear heels all the time, and very short skirts. Still wear short skirts but don’t wear heels often now. Not breasts though as was never blessed in that department.

Stop being judgmental! It's not about beauty standards which are driven by wanting to be attractive to men, it's empowering. If women were sequestered in all-female environments they'd still want to wear heels because they're pretty and make their legs look great. And inflate their lips and freeze their foreheads.

It's women doing it for themselves dontcha know? 🙄

Who says they are aspirational? Aspirational means something to aspire to, like becoming a doctor or buying a beautiful home.

Lippy doesn't take a lot of effort just whip out the lipstick and a mirror, people do it cos they enjoy it, its hardly a lofty goal.

Quite 😂