The XX Factor: What women really think.

Forget "Project Runway." Trinny and Susannah Are Coming!

A post from DoubleX writer K.J. Dell'Antonia:

I wasn't as dismayed by Project Runway as Hanna and Jessica, but that's probably because my reality TV addiction lies elsewhere. The original Brit version of What Not to Wear has always outclassed the TLC version, and now Trinny and Susannah are heading stateside. For all their groping, Trinny and Susannah have heart ... (Read more in DoubleX.)

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" Catwalks Right Over "Project Runway"

Hanna, I'm with you that last night's Proj Run was a lackluster event. But the thing that's really going to make me stray from Heidi and Tim is their competition: Lifetime is airing the show at the same time as Bravo airs Real Housewives of Atlanta ... (Read more in DoubleX.)

Move Back East, Project Runway!

Can you destroy a great franchise in one episode? Project Runway is certainly trying hard. The new season, which aired last night, is now on Lifetime at 10. These two minor facts alone have ruined it as a family viewing experience. Ten is too late for the hordes of girl fans, including my daughter. And commercials on the Lifetime network (Spa Breeze, vacuums, odd vaginal ailments) are just too embarrassing for any self-respecting husband to sit through. More importantly, the show has moved to L.A., and now seems to be aiming for the tabloid-reading public’s vision of what life in L.A. is like ... (Read more in DoubleX.)

Gunn Rights

Smith lined up his staff and had Gunn provide notes of wisdom, wardrobe-wise.

The staff fared pretty well. "Small tweaks" were made—a shorter skirt was one—and the congressman replied, "two inches?!" in shock. Gunn replied, "no just one." Another lucky female staffer was complimented on her grey skirt and sweater paired with a light brown belt. Gunn said, "this outfit is all about the belt and it works."

Given that the average congressional staffer's wardrobe ranges all the way from Ann Taylor to Ann Taylor Loft, this is quite the coup. But much as I respect Gunn's taste in textiles, I'm not sure the idea he has come to promote will do a thing to help the fashion industry. Senators like Chuck Schumer have long wanted to extend copyright protection to fashion designers, but they've never made a strong case for the idea that the American fashion industry suffers for a lack of innovation. (Shows like Project Runway do not help.) As UCLA law professor Kal Raustiala has argued, it's possible that cheap knock-offs—the very thing copyright protection would criminalize—actually help fashion designers by accelerating the fashion cycle and spurring demand for newer, high-end designs. Add to all this the sure-to-be-ugly costs of enforcing fashion-related IP, and the whole plan starts to look like the legislative equivalent of that strappy neon ruched thing Blayne came up with last season.

We (Heart) Kenley?

I must admit that I struggled hard about whether to watch the Project Runway finale or the debate last night, and in the end toggled back and forth. For our more high minded readers who resisted,  I will here break the news to you that the winner was Leanne Marshall, a lovely and somewhat boring girl from Seattle. The loser was Kenley, the daughter of a tugboat captain with the haughtiness of a Park Avenue brat. I have no real problem with the outcome. All three finalists presented nice, cohesive collections, and any could have won.

But here is my issue. Michael Kors presented this as the "women's final," because this was the first time all three who made it to Bryant Park were women. So I will judge it on those terms. Throughout the season, and especially at the end, Kenley was treated as reality show fodder, the contestant you string along until the end because she is so entertaining, not because she is talented. She was bitchy, rude, disrespectful, even to the ever-gentle Tim Gunn. And then, although she presented the most spirited collection, she was pushed aside for the meek one.

In the last two seasons, the exact opposite happened. Christian, who won last season, was an arrogant snot, which only won him deference and respect from the judges. Jeffrey Sebelia, the ex-addict with the neck tattoos, was an asshole of Eminem caliber. In his case, too, arrogance was conflated with confidence was conflated with talent. But not so for Kenley. If she had been "sassy" or "vivacious" or full of "moxie," maybe. But no amount of talent can rescue a young woman who is an outright bitch.