Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Style Icons- Reality Competition Show Hosts

I admit it, I'm a reality competition show junkie. You already know about my obsession with Project Runway, but I also love The Amazing Race, Top Chef and Top Chef Masters and never miss an episode of any of them. I also occassionally indulge in America's Next Top Model, the Bachelor/ette, and I'm looking forward to the new Bravo show "Work of Art" (premiering tonight, actually). I prefer the shows that require a refined skill, which is why Project Runway and Top Chef rate so highly for me. But every reality show has a host and everyone knows that the host's job is to speak well and look good.

ANTM has Tyra:


I'm not even gonna go there.

The Amazing Race has Phil Keoghan:

Dressing Phil is probably the hardest host-styling job out there. His travel schedule is absolutely insane- the contestants are usually in a different country for each leg of the race and sometimes even a different continent. Weather and climate are always a factor, I'm sure. But no matter where they are- Detroit or Dubai, Phil always looks pulled together and appropriate. I love his casual, laid-back style. It must be fun to travel the world, but he spends so little time in each place, it also has to be hectic. I don't know if I would be up for the task of hosting a show with that much traveling in such a short amount of time.

I would be happy, however, to host a show like Project Runway with Tim and Heidi:


Let's be honest- Heidi basically always looks stunning- and she's been pregnant on the show more than once. As for Tim, he knows what works for him, so he is consistent with his perfectly tailored suits. Obviously I would enjoy being the host of a show like PR because the task hits so close to home for me. But if I had to choose between hosting Project Runway and hosting Top Chef or Top Chef Masters, I would go with Top Chef/Top Chef Masters hands down without a second thought. There two primary reasons for this:

1.) Chef-testants are not known for being very fashionable. In fact, they are often quite a motley crew, so the host always looks stunning by comparison.
2.) There is an abundance of exceptional, gourmet food around at all times for the host (and judges) to eat.

Padma Lakshmi and Kelly Choi are the lucky hosts of Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, respectively. I love both of their style choices nearly all the time. Occassionally Padma will wear something a little out-there, but I always appreciate that she's a fashion risk-taker. (And did you know she's one of the former Mrs. Salman Rushdies? How's that for a notable spouse?) Both Padma and Kelly like to sport solid jewel tones and they always look amazing in them:


I find that I have difficulty watching TV and movies without thinking about what people are wearing. It's an occupational hazard, I suppose. But I appreciate your indulging my obsession through this blog post. Is there a host or hostess that I've left out who you feel is an amazing style icon in the reality show world? Leave a comment!

2 comments:

Maria said...

Heidi Klum always looks fabulous, pregnant or not. I'm not as familiar with the others.

Giada De Laurentiis looked great on the first episode of "The Next Food Network Star," so she might be a contender.

Renée T. Habashy said...

Maria- I agree Giada is a babe, but are you ever bothered by her head-to-body-ratio? She sometimes has that bobble-head look where her head seems out of proportion with her body... :)

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