As soon as Jim walked into the kitchen, he knew he was in trouble.

“Jim!” Kelly squealed, making him stop in his tracks. “You’ve got to help me.”

“Okay…” he said hesitantly as he poured himself a cup of coffee, wondering if there was still time for him to escape unscathed.

“Okay, so… Come here, you need to help me!” she demanded, holding up a sheet of paper.

He grudgingly sat down and sighed deeply as Kelly began to explain, “Okay, so I’ve been trying to get Pam to dress better for like, ever, and I feel like I’m just… stuck.”

Jim nodded, apprehensive to say anything that would send her off on a fashion tangent.

“Which is why I’ve decided to call in the experts.”

“What… does that mean?”

She smiled brightly and held up the sheet of paper she was working on; from what he could tell, it was an application for something. “I’m nominating Pam to be on What Not To Wear!”

His smile seamlessly shifted into his trademark amused grin, and suddenly helping Kelly didn’t seem like it would be so bad after all. He wasn’t exactly sure what What Not To Wear was, but it certainly sounded promising.

“Kelly,” he asked carefully, “you’re sure this has nothing to do with… needing something to set your mind on now that you can’t… focus on a relationship?”

“Are you asking me if this is about Ryan??” she questioned, acting disbelieving.

“I mean… The last few weeks you’ve just been moping around…”

Kelly glared at him sternly, “Jim, I swear to you, Ryan is dead to me. Just like my sister Sohni. This is solely about… making Pam feel good about herself… even though she doesn’t have a man in her life… and is all alone… with no one to comfort her…”

Jim could see tears quickly forming in Kelly’s eyes, so he decided to divert her attention off how alone ‘Pam’ was and focus on the matter at hand.

“So, what do you need from me?” he asked innocently. At this point, his relationship with Pam was still very new and very private, and he didn’t want to seem too eager to help out.

“Well, like lots of stuff that I don’t know,” Kelly told him, her attention back on her pet project. “Like, any interesting stories or anecdotes about her, or like… Okay, we need two photos of her that proves she needs a fashion makeover.”

“Hmm,” he said, leaning back in his chair. He ran through Pam’s normal wardrobe in his mind: button down shirts, sweaters, those black high heels, and of course her pulled-back hair. He didn’t think it looked bad, for a girl who basically didn’t try.

Her wardrobe outside of work, he was slowly learning, wasn’t that different. She stuck to sweaters, jeans, wore her hair down some of the time, but he supposed it was still pretty boring. The few times he had seen her in dresses though, he had been floored. So if this What Not To Wear thing made her look like that more often, well then that was just fine with him.

“Oh, what about when Michael gave her the Whitest Sneakers award?” Jim offered.

“Yes!” Kelly agreed enthusiastically. “Cause really, those sneakers are heinous, and the whiter they are, the more they stand out.” As she began furiously writing in the blank space of the application, Jim couldn’t help but think that this would be the best prank to ever be pulled in the history of their relationship. He couldn’t wait to find out if she was going to be picked.

… … …

The entire office was brought to a screeching halt one morning when they heard the manic screams of Kelly Kapoor from the annex. First a loud shriek, then several successions of “ohmygodohmygodohmygod…” Then silence. The rest of the office went back to normal, but Jim, unfortunately, couldn’t get back to his work. He kept getting interrupted by a barrage of emails from a certain customer service rep:

From: Kelly Kapoor
Subject: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date: June 17, 2007 10:17 AM
To: Jim Halpert

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’M GONNA GET TO MEET STACY AND CLINTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D

Begin Forwarded Message:

Dear Kelly Kapoor:

Congratulations! The friend you nominated, Pam Beesly of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has been chosen as a contestant for What Not To Wear!

As part of Pam’s style transformation, our crew will need the help of you and your coworkers to catch Pam’s fashion disasters on camera. We will be secretly filming her for two weeks prior to her makeover, and will then surprise her in your office, armed with a $5,000 Visa card in her name.

Please call us at the earliest possible convenience to set up dates for us to capture our secret footage, at:

1-(800) 984-3672

We look forward to hearing from you!

Stacy London
Clinton Kelly
Fashion Experts

Jim was stunned. Pam was that much of a ‘fashion disaster’? He looked over at her sitting at her desk: her hair pulled back, her face free of makeup, and adorned in a light pink, striped button down shirt. He didn’t think she looked so bad, especially when she smiled that electric smile at him, but what did he know? He certainly wasn’t a fashion expert.

He hit ‘reply’ to Kelly’s email:

From: Jim Halpert
Subject: Re: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date: June 17, 2007 10:23 AM
To: Kelly Kapoor

Okay Kelly, let’s make her over.

… … …

It was surprisingly easy getting Pam out of the office for a few hours while the What Not To Wear crew came to set up hidden cameras and do interviews. Michael had simply sent her out on a wild goose chase, telling her to find him fresh yams for lunch. She of course protested, but he would not take no for an answer.

“Want to tag along?” she asked, leaning against Jim’s desk in the way he adored so much.

“Ah, I wish I could, but I’m expecting a call from a client,” he told her convincingly.

She rolled her eyes and gave him a smirk, “Fine. Actually do work when we could be having a great time out searching for yams.”

“I’m very sorry to be missing it.”

“Not as sorry as I am,” she replied in a singsong voice, suggestively raising her eyebrows, the implication of what she meant practically killing him.

“Alright, get out of here before I change my mind,” he said, shooing her away from his desk. She gave him a quick wave and vanished through the doors, and not fifteen minutes later, the What Not To Wear crew was in the office.

… … …

“Ohmygod, Pam’s style is so drab. Like, she wears these ugly button down shirts that are so pale and totally wash her out, and ugly sweaters to go over them that really do nothing for her figure. And she had the most disgusting shoes on the face of the earth! They’re like, black and have a chunky heel and look like witch shoes and they just really weigh her down—”

… … …

“Pam is definitely the hottest girl in the office. But just looking at her, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell it… which I don’t know says more about Pam or the other women in this office… But anyway, back to the matter at hand: Pam’s style. Well… one year, for our annual Dunder Mifflin awards ceremony, I gave her the whitest sneakers award. So… But actually, I feel like that might be something she’s doing good, is keeping her sneakers clean. But, if you make her over, please, please do something about her hair. She always wears it back, and I know it would make her look more sexier if she wore it down. That is all I ask of you people.”

… … …

“What do I think of Pam’s sense of style? Well, for starters, she doesn’t button her collars all the way up. Neckline just screams ‘hussy.’”

… … …

“The curly-haired one at the front desk? She’s pretty good lookin’. But if you were gonna give her a makeover, I’d say you put a little makeup on her. And I wouldn’t complain if she didn’t wear a bra a couple days during the week.”

… … …

“Pam’s a really sweet girl, but her wardrobe needs some work. I think it’s so boring because she’s never really had someone special enough to dress up for. I know I never really tried until I met my husband, Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration. But I feel like maybe some new clothes could give her a sense of confidence to go and ask… the right guy out. Personally, I’d love to see some color infused in her style.”

… … …

“What can I say about Pam’s fashion sense? Hmm… Well, I know she doesn’t try to look good for work, because this isn’t really the job she wants to have forever. Um, she’s really into art, and graphic design, so I think if you could style her in any way, it would be a little more like… what a graphic designer would wear? I mean, I don’t know what that is, exactly, but I know it’s probably not how she’s dressing now… And if anyone deserves it, it’s her.”

Scranton, Pennsylvania, home to 28-year old receptionist, Pam Beesly. Pam’s array of plain, button-down shirts, drab skirts, and clunky boots make her bright and artistic personality fade into the background.

…

Michael, Pam’s boss: “Pam is definitely the hottest girl in the office. But just looking at her, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell it.”

…

Her coworkers have called in stylists Clinton Kelly and Stacy London to inject some life into her dreary duds, but will Pam be able to deal with the price of fashion?

…

Pam, in a clothing store: “I could buy so much art supplies for the price of these shoes.”

…

It will be style rejuvenation as Pam learns What Not To Wear.

… … …

Pam has agreed to sit in and take notes on an HR meeting for her boss. Little does she know, Stacy and Clinton are in the conference room of another office across the hall, getting ready to watch her secret footage:

“Okay,” Clinton said, pressing the play button on their portable DVD player, “Let’s take a look at Pam.”

…

(Footage plays of Pam walking from her desk to the kitchen.)

Pam Beesly is a 28-year old receptionist at a Scranton-area paper supply company.

…

“Okay, that’s not the first person I’d want to see when I walk into an office,” Clinton said with a hint of disgust.

Stacy nodded judgmentally, “I think I’d just get my paper elsewhere, thanks.”

…

We posed as fashion market researchers to see what she had to say about her style:

(Pam stands outside a lunchtime diner in her traditional work attire. She is speaking to an interviewer.)

“I’ve never really been into fashion or keep up on trends… Um, what I’m wearing now is my work outfit, and… it’s basically the minimal requirement of what I have to wear to look professional—”

…

“That doesn’t look professional to me!” Stacy exclaimed, shaking her head in disapproval.

Clinton pointed at the paused video, “Look at that button-down, it doesn’t look like it’s been tailored to her body at all, and, to be honest, it just looks sad.”

“I know!” Stacy agreed. “I think those stripes probably used to have a lot of color to them, but it looks like the color has definitely faded.”

…

(Kelly and Jim are raiding Pam’s closet.)

“Look at how booooring these clothes are!” Kelly exclaimed into the camera. “It’s just like, sweater after sweater after sweater…”

“These,” Jim began, picking up a pair of white tennis shoes, “are Pam’s Keds. At our company’s annual awards ceremony, she once got an award for the Whitest Sneakers. And while it’s better than some of the awards people get, I don’t know if it’s exactly a compliment.”

“Oh! And don’t forget—” Kelly added, picking up a pair of chunky black high heels, “These are her heinous black heels that she thinks she looks sooo trendy in but really they look like she could be a Pilgrim—”

…

“Okay, those shoes are pretty bad,” Clinton said with a stifled snort.

“I mean, really, Kelly hits it right on the head with Pilgrim there,” Stacy agreed. “You know, we might need to have a talk with her about dressing appropriately for her age. I mean, just look at her footwear! She’s so torn between little girl and old woman!”

“Agreed.”

…

Jim, Pam’s coworker: “I know she doesn’t try to look good for work, because this isn’t really the job she wants to have forever. Um, she’s really into art, and graphic design, so I think if you could style her in any way, it would be a little more like… what a graphic designer would wear?”

…

“Okay, well that makes sense,” Stacy said. “Obviously if she’s planning on doing other things besides answering phones, she’s not really thinking about how she needs to look while answering phones.”

“Or care about how she looks while answering phones,” Clinton pointed out. “But she’s certainly not giving off the vibe that says ‘artist.’”

“Well no, she’s giving off a vibe that says ‘I have clinical depression!’” Stacy retorted back with a self-satisfying chuckle.

“K, well obviously she needs our help,” said Clinton. “Let’s go get her.”

“Let’s go.”

… … …

As Pam takes notes, Stacy, Clinton, and the rest of her coworkers prepare to give her the surprise of a lifetime:

“Excuse us,” Stacy said, opening the conference room door. “We have an urgent message for Pam—”

Stacy and Clinton filed into the room, followed by the rest of her coworkers, as Michael motioned for Pam to stand up. She hesitantly obeyed, bewildered as to what was going on.

“Pam, I’m Stacy.”

“And I’m Clinton.”

“And we’re from TLC’s What Not To Wear,” they said in unison as her coworkers began to cheer. Pam’s eyes went wide and she covered her mouth as she realized what was happening to her.

“Are you guys really here for me?” Pam asked, almost in disbelief.

“Yes we are!” Stacy said with a smirk.

“And actually, with the help of Kelly, Jim, and the rest of your coworkers, we’ve been secretly filming you for the past two weeks,” Clinton informed Pam as she covered her cheeks, which were red with embarrassment.

“And we’ve seen every sad, sorry sweater you own, princess!” Stacy added. “And your old lady Pilgrim shoes, which you have on!”

Everyone looked down at the chunky black heels Pam was wearing and laughed.

“Oh my God,” Pam laughed nervously to herself.

“But here’s the good news!” Stacy said, wrapping an arm around her. “We have a Visa card with your name on it, with five thousand dollars for you to spend on an entirely new wardrobe! How does that sound?”

Pam’s mouth went slack-jawed as everyone around her cheered.

“But the catch is,” Clinton wagged a finger at her, “You have to give yourself over to us for a week so we can make you over: mind, body, and your really lovely, personality-filled attire.” Everyone laughed at his sarcasm as he continued, “You get a little fashion training from us, and we promise you will sparkle by the end.”

“So what do you say?” Stacy asked.

“Um…” Pam looked around the room at her smiling coworkers, and then finally her eyes rested on Jim. He was smiling brightly at her, his eyes so full of hope and warmth, and she could tell that he took part in setting this up because he wanted to see her looking her best, now that she felt her best. She bit her lip and nodded, “Okay… I’ll do it.”

“Great! It’s all yours!” Stacy handed her the Visa card and everyone gave enthusiastic applause. “Oh but wait. There’s one more catch.”

“What is it?” Pam asked, hesitating.

“You know that secret footage we told you about?” she asked rhetorically to refresh Pam’s memory. “Yeah, we’re all gonna watch it right here, right now.”

Again, the room was filled with cheers as Clinton told them, “Everyone take a seat! It’s time for home movies!”

… … …

“I’m a little scared to watch the secret footage,” Pam admitted to the camera, “because I already know I don’t really dress as well as I could, but now I’ll have people kind of… pointing everything out that I’m doing wrong. I hope they didn’t catch me picking my nose or anything. Not that, you know, I pick my nose. But just, in general, something like that would be embarrassing…”

… … …

“So are you ready for some secret footage?” Stacy asked to Pam and the rest of the group, all seated around the conference room table. Pam merely gave a shrug as Stacy told her, “Well we certainly are!”

…

(The footage shows Pam being interviewed by the “fashion market researchers.”)

“What does my clothing say about me? ...Um, probably that I’m very modest? I mean, everyone’s heard that saying that says ‘secretaries wear sweaters,’ so I suppose people would be able to tell that from my clothes.”

…

“You know Pam, you don’t need to always follow that rule—” Clinton began.

“And you don’t always need to wear these sad little sweaters!” Stacy added. “I mean, just look at that one!”

…

(The footage shows Pam at the copy machine in a light blue sweater, blue striped button-down shirt, and gray skirt.)

…

“That is like the saddest, most faded blue I have ever seen.”

Pam spoke up meekly, “It used to be really blue.”

“When?” Clinton asked. “Like, ten years ago?”

…

Phyllis, Pam’s coworker: “Pam’s a really sweet girl, but her wardrobe needs some work. I think it’s so boring because she’s never really had someone special enough to dress up for… I feel like maybe some new clothes could give her a sense of confidence to go and ask… the right guy out. Personally, I’d love to see some color infused in her style.”

…

“Now let’s talk about this,” Stacy insisted. “What does that mean, ‘you’ve never had someone special to dress up for’?”

“Special enough,” Clinton corrected her.

Pam squirmed in her seat, “Well, I had been dating a guy since high school—almost ten years—and we were engaged for a really long time, and… I don’t know. Right before our wedding I kind of realized I didn’t love him anymore and was just holding on to something I thought was there but really… wasn’t. I just stayed with him because… it was what I knew, I suppose.”

“So you kind of got into a rut? Is that what you’re saying?” Stacy inquired, her brows furrowed in contemplation.

“Yeah, a little bit of a rut,” Pam nodded. “And I guess that happened with everything in my life, including my clothes, and I never really thought they needed a change because I didn’t have anyone to impress.”

“So when was this?” Clinton asked.

“Um, about a year ago,” Pam told them. “I’ve tried to do a little with like, my hair and stuff since then, but nothing drastic.”

Stacy rubbed her hands together like she was plotting something. “Well luckily that’s where we come in!” she told her, which got a laugh.

“Yeah, seriously Pam,” Clinton told her, “you have got a cute little bod, and it is a damn shame that you choose to dress it like that.”

…

Michael, Pam’s boss: “Pam is definitely the hottest girl in the office. But just looking at her, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell it… which I don’t know says more about Pam or the other women in this office… If you make her over, please, please do something about her hair. She always wears it back, and I know it would make her look more sexier if she wore it down. That is all I ask of you people.”

…

“Now Michael, I don’t know if we want to make her ‘more sexier,’ as you put it so eloquently,” Clinton said to Michael in a slightly sarcastic tone.

“Thank you sir,” Michael replied, the cynicism lost on him.

Stacy interjected, “But really though, she could afford to be a little more sexy, a little more feminine, even at work. Cause right now you just look depressed. That’s what your clothes are saying about you.”

Pam chuckled self-consciously, “That’s not what I want my clothes to say!”

…

Jim, Pam’s coworker: “I know she doesn’t try to look good for work, because this isn’t really the job she wants to have forever. Um, she’s really into art, and graphic design, so I think if you could style her in any way, it would be a little more like… what a graphic designer would wear? I mean, I don’t know what that is, exactly, but I know it’s probably not how she’s dressing now… And if anyone deserves it, it’s her.”

…

“So Pam, do you want to maybe look a little more like an artsy, modern, graphic designer kind of woman?” Stacy asked.

“Um, I think so,” Pam responded shyly, sneaking an appreciative smile at Jim.

“She thinks so,” Clinton repeated her answer. “She’s so committal.”

“But you definitely want a change,” inquired Stacy.

“Yes.”

Clinton interrupted, “Okay, well let’s take a look in your closet and see what specifically needs changing.”

…

(Jim and Kelly are raiding Pam’s closet.)

“These,” Jim began, picking up a pair of white tennis shoes, “are Pam’s Keds. At our company’s annual awards ceremony, she once got an award for the Whitest Sneakers. And while it’s better than some of the awards people get, I don’t know if it’s exactly a compliment.”

“Oh! And don’t forget—” Kelly added, picking up a pair of chunky black high heels, “These are her heinous black heels that she thinks she looks sooo trendy in but really they look like she could be a Pilgrim—”

…

“You got the ‘Whitest Sneakers’ award?” Clinton asked in disbelief.

“It’s better than ‘Bushiest Beaver,’” Phyllis remarked.

“Or ‘Spicy Curry’—”

“Or ‘Don’t Go In There After Me’—”

“Or ‘Tight-Ass.’”

Stacy waved her hands to silence them, “Okay, obviously people have issues with these awards—”

“Hey. The Dundies are about the best in every one of us,” Michael gallantly defended his beloved awards show.

“Okay, regardless,” Clinton hushed the chatter, “the Whitest Sneakers award is probably not the best award you could be getting in reference to your style.”

Pam gave a small shrug, “I’ll admit that I guess.”

“And how are you feeling about your secret footage?” Stacy questioned, leaning in investigatively.

“It showed me that maybe I am overdue for a change,” Pam admitted, shrugging again.

“Good! So we will see you in our studio,” Clinton told her, beginning to wrap up the party.

Stacy added with a smirk, “Oh yes, and don’t forget those darling Salem witch, Pilgrim, old lady shoes. Cause they would be perfect to save for Halloween!” Everyone laughed and cheered as Michael declared the meeting adjourned.

… … …

“I was pretty surprised watching the secret footage, actually,” Pam told the interviewer as she self-consciously played with the pendant on her necklace. “I knew my style wasn’t exactly the best, but I think, um… I look more frumpy than I thought I looked. And that’s definitely a wake-up call.”

… … …

Coming up, Pam has a little trouble letting go:

“This was the first thing I bought for myself after I called off my wedding—”

“Honey you could’ve done a lot better than this old thing.”

That’s next, on What Not To Wear.

Pam is a 28-year old receptionist at a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, who needs a little life injected into her dead wardrobe. She’s packed up her clothes and headed to New York City to visit the What Not To Wear studio, and to face the dreaded 360-degree mirror.

…

(Pam steps into the 360-degree mirror in a striped button-down shirt, a dark purple sweater and a gray skirt.)

“Okay,” she sighed, looking around at all the angles of herself in the mirror, “This is an outfit I would wear to work. I don’t really have a lot to say about it…”

She trailed off as Stacy and Clinton opened the door. “Yeah, we don’t have a lot to say about it either,” Clinton told her, scrunching his face in disgust.

“I just have a question,” Stacy told her. “Being the first face that people see when they walk into your company, why would you want them to be sad?”

“Oh, I don’t want them to be sad, I just—”

“Are you trying to tell them with your clothing to not do business with your company?”

“Um… maybe?”

Clinton waved his arms to signal an end to the conversation, “Okay, we don’t need to go down that road, but really, Pam, this button down looks so faded. I don’t even know what color that is anymore—”

“It’s like blue-violet,” Stacy speculated. “And you paired it with like, an eggplant sweater and a gray skirt, both of which look faded as well. See, this is called age. And the thing about clothing is that every piece has an expiration date—”

“Maybe they should put that on the clothes, like on the tag or something, so I know when I need to get new ones,” Pam suggested meekly, trying to be a little funny.

Stacy nodded, “That is very true. Or, you could just look with your eyes and see that a nice midnight blue has become a dull, blue-violet.”

“But you can see why we maybe think this ensemble isn’t exactly giving off a friendly and welcoming vibe,” Clinton inquired.

Pam shrugged, “I guess it looks pretty dull.”

“Okay, why don’t we see if we can find something that is still work-appropriate, but also age appropriate and shows a lot more of your natural beauty,” Stacy suggested. “How does that sound?”

“Sounds good,” Pam smiled softly.

…

(Pam, Stacy and Clinton step up to a mannequin dressed in a bright sweater, an a-line skirt and flats.)

“Okay Pam,” Stacy began, “now this is a look for work that we think you could easily do. Because the thing about your work wear is that it’s not that bad in terms of shapes and cuts, it just needs a little facelift—”

“Right, it just needs some updating,” Clinton added. “And so we think for you, you could really pull off that kind of sexy secretary look while still dressing professionally.”

“Now what we have here,” Stacy pointed to the sweater, “is a lovely magenta sweater, embellished just a little bit with this beading up here around the collar—very elegant.”

Clinton directed her attention down to the skirt, “And down here, instead of a pencil skirt which really makes your hips look bigger than they are, we have an a-line skirt that flows away from the body and really helps to create a narrow waistline.”

“And, if you’ll notice,” Stacy picked up one of the shoes on the floor, “we’re showing a really cute pair of flats with the ensemble, which would give you that comfort that I know you enjoy with your Keds, but it would still be a professional and age-appropriate look.”

“We love the idea of you adding bright colors to your wardrobe,” Clinton told her. “And especially the color of this sweater right near your face would really bring out the natural pink hues in your skin and play up that inherent beauty that you have.”

“I think I could do something like this for work,” Pam conceded. “And especially since it’s not too sexy—”

Stacy arched an eyebrow, “What does that mean, ‘not too sexy’?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Pam fidgeted with the sleeves of her sweater. “Any time I try to look just a little nice, my boss makes an inappropriate comment…”

“Well that sounds like something to take up with your HR rep,” Clinton chuckled. “But we promise we won’t make you buy anything that would be too suggestive for work.”

“Okay,” Pam smiled.

…

(Pam, Stacy and Clinton stand with Pam’s racks of clothes.)

“Alright Pam, let’s just start by grabbing all of these sad, faded, button-down shirts, shall we?” Stacy asked rhetorically, snatching shirts off the racks. “Because you have a lot of them.”

Pam watched as Clinton and Stacy took all her work shirts from the racks of clothing and went through them one by one:

“This used to be pink, but is now more like a melon color.”

“This one I think was blue, but now it’s almost gray.”

“Beige, pink, pink, blue, pink… Pam, you do realize you’re not a baby. You don’t have to dress yourself in baby blues and pinks.”

“Right. These aren’t the only colors in the world.”

In one fell swoop, Stacy and Clinton hurl the button-down shirts into their large garbage can.

“Oh my God, Stacy,” Clinton gasped, pulling out a red v-neck top from the racks, “This is—first of all, this is the most color we’ve seen in your wardrobe so far—”

“But second, and what makes this not such a good top for you,” Stacy butted in, “is that this flowy, loosey-goosey fabric isn’t going to do anything for your figure. It almost looks like maternity wear…”

Trying to defend herself, Pam smiled shyly as she remembered buying the top online and showing it off in her ‘fashion show at lunch.’ “This was the first thing I bought for myself after I called off my wedding—” she told them.

“Honey you could’ve done a lot better than this old thing,” Stacy said, pulling at the fabric. “I don’t think I’ve seen so much elastic in a top before.”

“It’s trying desperately to create some structure when there just isn’t any,” Clinton told her dryly. It promptly went into the garbage can.

…

(Pam steps into the 360-degree mirror again, this time in jeans and a hooded sweater.)

“So, this is something I would wear if I was just going to, like, hang out with friends, or go to the park, or maybe go grocery shopping in. It’s a nice, comfy outfit for weekends when I don’t have to try to look a certain way…”

Stacy and Clinton opened the door as Clinton remarked, “You know, it’s interesting how you keep talking about not having to try…”

“I just don’t really put a lot of effort into what I’m wearing…” Pam shrugged. “I don’t have to really impress anyone…”

“Yeah, let’s talk about that for a second here,” Stacy held up her hands, indicating the conversation needed to stop and detour onto what Pam considered to be a bumpy route. “I know you might still be working through your break-up with your ex-fiancé, but don’t you eventually want to bag a hottie?”

“Um…” Pam fiddled with her necklace, unsure of whether to reveal her secret, and eventually blurted out, “I… kind of have been dating a guy for a few weeks.”

Clinton and Stacy’s eyes widened in shock. “Shut up!” Stacy gave her arm a playful smack. “And your friend Kelly doesn’t know about this?”

“No. Definitely not.”

“Well that explains why we didn’t know,” Clinton threw his hands up and rolled his eyes.

“Hear that Kelly?” Stacy looked straight into the camera, “Pam has a boyfriend and didn’t bother to tell you.”

“Well, it’s still really new,” Pam told them, unable to stop herself from blushing. “We haven’t told anyone, really…”

Clinton put a hand on her shoulder, “Well regardless, don’t you think you should be dressing a little nicer for your ‘secret boyfriend’? Cause these clothes outside of work—I hate to tell ya—are just about as bland as your clothes for work.”

“Right, we have yet another faded blue sweater,” Stacy motioned to her top, “this one with a hood, and it looks like it’s shrunk a little. Plain white undershirt, which is about the most boring thing you could do under a sweater—”

“And dark wash jeans,” Clinton gestured down to Pam’s bottom half, “which would be okay, except the cut is really giving you a weird shape.”

Stacy agreed, “Yeah, you look like an ice cream cone.” They all laughed, Pam a little more self-deprecatingly than the others, and then Stacy continued, “So let’s go to the mannequin and show you a better way to dress while hanging out with your friends.”

“Or secret boyfriend,” Clinton added as they all exited the 360-degree mirror.

…

(Pam, Stacy and Clinton step up to a mannequin dressed in a cashmere top, a pair of jeans and flats.)

“So Pam, again, we want to really play up your femininity here,” Clinton told her, gesturing to the top. “So we’ve chosen this cashmere, short sleeved, kind of sandy-gold top for you—very elegant—and do you see the adorable bow here by the neckline? Very feminine and romantic.”

Stacy motioned to the jeans, “And we’ve paired it with dark wash jeans, like you were doing, but this time we’ve made them straight-legged with no weird tapering that gives you that strange, upside-down triangle, ice cream cone shape. Again, our goal is to give you that feminine, hourglass shape and not to make you look, well… hippy.”

“And here we’ve done some orange flats just for a pop of color,” Clinton pointed to the shoes at the mannequin’s feet. “Just to make the outfit a little more interesting and modern. Maybe to show people you have a little artistic flair to you.”

Pam smiled and nodded her head in approval, “I really like this one. I think it’s how I always wanted to dress but never really knew how to, like, put the outfit together.”

“Which is why we’re the fashion experts,” Stacy smirked.

…

(Pam, Stacy and Clinton stand with Pam’s racks of clothes.)

Stacy shook her head, “Pam, Pam Pam, these Pilgrim shoes are even worse up close! Look at these!” Pam broke into a nervous laughter as Stacy continued to berate her footwear, “I mean, these are so geriatric it’s not even funny! And this chunky heel makes your feet look so weighed down—”

“Yes, and we want you to look very light on your feet,” Clinton told her, “Like… a fairy, just floating around Scranton… floating around town…”

“Yeah, and you can’t float in those heavy things,” Stacy declared as she chucked the black heels into the trashcan.

“Oh!” Clinton exclaimed, reaching down for another pair of shoes, “And these are the famous ‘Whitest Sneakers’ shoes, aren’t they?”

Pam held up her hands to stop the criticism, “Now I actually have a story about those. For like three years before I got that award, me and my ex-fiancé would get the ‘Longest Engagement’ award and it was really embarrassing, and so I think ‘Whitest Sneakers’ is a big step up from that…”

“And while that is true,” Stacy agreed, “It’s not the award we would’ve wanted you to get.”

“At least in reference to your sense of fashion,” Clinton added.

“But,” Pam protested, “they’re really comfy.”

Stacy shook her head, “Well we’re going to teach you to be comfy and stylish at the same time, okay missy?” With that, Stacy and Clinton each threw a shoe into the garbage can.

…

(Pam steps into the 360-degree mirror for the final time, dressed in a black dress with a purple turtleneck underneath it.)

“So, I might wear this out on a date, or if there was something just a little more special than everyday wear. Um, I also wore it to an art show that I was in in the spring…”

Clinton and Stacy stepped through the door as Stacy commented, “Really, all that’s missing is a little beret.”

“Now we actually love parts of this outfit,” Clinton told her. “We love the pop of color here with the purple, we love that you actually incorporate dresses into your wardrobe, because so many people we see aren’t even open to the concept of a dress for anything less fancy than a wedding—”

“But unfortunately,” Stacy said, obviously playing the bad cop, “you’re doing this dress look all wrong. Now we understand that this is you trying to look a little more artsy, but, the turtleneck isn’t going to cut it—”

Clinton chimed in, “Yes, there are much more structured, simple, but still artistic pieces out there. Because really, this dress has no shape to it.”

“It kind of looks like those ones kids would wear in he nineties in like family portraits and stuff,” Stacy remarked, which made Clinton laugh. “But it doesn’t say ‘artist’ to me, and it certainly doesn’t say ‘serious graphic designer.’”

“No, it says, ‘mom made me wear this to my grade-school art show,’” Clinton told her. “And that’s not the look we want for you. So let’s show you how to make your artsy look a little more modern and not so dated.”

…

(Pam, Stacy and Clinton stand by a mannequin wearing a button-front dress and high heels.)

Clinton began, “So Pam, this is what we think you should be wearing to things like art shows, and even in the future, job interviews at graphic design studios and what have you.”

“It’s a black, button front dress,” Stacy explained, “with a little tie here to cinch your waist and give you that hourglass shape that we strive for. We also have a lacy camisole underneath, and of course, a pop of color in the shoe. Bonjour.”

“And notice that this time we picked a higher heel in the shoe instead of those flats we’ve been showing you,” Clinton pointed out to her. “Heels are really more fancy, and they are also convey a sense of power and control, and so they are perfect both for a nicer date and also an art show or an interview.”

Pam nodded, “I like this outfit too. I think it’s very trendy and kind of what I see some of the other people in my classes wearing, and they look more, like, sophisticated than how I probably look—”

“What’s great about that is it’s a very simple dress to just throw on and go,” Stacy informed her, “but because it’s a very modern, structured look, that’s what gives you that sophistication you’re looking for.”

“I think I could definitely look like this,” Pam smiled.

“Well that’s what we wanted to hear,” Clinton told her.

…

(Pam, Stacy and Clinton stand with Pam’s racks of clothes.)

“Okay, time to throw out all these sad, dreary, droopy sweaters,” Stacy declared as she and Clinton began tearing clothes off the racks.

Pam gasped as she saw Clinton take a gray sweater in his hands, “No! That one my mom made for me!”

The pair stopped and examined the gray sweater Clinton now held more gently than when he was ripping it off the clothing rack. “Your mom made this?” Stacy asked.

“Yeah, it was a birthday present,” Pam told them.

They exchanged a glance and Clinton sighed in defeat, “Alright, we’ll let you keep the sweater your mother knitted you. But everything else is outta here.” They finished stuff thing the rest of Pam’s clothes into the now overflowing trashcan, and both nodded in approval after they were done. Pam could only stare in bewilderment, clutching her gray sweater to her chest, as all her clothes lay on top of each other in the garbage.

“Okay,” Stacy said, obviously satisfied with the work she and her cohort had done, “why don’t you go shopping, don’t forget the rules, and just get out there and have some fun.”

“Go get ‘em, tiger,” Clinton added.

“Okay, see you guys,” Pam gave them a small, unsure wave as she walked away form her pile of discarded clothes.

… … …

The prospect of shopping has Pam a little worried:

“I haven’t been shopping in a really long time, other than a few things I’ve bought online recently. Um, usually I like to just go into a store, get one or two things that I need, and get out, so this will be a pretty different experience for me. I’m going to try and follow the rules, because I think that will keep me kind of… guided, maybe? But it’s just kind of overwhelming how much stuff I have to replace. But I’m willing to give it a try… mostly because I have to.”

… … …

Next, Pam is having a little trouble coping with the cost of style:

“I could buy so much art supplies for the price of these shoes.”

It’s the first shopping day, and Pam has $5,000 and a 48-hour deadline. Clinton and Stacy are on hand to check that she sticks to their rules: Pam has to look for bright colors that draw attention, shirts and dresses that cinch at the waist to accentuate her curves, and flats to complete her feminine look.

… … …

“Okay, let’s take a look at how Pam is doing,” Stacy said, pressing play on the portable DVD player.

…

(Pam is in a high-priced boutique, looking out of place.)

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a store this fancy, so I’m not really sure where to start. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get over the price of everything, just because I am really conscious about my usual clothes budget. It might be a bit of a shock.”

(She begins to look around at the racks of clothing, and comes upon a spaghetti-strap silk dress.)

“Really? People would wear this out? I think I would wear this to bed maybe, and not even like on a normal night to bed. More like if…” Cutting off her own thought process, Pam waved her arms and put the dress back on the rack, then walked away embarrassed.

…

Clinton laughed, “I love how she couldn’t even finish her sentence.”

“I’ll finish it for her,” Stacy teased. “More like if she was sleeping at her secret boyfriend’s place.”

“That just never gets old,” Clinton ruled, a smug smirk on his face.

… … …

(Pam stands at racks of trousers.)

“So, I am trying to find either a straight-leg or wide-leg pair of pants, but it’s really hard to tell what shapes these have on the hanger…”

…

“Which is why you take a few pairs off the rack and try them on!” Stacy screamed at the portable DVD player.

… … …

(A sequence of shots shows Pam looking at the prices of clothing items.)

“Oh this coat is cute… but oh God, five-hundred dollars. We’ll just put this back…”

.

“Who knew cashmere would be so pricey?”

.

“I’m sorry, but this is way too expensive. No. No. No. No. No.”

…

“Well, okay, she is going to have a certain amount of sticker shock, because she’s going for quality pieces here that she’s not used to,” Clinton said in her defense.

… … …

(Pam makes her way through a rack of skirts.)

“It’s so difficult to tell what’s going to look good on me… Usually I just go in and buy three or four of the same thing in different colors, so I’m not really used to shopping this way.”

…

Stacy shook her head, “Well she’s going to have to get over that, because if she wants a stand-out style, she needs to have variety in her wardrobe.”

… … …

(Pam picks a few items and heads for the dressing room. Moments later, she comes out in a magenta patterned dress with ruching at the waist.)

“I think I liked the concept of this dress more than I actually like it on me. It’s really just… too busy, I think.”

…

Clinton threw his hands up in disbelief, “Is she kidding! Her body looks amazing in that. She’s probably just never seen herself in a pattern before.”

“Look at the way she keeps pulling up the neckline. I don’t really think she’s ever seen that kind of shape on her body,” Stacy explained, “So of course she’s going to be apprehensive about what is too revealing and what actually looks good.”

… … …

(Pam heads for her next store, another boutique with high-fashion items.)

“I don’t know why, but I think I like some of the clothes in here a little more. They seem a little less… over the top, I suppose.”

(She begins to sort through a rack of tops, pulling out a light green top.)

“Oh, I love this one. I never really wear green, but Stacy and Clinton have been telling me I need to wear more colors, so I think I’m going to try this on.”

…

“Yes!” Stacy cheered. “That top is perfect for her.”

Clinton nodded, “I think she’s starting to get the hang of this.”

… … …

(Pam comes across a denim blazer on a mannequin.)

“I really like this. I think it’s really got that whole… sophisticated thing going on…”

…

“She’s finally picking up on the fact that sophistication comes from cut and shape of the clothes,” Clinton said proudly. “So honing in on those shapely pieces is becoming easier and easier.”

… … …

(Pam takes several items into the dressing room and comes out a few moments later in a brown skirt paired with the green top.)

“Oh my gosh… It’s amazing that this is not all that different than what I’ve been doing, but it looks so much better. It’s all fitted and has nice shapes...”

…

“Holy moley!” Stacy exclaimed. “Look at the curves on her in that skirt!”

…

“This is definitely going home with me,” Pam declared about the outfit as she admired herself in the mirror.

… … …

(Pam emerges from the dressing room again, this time in a pencil skirt and purple short-sleeved top.)

“I like the top a lot, and especially this thing here around the shoulders…”

…

Clinton stifled a laugh, “It’s called ruching, dear.”

…

“But I think the skirt is making my hips look a little big, so I’m not going to get this… But I think I can find another skirt to go with sweater, which will give me two good work-appropriate outfits.”

… … …

“Okay, so Pam’s doing pretty well with clothes,” Stacy stated. “Now let’s see how she does with shoes.”

… … …

(Pam walks into a small shoe store and begins looking at flats.)

“So I was told that I should be looking for flats, because they’re comfy and yet still stylish…”

(She holds up a pair of brown flats.)

“These are really cute. I think that I could easily replace the Keds with something like this.”

…

“I think at this point, anything is better than the Keds,” Clinton scoffed.

…

“And the price is… Oh my God. I could buy so much art supplies for the price of these shoes.”

…

Stacy put her forehead in her hands and let out a deep sigh, “She needs to really stop worrying about the prices of things and start thinking of the clothes as investments.”

“Exactly,” Clinton agreed, “And she needs to remember that spending the money we’re giving her isn’t going to cut into her art supplies budget.”

… … …

(Pam stands in front of a mirror with a pair of black flats on.)

“Now see, I always have this problem! My right foot is a size seven, and my left foot is a seven and a half, so one shoe will always be either too tight or too loose.”

…

“You know, that is actually a really common problem,” Clinton told Stacy. “And I think what a lot of women do is they buy the tighter shoes and think they can stretch them out, but then they don’t want to put in the effort for that, so the shoes just end up sitting in their closet.”

“Right,” Stacy nodded. “The better thing to do is to just buy an insert, or even make your own, so you don’t slip out of the shoes and they end up fitting you perfectly.”

… … …

(Pam giggles to herself as she stands in front of the mirror wearing a pair of gold, strappy heels.)

“I’m sorry, but I have never seen my feet in shoes this… elegant? I don’t know what I’d wear these with.”

…

“How about a cute black dress?” Stacy offered.

“Or something blue?” Clinton chimed in. “Or green? Or purple? Really, she could pair those with a lot of things and be just fine.”

Stacy gave him a shrug, “I don’t think she quite knows how to match these kinds of accessories yet, so that’s what we’ll have to work on with her tomorrow.”

… … …

(Pam buys a few pairs of shoes and later is interviewed by the What Not To Wear camera crew.)

“I definitely had a few hurdles to get over in terms of dealing with the prices of things and actually trying things on, but I think I got a few really good pieces today and hopefully tomorrow will go even better.”

…

“I think that’s a fair assessment of how her day went,” Clinton nodded. “She was not by any means perfect, but she did a get the hang of what looks good on her body and what to look for when picking out items.”

“But what’s missing,” Stacy interjected, “Are the more fun pieces to her wardrobe that really make an outfit hers. I think she really needs to get past just wearing the basics and start to get a few more items that reflect who she is.”

“Yes, because she is a whole lot more than sweaters,” Clinton chuckled.

… … …

Coming up, Pam needs some help at branching out of her comfort zone:

“I have just… never seen myself like this.”

“Well this is all you, baby.”

It’s the second day of shopping, and Pam still has over half of her $5,000 left to spend on her new wardrobe. This time, Stacy and Clinton will be on hand to help her pick out items that enhance the basics she bought yesterday and to take her out of her comfort zone.

… … …

“There she is!” Clinton greeted Pam as she walked into a department store.

“Hey guys,” Pam said with a shy smile.

“So you did a great job yesterday,” Stacy told her, nodding her head in approval. “But we think you still need some of those signature pieces that we were talking about the other day.”

Clinton chimed in, “Yeah, you did really well with getting the basics, but now it’s time to really have some fun with your clothes. Are you ready?”

“Sure,” Pam replied.

“Great,” Stacy said as she and Clinton each put an arm around her. “Let’s go.”

… … …

(Pam, Stacy and Clinton stand by a rack of clothing.)


“Okay Pam, so obviously you have basics down,” Clinton told her. “So today, let’s look for pieces that have some interesting detail. And one that Stacy and I saw before you got here is this beautiful burgundy sweater.”

“It’s a lightweight wool,” Stacy added, feeling the fabric with her fingers to accentuate her point. “So not only is it soft but you can also probably wear it three seasons out of the year. And look at the detailing up here by the neckline—that makes it a unique piece as opposed to a plain, old, ordinary sweater.”

Pam nodded, feeling the arm of the sweater, “I like it a lot.”

“And also, let’s look at the skirt they’ve paired with it,” Clinton said, directing her attention to several gray skirts on the same rack. “It has a couple of slight slits here at the bottom, which helps the material float away from the body and makes it a great feminine, but still professional, skirt.”

“Very appropriate for work,” Stacy told her.

“It looks great,” Pam agreed. “I’ll try it.”

… … …

(Pam, Stacy and Clinton stand in the shoe department of the store.)

“Okay, so you knew this was coming…” Clinton said, his tone cautious.

Pam bit her lip and nodded, “Yeah, I knew I needed some help with shoes.”

“And the flats you bought yesterday were just fine,” Stacy affirmed. “But what we’d like to talk to you about is branching out beyond black and brown.”

Clinton began, “Now, you tried on a pair of gold heels yesterday—”

“That was kind of just for fun,” Pam interrupted.

“Well regardless,” Stacy picked up a pair of gold heels that looked just like the ones she had on the day before, “metallic shoes are actually really versatile, and can add a lot of flair to an outfit that may otherwise be pretty simple.”

“It is literally the easiest way to jazz up an outfit,” Clinton added. “And while you may not have any reason to buy a pair of strappy gold heels, can we at least interest you into looking into, maybe, a pair of metallic flats or kitten heels?”

“Sure,” Pam replied, smiling brightly for the first time that day.

… … …

(Pam, Clinton and Stacy stand by a rack of dresses.)

“Pam, we love the idea of you in a dress,” Stacy began. “And as we talked about before, dresses don’t just have to be for special events. They can also be everyday wear.”

Clinton directed her attention to a dress on the rack, “And this one is a perfect example of what we mean. This cutout design up near the neckline really gives the dress that detail we’re looking for, and since it’s so structured, it can work for lots of different occasions: a date, an art show… and if you put a blazer on it, it works for going out for coffee with friends, even for work.”

“It is truly a multipurpose dress,” Stacy agreed. “ So what do you think?”

Pam looked over the dress as she answered, only showing the slightest bit of hesitation, “I think it’s really pretty. I don’t know if I would’ve picked something like this out for myself before, but… you guys have really made me see how it can work for me.”

“Wonderful!” Clinton cheered.

… … …

(Clinton and Stacy stand outside Pam’s fitting room.)

“Okay Pam,” Clinton called, “come on out here!”

Pam emerged from the dressing room wearing the burgundy sweater and gray skirt from earlier. She joined Stacy and Clinton by the full-length mirror and immediately her expression brightened.

“Alright, looks like we have a little sexy secretary going on right here,” Stacy observed, straightening out the neckline of the sweater. “So, as the first face that people see when they walk into your office, I am really liking this whole vibe a lot. Certainly a lot better than those old, sad sweaters that we threw out.”

“The sweater actually looks a little big,” Clinton said, examining the length of the sweater’s sleeves, “so we could actually afford to go one size smaller here. Also, the material is a little sheer, so you would probably want to do, either an underpinning or a nude, non-molded cup bra.”

“The skirt would be good,” Stacy told her, “except these pockets aren’t sitting very flat on your hips.”

“Probably could do without that,” Clinton agreed.

Pam looked down at the skirt they were scrutinizing, “I really like the little slits though, with the lace under it.”

“That’s what makes it a very stylized and personalized skirt,” Clinton affirmed. “Not every skirt has this detail and so that makes it feel a little more special.”

“Very feminine, but still professional. Just what we were aiming for,” Stacy nodded.

“Can we see you in something else?” Clinton asked.

“Absolutely,” Pam smiled as she headed back into the dressing room.

…

“Okay Pam, let’s see what you’ve got next for us!” Stacy summoned as Pam came out of the dressing room in the dress they were discussing earlier. From the look on her face, Stacy and Clinton could tell that she was somewhat in shock. They couldn’t blame her; they were somewhat in shock as well.

“Oh my goodness, you look phenomenal in this!” Clinton told her as she stepped over to the mirror. “This is a wonderful shape for you: it cinches at just the right spot on your waist and then floats away from the body to give you that hourglass figure.”

“I am really digging the color of this on you as well,” Stacy added. “Midnight blue is your color, babe. And the cutout detail is so gorgeous; it really brings the attention right up to your face. And the length? Perfect. Bonjour.”

Clinton furrowed his brows in concern, “Pam, you kind of have, like, an apprehensive look on your face, or…”

“I have just… never seen myself like this,” Pam laughed nervously a little to herself.

“Well this is all you, baby,” Stacy smirked. “Now you finally see how clothes can really alter your perception of your body shape, and your presence, how you carry yourself…”

Pam shook her head, obviously still in disbelief, “I just… for so long I just never thought of myself as deserving enough for something like this. Like, that I could look this good in clothes. I mean, I tried, but… But looking at myself now, I can see how much I’ve changed. And… I really feel like I deserve it.”

“It is very hard to move on from a major life-changing event, like breaking off an engagement, while still wearing the clothes you remember yourself in from before that time,” Clinton pointed out. “But as soon as you see yourself in this new way, you can suddenly see all the opportunity that’s there to grow and to move on.”

“Yeah… I’m definitely starting to see that,” Pam smiled.

“Well good,” Stacy said, putting a comforting hand on Pam’s shoulder. “We’re glad this is helping you to do that. Because your new life is waiting. And the best part is that there’s still a lot more new clothes to be bought for it! So why don’t you change out of this and we’ll keep shopping?”

“Okay,” Pam replied as she headed back into the dressing room, a bright smile apparent on her face.

… … …

At the end of the day, Pam spends the rest of her $5,000:

“I’ve definitely seen a change from, maybe, a Pam that wasn’t so confident and was just trying to act confident to a Pam who is actually confident…” She paused for a moment and laughed to herself, “It’s amazing how new clothes can do that. I mean, now I feel like I can really take on the world and that people will take me a little more seriously… hopefully my boss won’t ever throw garbage at me again… Um, the possibilities are endless.”

… … …

Coming up, Pam lets her hair down:

“I think it’s time to throw this clip away.”

Next, on What Not To Wear.

Pam has completed her shopping, and now it’s time for hairstylist Nick Arrojo to work his magic on Pam’s curly mane:

“Hi Pam, how are you?” Nick asked as he stood behind Pam, who was sitting in a barber’s chair.

“Good, thanks,” Pam smiled politely.

“So I notice you have this clip in your hair…” he observed, motioning to the clip that kept Pam’s hair back.

Pam squirmed in her seat, “Yeah… well, my hair’s pretty curly, and it sometimes can get a little out of control, so it’s just easier to keep it pulled back.”

“So would you maybe like to regain a little bit of the control back?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

Nick nodded in understanding, “Okay, well how about I give you a style that’s much more manageable, and that is still easy to do in the morning? How does that sound?”

“Sounds great,” Pam smiled brightly.

“Alright,” Nick said hesitantly, “But, that means that I think it’s time to throw this clip away. May I?”

Pam bit her lip and eventually gave a reluctant nod, “Okay. Go ahead.”

Nick took out the clip and handed it to Pam, and then brushed her hair forward to get a better feel for what he was working with. “Okay Pam, we’re first going to even out the color here, cause it looks like you have some highlights that don’t look exactly natural. So we’re going to color you all over and give you a little more of a copper tint.”

“Okay…”

“Then, I think what I’d like to do is give you layers, so you don’t have as much to have to work with and your curls stay under control. And after that, I can show you a few techniques to help you make your hairstyle more refined and tailored.”

“Cool,” Pam agreed.

…

“So this copper is going to bring out some of the natural hues that are in your hair already,” Nick explained as he mixed and applied the color to Pam’s hair.

Pam asked nervously, “How dark is it going to be?”

“Oh not dark at all,” Nick put her mind at ease. “It’s going to be more auburn than anything, sort of a light reddish-brown. It will work really well with your skin tone.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Now it’s 30 minutes,” he told her, finishing up with the color, “then we’ll take you to the backwash and get you back here for the cut.”

… … …

(Nick and Pam are back at the barber’s chair with Pam’s hair in a towel.)

“The color is all done,” Nick told her, “and you can see that the copper tint is already there a little bit while your hair’s still wet, but after it’s cut and dried, it’s going to really come to life.”

“I can’t wait,” Pam told him, admiring her new hair color in the mirror.

“So, I’m gonna layer your hair, make it feel a lot lighter without losing any of the length,” he explained as he began to cut her hair with a razor. “And the goal here is really to give you a cut that really looks luxurious, soft, feminine, sexy, and still very easy to manage and maintain.”

“That’s a lot to accomplish,” Pam commented.

Nick gave her a friendly smile as he continued to shape her hairstyle, “I think it’s very doable.”

…

“The cut’s done. So now we’re going to use two products in your hair,” Nick explained. “One is a volumizer, which you need just a few pumps of, and the other is a curl cream… and you always put the product in through the roots first and then through the back.”

Nick worked the products through Pam’s hair and then held up a hairdryer. Pam laughed, “I don’t think I’ve used a hairdryer in a really long time.”

“You haven’t?”

“No, I just let it air dry.”

Nick put an attachment on the end of the hairdryer, “Well that’s about to change, because in order to really give your hair the shape we’re looking for, we’re going to use this diffuser. It really defines the curls. But first…”

“What…?” Pam asked hesitantly.

“We’re going to turn you around so you don’t see until we’re all finished,” he smirked, turning the chair away from the mirror.

…

“Are you ready to see your new and improved curls?” Nick asked a very excited Pam.

“Definitely,” Pam practically squealed.

“Okay, here we go…” Nick said, slowly turning the chair around. Pam gasped at what she saw in the mirror; sure enough, the curls that she had always wanted were suddenly there. Nick laughed, watching how astonished she was, and told her, “You can touch it, it’s your real hair.”

Pam chuckled to herself, embarrassed, “This is really… wow. I really love it.”

“Well I’m glad,” Nick smiled. “Now let me show you, if you want more of a tailored look, you take this curling iron here, and just curl one-inch sections of your hair all around your head.”

“This is great,” Pam told him as she watched him work, “Because I never knew how to do this, but I always wanted to do it.”

Nick chuckled, “Well that’s what I’m here to show you.”

…

“So now you have very defined, polished curls,” Nick told Pam as she played with the curls lightly in the chair, a huge smile on her face. “And you can wear it either way depending on if you need to just wash and wear, or if you have a little more time to spend on it.”

“Thank you so much, Nick,” Pam said, getting up from the chair to give him a hug. “This is really great.”

“Well enjoy it,” he told her as they hugged, “and enjoy the rest of your journey.”

… … …

Carmindy arrives at the studio to complete Pam’s transformation:

“Hi Pam,” Carmindy waved as she stepped into the studio. “Your hair looks lovely.”

“Thank you,” Pam giggled.

“So tell me a little bit about your normal makeup routine,” she asked as she studied Pam’s face.

Pam bit her lip, “Um… nothing? Maybe… some lip-gloss? Mascara if I’m really feeling…”

“Adventurous?”

“Yeah.”

“So you’re a quick, get-up-and-go kind of girl, you don’t wear a lot,” Carmindy deduced.

“Right.”

“What do you think is your best feature?”

Pam thought for a long moment, “Um…”

“Can I tell you what I see?” Carmindy offered, to which she received a nod and a smile from Pam. “I see a beautiful pair of hazel eyes, and I see an electric smile. And I think that today we should try to play up those two features while still keeping things quick and easy to do, and also keeping it subtle. We don’t need to go over the top because you have such a beautiful face already. So are you ready to learn and follow along?”

“Okay,” Pam replied, unable to keep from blushing.

…

“So first,” Carmidy explained, “we’re going to even out your skin tone. And you have such beautiful alabaster skin already that we want a very light foundation. We’re using a spray foundation that we just spray on the makeup pad and rub on to even everything out.”

“Oh wow,” Pam admired herself in the mirror. “My skin looks great!”

“See? That’s all it takes. And next, it’s time for eyes. We’re going to use a color palate of browns and plums to keep it very natural. Now this cream color you’ll want to apply just under the brow and in the tear duct.”

“I’ve never seen that trick before,” Pam told her.

“Well, it’s really all about making your eyes appear wider, and so when we bring light colors to these strategic places around your eye, they catch the light and really open your eyes up.”

“Oh, okay.”

“So now, we’re going to use this brown liner to make your eyes very defined and make them stand out. You smudge it right into the lash line… and then, we’re using this beautiful plum color, which contrasts nicely with your eyes, and we’re sweeping it across the lid of the eye… Okay, let’s put some mascara on you, and then that is it for your eyes.”

Pam batted her lashes a few times for fun, “They look really nice. I see what you’re talking about with the light colors opening up the eye.”

“Would I steer you wrong?” Carmindy asked jokingly. “Now we’re just going to finish you up with this lovely rose color on the apples of your cheeks… and a lip-gloss with a high pigment that acts like a lipstick and lip-gloss in one. It’s all you’ll ever need… And look at you! You’re gorgeous!”

“Oh my gosh,” Pam gasped in amazement, turning her head to see all the angles of her face.

“That is all you, dear,” Carmindy reassured her with a proud smile. “Do you like it?”

“Oh, absolutely I do,” Pam beamed. “It’s really amazing to think of how little I needed to do to make such a big impact on the way I look and the way I feel...”

“Well we’re happy to help,” Carmindy told Pam as she gave her a hug. “Good luck to you sweetie.”

“Thank you so much Carmindy.”

… … …

“I’m really happy about wearing my hair down,” Pam told the interviewer. “I always felt like I was kind of copping out by wearing it back all the time, but it didn’t really matter too much because I wasn’t concerned with how I looked: my clothing or my hair or… anything, really. But now, with all the new clothes and now that Nick showed me how to do my hair and Carmindy showed me how to do my makeup, I’m definitely going to keep it up. It’s the change I was looking for…” Pam hesitated for a moment before shrugging lightly and admitting with a smirk, “And I know that a couple other people in my life will like it too.”

… … …

Next, Pam’s new style light’s up the What Not To Wear studio, and the Electric City:

“She’s always been beautiful, but now you can really see that she knows it.”

Remember Pam’s old, drab wardrobe of faded colors? Those clothes are no more, and Pam has finally found stylish and feminine attire to compliment her sparkling personality. Clinton and Stacy are ready to welcome her to the world of sophistication:

“I can’t wait to see how Pam turned out,” Stacy admitted to Clinton with excitement.

“Let’s get her out here so we can see,” Clinton nodded. “Pam?”

“Pam? Come on out!”

Clinton and Stacy’s mouths dropped in shock as Pam strutted out in a purple sweater, black skirt and black flats. “Look at you!” Clinton proclaimed. “In jewel tones!”

“This is fabulous,” Stacy ruled. “Come over here and look in the mirror.” Pam quickly obeyed and stood in front of the mirror as her outfit was critiqued, this time the criticism much more constructive: “This is what we’re talking about: a lovely dark violet sweater that isn’t faded. It fits you like a glove—”

“The skirt flows away from the body, and while it’s pretty simple, it still looks much better on your body than those pencil skirts you were wearing.”

“You really ended up with a lot of basic pieces like this,” Stacy observed, “which we were trying to fight you on for a little bit, but we’re glad you made the decision to keep your work outfits simple.”

Pam nodded, “Yeah, and I did buy a couple nicer pieces for outside of work and outfits that I could wear and build on if my art career really… takes off, I guess. But my office isn’t too flashy anyways, so I figured I could still get away with sweaters and skirts.”

“But you’re doing them so much better, which is what we love,” Clinton affirmed. “What do you think the people in your office are going to say about this look?”

“I think they’ll like it,” Pam said with a shrug. “I think that I’ll stand out more in all the bright sweaters I bought, and people certainly won’t be able to ignore me anymore. They’ll notice the confidence will be there too, a little more.”

“What’s especially great now,” Stacy told her, “is that you look proud to be at work and that you care a little more about being there and representing your office.”

“Can you show us something else?” Clinton asked.

Pam smiled and replied, “Certainly.”

…

Pam’s office will sit up and take notice when she wears this cashmere sweater at $55 and black flats at $70.

… … …

Pam bounded out from the curtains in a beige top and slate-wash denim trousers, doing a little runway turn as Stacy and Clinton gushed over the outfit:

“Now this is how to do casual!” Stacy exclaimed.

“This top is so adorable,” Clinton commented as Pam took her spot in between the two of them. “Very feminine with the bow and the capped shoulder here with just a little ruching—”

“And the trousers are a nice straight leg, it makes your legs look a hundred miles long,” Stacy complimented. “So glad you’re done with the weird tapering. And I love the slate! Such a unique color for denim.”

Pam nodded in agreement, “It’s amazing how comfortable this is too. Like, I can just lounge around the house, go grocery shopping… I could even go to art class in this.”

“Yeah, just make sure you have a smock on before you start painting,” Stacy warned her lightheartedly. “But seriously, this is like, our life’s work: making people realize that they can be fashionable and comfortable at the same time!”

“What a concept!” Clinton chimed in. “Now, I just want you to know that people are going to start treating you differently because of this. You know, you look more sophisticated, you look more mature, confident…”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Pam agreed.

Clinton continued, “I think that you’ll notice a big difference just in the way that, you know, the checkout lady at the grocery store will treat you.”

“Yeah, prepare to command people’s respect in this,” Stacy told her.

…

Pam’s feminine top at $35 and her straight-leg trousers at $110 will help her move to the head of her art class.

… … …

“Okay Pam,” Stacy called, “Let’s see your last outfit!”

Pam strutted out to greet Stacy and Clinton in a brown wrap dress and peep-toe heels as Clinton ruled, “Favorite outfit! This one’s my favorite.”

“Mine too!” Stacy declared. “Look at this! Okay, first of all, this scalloped print is fantastic on you. It’s very subtle and simple but still gives it a lot of interesting detail.”

“Noticeable but not overwhelming at all,” Clinton explained. “And second, the shape is just perfect. The v-neck is very modest; it’s very appropriate and professional. And here at the waist it’s accentuating the smallest part of you and then floating away at the hips to create a very feminine silhouette.”

“And don’t you feel so powerful in those heels?” Stacy asked Pam rhetorically, who laughed in spite of herself. “You have to wear this to your next art show.”

“I will,” Pam promised. “I definitely feel, like… fierce in this.”

Clinton chuckled, “Well that’s how you should feel! You need to command attention, because you really deserve it and now you look like you really deserve it.”

“We are so proud of you Pam,” Stacy told her, putting a motherly arm around her, “You did so great, and I can’t wait for you to show all your friends your new look.”

“Can we just ask, what’s your secret boyfriend going to think?” Clinton inquired.

Pam bit her lip and nodded her head knowingly, “I think… he’ll be blown away. I mean, he liked me in my old clothes, so I can’t even imagine what he’ll think of these new clothes.”

“He’s never going to let you go now!” Stacy joked. “Because frankly, you look too damn good to be dumped.”

“Thank you,” Pam blushed.

…

Pam is dressed to impress in this wrap dress priced at $100 and peep-toe heels at $230.

… … …

“These outfits definitely take some getting used to,” Pam admitted. “I think I hid a lot behind my clothes before, and I would almost try to be ignored. But now that I’ve been trying to get noticed and trying to get myself heard, I think that the clothes will definitely make a big difference. It’s just getting used to things like being noticed by everyone, like the checkout lady in the supermarket, like Clinton said. But ultimately I think this change is going to really open up a lot of opportunities I never knew were there.”

… … …

As Pam gets ready, her friends and coworkers await her arrival at their usual after-work watering hole:

Kelly, nominator: “I would loooove to see Pam looking sexy and confident and not so shy like she normally is… I hope she just sparkles!!!”

Michael, Pam’s boss: “I hope our little Pammy has blossomed into a beautiful butterfly, that will spread its wings and fly away… No, not away. Fly… as high as the cage of Dunder Mifflin will enclose her… in.”

Jim, Pam’s coworker: “I just hope that she’s happy with the way she turned out, and that more of who she is is reflected in what she wears… She’s a really funny, caring person, and the rest of the world deserves to see that.”

… …

Pam could hear her friends and coworkers chanting, “Pam! Pam! Pam!” as she walked in the door of Poor Richard’s, and could not keep a beaming smile off her face as she strutted into the bar. She twirled around in her teal chiffon dress and strappy gold heels and then was caught up in the arms of a screeching Kelly, who had no qualms about taking all the credit for her new look.

… …

“OHMYGOD, Pam looks totally amazing!!” Kelly squealed. “I knew this was just what she needed in order to be fabulous, and now she is!!! She is so eternally grateful to me now, and I really hope those shoes fit me, because I’m so borrowing them!!!”

...

Michael stood in front of the camera for a moment at a loss for words before saying, “I want her to wear that dress to work every day… Because, uh, you know, it will give our office a good dose of… elegance. Yeah, elegance, and… classiness. Our office doesn’t see a lot of those two things, so it will be good that she brings that to the table.”

…

“She really looks like a lady now and really looks confident,” Phyllis smiled slyly to the camera. “I know at least a couple heads that will turn in our office now whenever she walks by.”

…

Jim chuckled to himself and gave an apathetic shrug, “She looks… I mean, she’s always been beautiful, but now you can really see that she knows it… I think this is just what she needed to help her move on into the next phase of her life.”

… … …

“Being on What Not To Wear has taught me so much,” Pam told the camera. “And not just about what looks good on my body or what kinds of clothes I should shop for, but really a lot about what clothes can say about you as well… I feel like my clothes now are saying, ‘this is who I am,’ whereas my old clothes were saying, ‘this is who I used to be.’ 'Cause I’m not old, timid, little Pam Beesly with boring clothes. I’m Fancy New Beesly, and I feel sure of myself and very… excited about my future.” She then added with a grin, “I’m ready to take on the world now.”

The What Not To Wear crews had wrapped up their filming long before the reveal party ended. Pam enjoyed that she had some time at her party without them around; she didn’t mind cameras most of the time, but she liked not being filmed too. She was much less anxious and much less guarded when the cameras weren’t rolling.

She knew it would only be a few more weeks until the usual cameras came back to filming their documentary again, and she wondered what they would think of her new look and her newfound confidence. She hoped that the change was dramatic enough for everyone to notice.

Sooner or later, each of Pam’s coworkers trickled out of the bar after some final words of praise, leaving only her nominators behind. Kelly hugged her tightly as she said goodbye, gushing to her about how good she looked.

“You promise you’ll let me come over and raid your closet soon?” Kelly pleaded. “We so need to put on another fashion show to show off all your cute new clothes!!”

“Uh, sounds good,” Pam agreed somewhat reluctantly. She tucked a few stray curls behind her ear and glanced toward the bar. Yes, he was still there, patiently and inconspicuously waiting for her. She turned her attention back to Kelly and told her, “Um, maybe I can bring some of my new clothes to work—”

“No, I want to see all of them!! I have to come over and raid your closet, this week,” Kelly retorted, backing her in to a proverbial corner. Too buzzed to think about the consequences, Pam grudgingly nodded her head in approval, and Kelly squealed loud enough to make Jim glance up from his beer in concern. “Ohmygod Pam, this will be so much fun!!!!! We’ll talk about the details later, okay? Cause if you can’t tell I’m like suuuper tired and need to get my beauty sleep. I can’t wait though!!!!”

“Uh, me neither…” Pam agreed, uncertainty apparent to anyone who was half-listening to her tone. Kelly was left oblivious.

With one more constricting hug, Kelly bounded out the door, leaving Pam with a sinking feeling in her stomach that she had just invited a tornado over to her apartment. She had almost shaken off her feelings of bewilderment when she felt a light hand on her shoulder. As if by reflex, she smiled instantly.

“You realize Kelly’s going to want to borrow half of your new clothes,” Jim whispered to her quietly; as if it was something she didn’t already know.

“Oh, I’m aware of that,” she replied, “which is why I’m going to hide all the really good items from her.”

Jim gave her an amused smirk, “Ooh, very tricky. Is this what I can expect from Fancy New Beesly? A criminal mastermind in gold stilettos?”

“Maybe,” Pam played along as they each gave a quick wave goodbye to the bartender. “Then again, I’ll probably just use my new powers for good, not evil.”

“Whatever makes you happy,” he replied, not missing a beat.

They exchanged a smile and ambled down the street in a comfortable silence, each of them sufficiently tipsy enough to need to focus extra hard on walking straight.

Still not used to wearing high heels, Pam did not fare too well at this task.

“Do you need help?” Jim asked as she stumbled forward and caught herself for the third time in two blocks.

“Oh I’m fine,” she grinned, knowing how absurd she sounded. “I just… need to get used to these heels. It’s like riding a bike; once I learn I’ll never forget how to do it.”

“Well… every bike needs training wheels,” he replied, extending his arm out to her like a gentleman. She smiled up at him and then hesitated for a moment, wondering what would happen if anyone they knew saw them walking like that. What would happen if the What Not To Wear crew was still filming her and caught her with her ‘secret boyfriend’?

“Well?” she heard him say to her, his face smiling, but nervous. He must’ve picked up on her reluctance.

Pam took a deep breath and linked her arm with his, snuggling up next to his shoulder. Who cares about camera crews, she thought, if Jim doesn’t care, then neither will I.

They walked the next few blocks back to Pam’s apartment just like that, with her sidled up right next to him, and she had to admit that it was the best feeling in the world. It made her laugh to herself as they approached her door.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, amused by her somewhat drunken state.

“It’s just, we walked like a couple down the street,” she told him as she put her key in the lock and let them inside. “Don’t you think it’s really… unreal that we can do that kind of thing?”

His expression changed from amused to thoughtful as he watched her take off her heels. He sighed, “Yeah. It’s crazy.” He let a small beat pass before he continued, “So, tell me, are you ever going to put those things back on your feet?” He motioned to the gold heels now in her hands, and she gave a small chuckle.

“Mm, perhaps,” Pam shrugged as she rubbed her foot. “I was thinking about putting them back on now, actually…”

“Really?” he asked in disbelief. “Why? Why would you need to put…” The suggestive smirk she wore on her face made him trail off. He had the answer to his question. “Oh. Well… if you have other outfits that go with the gold heels that you want to show me, I have no objection to that.”

“Oh good,” Pam smiled as they headed for her bedroom. “Because I did buy this black spaghetti strap dress I want you to see…”