Kim Kardashian Gets Makeover From Kanye West: Is The Fashionista His 'Personal Barbie Doll'?
The romance between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West has made headlines since they became a couple back in April. Since then, photos have revealed a noticeable change in Kim K's wardrobe: Her signature skin-tight, party girl attire has been replaced by more sophisticated high-end wear.
Many assumed that West was behind Kardashian's aesthetic reinvention, and Sunday's episode of "Keeping up with the Kardashians," confirmed their suspicions.
West instructed the curvaceous entrepreneur to toss the majority of her clothing and swap them for outfits that he deemed more acceptable. He was undeterred as Kardashian nervously clung to many of the pieces in her massive wardrobe, insisting that the Pygmalion-like wardrobe rehaul go on.
As expected, many women aren't thrilled to see a high profile woman taking orders from a man - especially one who is, like her boyfriend, in the business of fashion.
Several outlets and web users have expressed their unease about Kardashian's willingness to part with a significant portion of her wardrobe in an effort to win West's approval.
"It's like he's treating his girlfriend-who is purportedly a fashionable person in her own right, who has worked as a celebrity stylist, owns her own clothing line and boutique and designs her own line of jewelry-as his personal Barbie Doll," writes Jezebel's Tracie Egan Morrissey.
"[U]pon reviewing his cameos on this season of the show," Morrissey adds, "every single scene he is in-or even whenever he is being spoken about-he is reshaping Kim's aesthetic, from her clothing to her car to the angle of her ponytail."
Fans are equally put off.
"I felt nauseous seeing all those clothes leave her closet, 'because of him.' Seems a bit invasive for a new boyfriend," commented one female reader on the site. "...she chose all those items and now he is telling her they are not any good."
"Her confidence is going to be shot to [Expletive] by the time they break up," another woman added.
In June, Radar online reported that the fashionista removed her signature hair extensions at West's request. In a "Kardashians" episode the following month, she made sure to secure his approval when selecting a clutch to go with her outfit.
"[T]hough Kanye seems to adore Kim, he also appears to be controlling her," said Stephanie Marcus of the Huffington Post. "Making your partner change his or her personal style is huge red flag, and the warning signs don't stop there."
Marcus notes that West debuted his track "Perfect Bitch" earlier this month-a song he wrote expressly for Kim. The questionably titled (arguably misogynistic) ode to Kardashian chronicles the rapper's search for the perfect woman and refers to the reality star's curves.
"There are few people who wouldn't want a song written about them by a Grammy-winning rapper -- unless that song was called "Perfect Bitch," adds Marcus.
The Hollywood Reporter's Elizabeth Snead notes that Kardashian is a fashion icon in her own right-making her forced transformation uncalled for.
"Kim, who has a wildly successful clothing and accessory line at Sears and whose mainstream collection is now headed to a chain of trendy shops in Great Britain, is beginning to trust Kanye's fashion sense when it comes to luxury looks," maintains Snead. "It's hard to dress like Kanye's 'Perfect Bitch' and she is willing to ask for help in this matter."
In a recap of the now infamous makeover episode Buzz Feed's Whitney Jefferson asks, "Is it just me, or would you kill your boyfriend if he suggested you had terrible style and then insisted on throwing piles and piles of clothes out?"
"Forget whatever they say about 'loving you for you,'" said the Daily Mirror's Rachael Wheller. "Kanye West didn't even wait six months to start changing Kim Kardashian, with the help of an actual team."
Kimberly Ripley of Gather Celebs believes that the makeover has served the star well but that it should have been Kardashian's decision-not her boyfriend's.
"Kim Kardashian is far more beautiful au naturale than with massive layers of makeup plastered all over her and a variety of Spanx accoutrements holding in or pushing up various body parts," says Ripley. "But she should come to such a realization on her own, and not at the insistence of her boyfriend."
Entertainment Wise writer Amy Everett finds West's meddling insulting, referring to a specific moment in the episode.
"When Kanye tries to help her by throwing away a handbag, she hastily pleads: 'No! I need this.' The rapper is not impressed, hitting back: 'Oh, hell no!' We'd be offended... wouldn't you?"
A number of Twitter users also found West fashion intervention out of line.
"Sending Kim Kardashian positive vibes b/c although I hate her, if she let Kanye give her a makeover you know she's in a dark place," tweeted @suzie_michael.
Twitter user CC @Cyn_Cyn88 concurred. "It's pathetic that Kanye thinks he should makeover Kim Kardashian. It's even worse that she's letting him."
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