Why have the Duggars changed so much?

[IceQueen]

I've been watching them on TLC since the beginning and I was re watching some of the older specials on youtube and wow their clothes have changed. They all wore the same color polo and the girls/Michelle wore frumpy jumpers and had super long fried hair. Now the skirts and hair is shorter and the shirts look like anything you could buy at the mall. Does anyone know why they made this change?

[ElphabaGalinda]

I'm pretty sure it's because they're on TV now. So partially because they want to look good for the audience, and also because they know that no one will ever watch their show if they portray themselves as being as different from the mainstream as they really are. In the early specials, they didn't have to be as concerned about keeping viewers.

[xDreamerx]

I've often wondered this as well. Did they older girls ask for a change? Were they sort of "encouraged" to do it by TLC to make them seem more normal? I noticed when the Bateses come on, they now dress like the Duggars. I don't know if they do in real life, but they definitely do in episodes where they are featured. They can't be totally blind to P.R.

[Kaylee]

I wonder what Gothard's whole take on it is. Is it just one of the things they can get away with because they are famous, or do you think he encourages them to blend in more with the mainstream because it is making them look more normal and attracting new people to his programs?

[lilah]

I think it's a combination of the family getting more income and traveling more, being exposed to more modern styles of dress. You could see even from the start of the tv show that the girls were rebelling against frumpers but were still wearing more dowdier style clothing, lots of button down shirts but over time they got more and more fashionable w. Jill admitted in the skiing episode that she and her sisters like to dress fashionably andsometimes they (gasp! Horror! Shock!) buy brand new clothes if they are on sale and cheap. If you compare what they were wearing in season 1 vs say season 5 it's noticably different. And the little kids are not wearing frumpers either.

You can see the eveolution in style from their last pre-tv show deal pecial (also can see Johannah establishing herself as most awesome Duggar ever at the tender age fo two when she poops on JimBob while he's filming a group scene and then scampers off, as if to say "screw this bs") they show the kids having grown from the first 14 kids and counting special and how they went from full on frumper to something more in between that and their cute clothes now. Even Jichelle dresses less frumpish.

they flash back to

[FloraDoraDolly]

If the girls themselves had any input into the decision to ditch the frumpers and go the "modest modern" route, I think it came mostly from Jessa and Jinger. Those two seem much more into clothes than Jana and Jill.

The four little girls have never worn frumpers. Their clothes are more or less indistinguishable from what mainstream girls their age are wearing. And Kynzie even wears jeans!

[forever ago]

I'd say it's because they don't have to shop at thrift stores anymore, and Michelle has realized it's easy to be modest even in 'modern' clothing.

[EllieCee]

I'm guessing it's the income and the fact that they've been on TV for a while.

On one of the Duggar specials, I think they said they bought most of their clothes from thrift stores. Also, if I remember correctly, on one of the very first ones, they used to all dress in uniform-ish clothing, and people would ask if they were a camp or a school.

Now they have a larger income and are able to afford nicer and newer clothes. And like most of the people said, they are on TV and they'd have to look at least a bit aesthetically pleasing to keep viewers.

[lilwriter85]

I wonder what Gothard's whole take on it is. Is it just one of the things they can get away with because they are famous, or do you think he encourages them to blend in more with the mainstream because it is making them look more normal and attracting new people to his programs?[/quote]

I think Gothard might be ok with the Duggars having a show for those reasons. He is probably hoping to get some people drawn to his programs through the Duggars.Gothard is probably aware that some viewers of the show aren't fans of the family, but he knows some people do like the Duggars quite a bit and might look into his programs.

[FloraDoraDolly]

Based on the photos I've seen in various ATI family blogs, there are a lot of kids in this movement who dress like the Duggars. In fact, aside from the Maxwells (who are not ATI) I can't think of any families where the females of the species wear frumpers on a regular basis. Then again, I'm not familiar with all of the blogs. Maybe I am missing some people.

[muffynbear]

I think it's good that the Duggars have changed because at least it means that they're OPEN to more change in the future, however slight it may be. Can you picture the Duggars going back to their old clothes? I can't picture it.

[Sweetpea1]

I think it's good that the Duggars have changed because at least it means that they're OPEN to more change in the future, however slight it may be. Can you picture the Duggars going back to their old clothes? I can't picture it.

I'm curious as to what will happen to the Duggars once the show ends. I can't picture them going back to the way they were in the first specials. I can't imagine anything that would get them the same level of media attention. I wonder about what other fundies (along the lines of the Maxwells) really think of the Duggars. I'm guessing that there are people out there in fundie land who think the Duggars have sold out.

[maybeizfundie]

Lots of people change.

What I wore in the 90's is *not* what I'm wearing now. :D Good thing, too.

In terms of fundies, style changes among them too. I think it's a fairly immutable part of human nature to have tastes and style and preferences than change over time.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

To me it's simple. They have lots of teenagers today. And, they wouldn't "sell" as well on tv with dresses reminiscent of a bad thrift shop or the FLDS.......

[dcmhejbl62]

How long ago was that... five, six years ago? That's a lot of growing-up time for kids. I assume the girls' fashion sense would have matured. They have lots more money now, so they don't have to sew and can afford nicer things. Hairstyles have changed. I'm sure they get fashion and makeup advice from TLC production folks too.

We looked at family pictures from five years ago, and two of our children look completely different now than they did then. And I hate to admit it, but dh and I have AGED. I'd gladly go back, lol.