Gok Wan: You Can’t Blame Technology For Women’s Body Confidence Issues - EXCLUSIVE

He’s been teaching us all how to feel good naked for nearly ten years.

So if there’s a guy that knows a thing or two about body image, it’s fashion stylist Gok Wan.

A recent study found that 41 per cent of UK women are unhappy with their bodies (up five per cent from 2004) and one in five women has considered surgery to alter their appearance.

Speaking to us at the launch of his latest range of glasses for Specsavers, the 40-year-old style expert told us that technology isn’t to blame for this rise in a lack of body confidence in women (young girls, especially).

Gok on… Body Image

“I made a documentary series called ‘Gok’s Teens’ [in 2012] and it was amazing to see how technology inspires them, it’s 24 hours, it’s constantly with you,” Gok tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

We're constantly bombarded with images on the web and while it is shocking how many we consume without realising (including advertising campaigns and the like), he argues that you can't just blame technology for negatively influencing womens' body confidence.

The Leicester-born fashion consultant, who found fame with the Channel 4 show How To Look Good Naked in 2006, says that it’s up to us to take responsibility for body image issues.

“I think as human beings we need to take some responsibility for it,” he says.

“We need to stop bitching, we need to stop putting so much pressure on women, we need to put real women in the media, we need to put real-size mannequins on the high street, we need wheelchair accessibility in stores.”

He says that ultimately it’s a human that powers a technological device such as a computer or smartphone - and it’s women that are putting other women down.

“A lot of things need changing, you can’t just say it’s the computer’s fault. Because a human has a lot more power than a computer,” he says.

“I think it could be a little bit of a scapegoat. It’s bound to contribute but a human’s got to power it. A human’s got to put that information out there.”

Gok on… Dressing For Your Shape

He’s an expert in apples, pears, diamonds, ovals and inverted triangles – in other words, womens’ body shapes.

His TV show history includes Gok’s Fashion Fix and Gok’s Clothes Roadshow and has made a name for himself as a bloke that just loves to make us feel great.

Gok reckons one of the mistakes people make when getting dressed is wearing something because it’s ‘on-trend’, even if it doesn’t suit them.

“Wearing baggy clothes is one [mistake], not showing off your figure is another. I think wearing trends before considering your body shape,” he says.

“If it doesn’t suit you then just don’t do it. I think not understanding your body shape and not understanding how your body works. Clothes move with your body and everybody moves completely differently."

But he told us that looking good and feeling comfortable in what you’re wearing does take effort – including planning ahead and making notes before you go shopping.

“The problem is you buy clothes in a shop, you don’t try it on, you then go out at night. It’s not until you see a photo of yourself that you think ‘oh, I don’t look great.’” says Gok.

“You’ve got to put some effort into it. Taking photos in store is really good, seeing yourself as well.

“Getting a second opinion is always good, and doing your research before you go shopping. Go through magazines, make notes about it. There’s quite a lot of admin involved in shopping! In the long run, you are saving yourself time.”

Gok on… Male Feminism

You only need to speak to Gok for five minutes to see that he wants to make women feel good about themselves (he’s right, we DO need to stop bitching about each other).

And with male feminism dominating the headlines of late (Joseph Gordon-Levitt said he is one, Pharrell Williams said he couldn’t possibly be), we had to ask him whether he was part of the club.

“I don’t know whether I’m intelligent enough [to be a male feminist],” he says.

“Probably… in the fantasy side of my brain, yes. In the reality side of my brain, that bit’s too stupid to work it out. I’d like to be one.”

He told us that his older sister, Oilen (a child-care solicitor), is an outspoken feminist and he’s inherited many of her views about it.

“My sister’s a feminist and I’m very close with her, she’s very outspoken about it. A lot of what she believes in, I’ve inherited it from her. I believe in it myself now,” he tells us.

Gok on… Celebrity Style

She hit the headlines when she received GQ’s Woman of the Year Award and courted controversy when she appeared on the cover of US Vogue with then fiancé (now husband), Kanye West.

But if you asked Gok to recognise Kim Kardashian in a line-up, he wouldn’t be able to name her (so no, he hasn’t got an opinion on her post-pregnancy style).

“I would walk past Kim Kardashian in the street. I know about her but I’ve never seen the programmes [she appears in reality show, Keeping up with the Kardashians],” Gok says.

“I don’t read gossip magazines, I listen to Classic FM and opera! I promise you if she walked into this room, I would walk past her.

“I genuinely don’t read gossip pages so I don’t know who these people are. I know who Kanye West is though, he did a song didn’t he? I wouldn’t know who he was either. Maybe if they were together.”

But before Kris Jenner has a heart attack when she realizes someone in the fashion world DOESN’T know who Kim is, rest assured that he’s familiar with another member of the Kardashian clan.

“I don’t know why but I seem to know Khloe [Kardashian] – she was married to a basketball player?,” he says.

“Years ago, when I was a stylist, my job was to keep up with what people were wearing. As soon as I left that world, one of the things I wanted to do was not have to do all that stuff.”

He also seems to have completely missed the Cheryl-back-on-the-X-Factor thing because he hasn’t been keeping tabs on Cheryl’s red carpet outfits (we had to give him a gentle reminder). WHAT THE?

“I watch the X Factor and I do think she looks great. I like it simple. As I’ve got older, my style and my taste has got simple, the bows and bangles don’t fascinate me any more. Her tailoring’s brilliant, she looks great,” says Gok.

So when we asked him who he would love to style, we were expecting your typical Kate Middleton answer, but it turns out he’s got his eye on Chris Evans. No, not the ginger radio presenter, but the actor type, as in actual Captain America. Get in line, Gok, yeah?

“The guy who plays Flame in Fantastic Four, the hot blonde guy. The one that says ‘Fire on!’” he chuckles.

“Him. Because I love him. And he’s dead sexy, and when you have to dress someone, you have to undress them too,” he says with a wink.

Gok Wan is style ambassador for Specsavers and the #LOVEGLASSES campaign. Gok’s brand new range of exclusive glasses are also available in store now. Please contact 0800 068 0241 or log onto http://www.specsavers.co.uk to find your nearest store.

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