“What Not to Wear” was, in essence, an involuntary makeover program. Participants (and their cringey, frumpy, or otherwise unfashionable duds) were submitted to the show by friends and family. After secretly filming the participants out and about in their fits, London and Kelly would ambush, er, surprise them and invite them to NYC for a comprehensive, transformative, and often jaw-dropping makeover: clothes, makeup, hair, and, most importantly, self-image.
In true reality TV fashion, some participants were more willing than others. Those dragging their feet were met with firm — but seemingly fair — guidance from London. She focused on fit, mood, and the trends of the time. Those Mickey Mouse shirts from high school or crop tops from college that were lovingly worn to threads, on the other hand, were not making the cut.
At the end of each episode, London and Kelly proudly looked on as even their most strong-willed clients modeled their new outfits, hairstyles, and makeup — no nostalgic, decades-old clothing in sight. However, London told Redbook that she learned more from these so-called “free spirits” about how to dress than she realized.
Post source: The List
