What Not to Wear originated on BBC Two in 2001, hosted by fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine who also co-authored several fashion books based on the show. The first episode was broadcast on 29 November 2001.[2]
In 2002 during the show's second series, Jeremy Clarkson and Lesley Joseph appeared in a special episode, where Constantine and Woodall gave them a fashion makeover.[3] After Clarkson appeared on the show, he commented "I'd rather eat my own hair than shop with these two again".[4] During the process of choosing which celebrity to give a makeover, Constantine and Woodall compiled a list of who they thought were the worst dressed celebrities.[5] Also in 2002, Constantine and Woodall won a Royal Television Society Award, for being the best factual presenters.[6] The show was also nominated for the Features Award at the BAFTAS in both 2002 and 2003 but was beaten both times.
Trinny and Susannah did a spin-off show in 2003; What Not to Wear on the Red Carpet which featured comedian Jo Brand and news presenter Sophie Raworth having special makeovers to attend a BAFTA Award ceremony.[7] By the end of series three, viewing figures had reached a respectable 2.8 million on BBC Two.[8]
Following a ratings success, What Not to Wear was promoted to BBC One in 2004 to air its fourth series.[9] The format was changed slightly, where a 30-minute show with one makeover was replaced by a 60-minute show featuring two makeovers.[8] The series that aired for the first time on BBC One began on 29 September 2004, and had success with viewing figures which peaked at 5.26 million during the episode aired on 20 October 2004.[10] For a Christmas special aired on 22 December 2004, Trisha Goddard was made over by Constantine and Woodall,[11][12] where the episode generated 7.42 million viewers.[13] Another What Not to Wear special saw them giving Ingrid Tarrant a makeover. Tarrant, however, did not wear what Constantine and Woodall had selected, and changed her dress in the back of the taxi whilst driving to the award ceremony.[14] The fifth series began on 19 October 2005, where viewing figures still remained strong. On 16 November and 23, 2005 ratings reached 4.91 million[15] and the series averaged with 4.8 million viewers.[16]
In April 2006, it was announced that Lisa Butcher and Mica Paris would take over as presenters of the BBC show, after Constantine and Woodall signed a contract with ITV to host their new show Trinny & Susannah Undress.[17] The new series hosted by Butcher and Paris managed to reach viewing figures of 4.26 million on 19 October 2006[18] and the first show of the series attracted 4.2 million viewers.[16] The seventh series, which consisted of eight episodes, was aired on BBC One starting in August 2007.[19][20] The first episode claimed 3.1 million viewers, about 1 million less than the first episode of the last series.[21]
The British version of What Not to Wear has been broadcast around the world, with non-English speaking countries viewing the series in subtitles. The show is broadcast in:
In Italy the local version of the show, called Ma come ti vesti?!, hosted by Enzo Miccio and Carla Gozzi, is broadcast on Real Time. There is also local version in Russia which is called Snimite eto nemedlenno (Снимите это немедленно, literally Take it off immediately) that was broadcast on STS.
Every episode features an "ambush" style confrontation and makeover of a woman, and sometimes a man, who has been nominated by their friends as particularly unfashionable. The subject has their current fashion sense evaluated. The presenters take particular regard to the participant's body-shape and self-image (with the help of a 360 degree mirror cabinet) and determine what will work best for them. The participant is then given £2000 to go shopping for a new wardrobe, which is supposed to be in accordance with the advice they have been given. Although they are free to spend how they wish, they are spied upon and counselled on the ways of fashion by the show's two hosts.
Trinny and Susannah were often known for their tactile behaviour with the participants and for frequently referring to breasts as "tits".[4] They were also renowned for their direct comments on the show, where Trinny's comments have reduced some participants to tears, and Susannah once spontaneously pulled a female candidate's underwear down during filming as her knicker line was visible.[25]
Episode format
The participant is nominated by their friends and relatives for being particularly unfashionable. The show then secretly follows and videotapes the nominated participant for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, the fashion experts review the secret footage and prepare to surprise the participant. During the surprise visit, the participant is offered a £2000 cheque to buy a whole new wardrobe.[26] But they must hand over their entire existing wardrobe and be prepared for some harsh criticism and to receive fashion advice from the two experts.[26]
On the first day of the participant's visit to the studios, there is a review of the secret footage along with the participant. On the videotape, there are normally comments from family members and friends about the participant's style and appearance. The experts then go through their entire wardrobe, which has been brought with the participant. They critique the items and then most of the clothing gets discarded or even cut up with scissors. The participant is asked to put on an outfit, that they like and think most suits their figure, and then must face the 360 degree mirror. The experts comment on why the outfit does not suit them.[26] The experts give suggestions throughout the day and then present three different outfits to the participant to help illustrate the rules that they will need to follow as they shop for new clothing.
The participant is then given two days to shop for new clothing at a suitable and selected location. On the first day, they are left to their own devices, to test how much they have learnt about which clothes are "suitable" and comply with the rules. On the second day, the experts ambush the nominee and comment on whether the previous day's purchases complied with the correct guide lines as to which clothes to buy. The second day, the fashion gurus sit in a café and watch live video footage of the participant shopping and comment on whether the participant is following the rules given. If the participant is struggling, they rush to the scene to help. The experts then accompany the participant around the shops, providing advice and assistance, often being critical.
After all the shopping, hair stylists and makeup artists work on the nominee's hair and makeup respectively. After the makeover, the participant reveals themselves to the experts and are brought to a full-length mirror to see their transformed state. The participant models three outfits for the experts, often showing confidence and poise. The participant departs and, soon after, reveals themselves with their transformed appearance to their friends and family. Sometime after the participant's makeover, the fashion gurus pay them a surprise visit, in order to establish whether they have adhered to the rules for their clothing.
In later series, the format changed. It saw the hosts receiving hundreds of videos from certain groups of people that had nominated themselves for a makeover, instead of other people nominating them. There were select groups such as women facing menopause and those who had lost partners. The hosts would have to watch and choose five people from these videos, as to who they thought were in need of help the most. The five selected candidates were then invited to the studios where they would be interviewed on why they thought they needed a makeover à la What Not to Wear. Then two candidates were selected and offered a What Not to Wear makeover. The series also saw the hosts spending a day as the two participants, where they would drive their cars, work in their jobs and live in their homes. There, they would make the participant's husbands a meal, meet their other close family and venture into the participants wardrobe to dispose of any "unsuitable" clothing. The rest of the episode would sustain the format seen in previous series.[27]
Publications
Woodall and Constantine book.
Trinny and Susannah are the authors of several fashion advice books based on the series. Their books have proceeded to become number one bestsellers in Britain and have been translated throughout the world.[28] Other success included when the book What Not to Wear gained Trinny and Susannah a British Book Award in 2003 for "The TV & Film Book of the Year".[29] The book also outsold Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson when sale figures reached a total of 670,000 copies.
Books by Trinny and Susannah linked with What Not to Wear include:
What Not to Wear (2002)
What Not to Wear 2: For Every Occasion (2003)
What Not to Wear: The Rules (2004)
What Not to Wear: For Every Occasion (2004)
Popular culture
A lethal far-future version of the show appeared in the Doctor Who episode "Bad Wolf". Set in the year 200,100, Trinny and Susannah provided the voices of killer androids Trinn-e and Zu-Zanna who offered makeovers in a more gruesome form.
Trinny and Susannah were parodied in the comedy sketch show Bo' Selecta!, in a segment which saw them criticise the dress sense of various celebrities. The pair's tactile nature a key focus of the spoof, as was their frequent references the "baps" of female celebrities.
On the show Big Impression, Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona took to spoofing Trinny and Susannah's presenting techniques on What Not to Wear.[30][31] Trinny and Susannah were also spoofed in a sketch on 2DTV when it showed them giving Santa Claus a makeover, where they substituted his red suit for a casual shirt and trousers.[32]
Trinny and Susannah appeared on Children in Need in 2004, which saw them giving EastEnders characters Little Mo and Mo Harris a makeover in the style of What Not to Wear.[33] In an episode of the last series of French & Saunders, Trinny and Susannah are mentioned as being "bullies" in a Celebrity Grading Report sketch where Dawn French was the headmaster of a celebrity school where she had to write comments on various celebrities.
Related Research Articles
Susannah Caroline Constantine is an English former TV fashion journalist, writer, style advisor, television presenter, author and clothes designer. Her second book, What Not to Wear, co-written with her fashion partner Trinny Woodall, won her a British Book Award and sold 670,000 copies.
Sarah-Jane Duncanson "Trinny" Woodall is a British beauty entrepreneur, businesswoman, and the founder and CEO of direct-to-consumer beauty brand, Trinny London, which launched in 2017 and currently employs over 220 people.
Josephine Grace Brand is an English actress, comedian, presenter and writer. Starting her entertainment career with a move from psychiatric nursing to the alternative comedy stand-up scene and early performances on Saturday Live, she went on to appear on The Brain Drain, Channel 4's Jo Brand Through the Cakehole, Getting On and various television appearances including as a regular guest on QI, Have I Got News for You and Would I Lie to You?. She also makes regular appearances on BBC Radio 4 in programmes such as The News Quiz and Just a Minute. Since 2014 she has been the presenter of The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice. In 2003, Brand was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.
Patricia Gloria Goddard is a British television presenter. She is best known for her television talk show Trisha (1998–2010), which was broadcast on a mid-morning slot on ITV before later being moved to Channel 5, as well as a host on the Australian children's show Play School from 1987 to 1998. Goddard has been based in the U.S. since 2010, when she started working on Maury as a conflict resolution expert. She also hosted a U.S. version of her own talk show titled The Trisha Goddard Show (2012–2014). Since 2022, Goddard has presented You Are What You Eat. Goddard now lives in Connecticut, in the United States.
Stacy London is an American stylist, fashion consultant, author, and magazine editor. She is known primarily for her time as co-host on What Not to Wear, a reality television program that featured wardrobe and appearance makeovers.
Lesley Diana Joseph is an English actress and broadcaster, whose career on stage and screen spans over fifty years. She is best known for playing Dorien Green in the television sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998 and again from 2014 to 2020. Other television credits include Absurd Person Singular (1985) and Night and Day (2001–2003).
Ready2shop.com was a British dot-com fashion advice business co-founded in November 1999 by fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine. Backed by venture capital from J.H. Whitney & Co. and Atlas Venture, the business ceased trading after running out of funding following major cuts in staffing in November 2000. It was dissolved at the end of July 2001, when it was rumoured that the website had debts of £10 million.
Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine are two British fashion advisors, presenters and authors. They originally joined to write a weekly style column in The Daily Telegraph which lasted for seven years, but they are best known for presenting the BBC television series What Not to Wear for five series and then Trinny & Susannah Undress... on ITV. They have written several fashion advice books which have become bestsellers in Britain and America, and released their own clothing and underwear ranges. Trinny and Susannah have also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show as makeover experts. Over the course of their career, Woodall and Constantine have dressed over 5,000 women.
Trinny & Susannah Undress... is a British reality makeover and fashion-themed television programme on ITV featuring fashion advisors Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine.
What Not to Wear is an American makeover reality television series based on the British show of the same name. The show premiered on January 18, 2003, and ended on October 18, 2013, airing on TLC in the United States. What Not to Wear was hosted by Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, though London's Season 1 co-host was Wayne Scot Lukas. Also part of the show was head makeover artist Carmindy and hairstylist Nick Arrojo from season 1 through season 6. Celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson replaced Arrojo beginning in season 7, through season 10.
Lisa Butcher is a former English fashion model and TV presenter.
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A personal stylist advises individuals on new fashion trends, clothing styles, personal styles, colours and make-up. A personal stylist is not to be confused with a wardrobe stylist, who selects the clothing for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and public appearances made by celebrities and models. Personal stylists typically work one-on-one with the client, while wardrobe stylists are often part of a larger creative team collaborating with a fashion designer, photographer, art director, hair stylist, and makeup artist to put together a particular look or theme for a specific project.
Trinny & Susannah Undress the Nation is a British reality fashion-themed television documentary series on ITV featuring fashion advisors Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine.
Queen's Gate School is a private day school for girls aged 4–18 in Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London, England.
A capsule wardrobe is a minimalist collection of clothes that can be put together in different ways to cover a variety of outfits and occasions. The aim is to have an outfit suitable for any occasion without owning excessive items of clothing. This is usually achieved by buying what are considered to be "key" or "staple" items in coordinating colours. It has been the subject of several popular television series and appears widely in British and American fashion media.
iVillage UK was a British women's lifestyle website run by media company iVillage, owned by NBC Universal.
Tracey Ullman's Visible Panty Lines is American talk show and reality television series hosted by Tracey Ullman. The show focuses on fashion and individual style. Each episode consists of makeovers and celebrity guests. Celebrities reveal what's in their wardrobe and present childhood mementos. The show was inspired by Ullman's online fashion boutique Purple Skirt. The series was originally set to air on 13 September 2001, but due to the September 11 attacks the show was bumped to September 20. On the morning of September 11, Tracey made a live appearance on NBC's Today to promote the show just hours before the attacks began.
Darren Kennedy is an Irish television presenter, style & design expert and entrepreneur from Dublin now based between Los Angeles, New York and Dublin. He has hosted television shows on BBC, ITV and RTÉ. Kennedy is Contributing Editor to US-title The Daily Front Row. He is the creator and co-founder of men's grooming brand Kennedy & Co.
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