For devoted fans, "What Not to Wear" was pure makeover fun. And the chemistry between co-hosts
Clinton Kelly and Stacy London was the cherry on top. But after ten seasons, the series
took its final spin in front of the three-sixty mirror. Here's why TLC really canceled the
show.
"Denise, I'm Stacy."
"And I'm Clinton."
"And we're from TLC's 'What Not To Wear.'"
The nominees for makeovers came from all walks of life. And some fashion victims didn't immediately
get with the program. The show's format was ripe with big transitions, including a portion
of every episode where London and Kelly would go through the participant's wardrobe and
throw away, well, basically everything. And in front of the 360-degree mirror, things
could get a bit messy.
Kelly revealed that his most heated interaction was with a client named Megumi, who they had
tapped for the show as she was visiting a Botox clinic.
"You could use some Botox yourself."
"Oh! Alright, you wanna start attacking me? We can go there. I'm happy to go there."
Kelly later told Today,
"I'm not sure I could do that show for another year if I had to. Once you've told me I need
Botox, we're done."
One of the keys to the show's success was the willingness of participants to play along.
But not everyone was ready to overhaul their lives. Kelly explained in an interview with
the Statesman,
"We're dealing with people who didn't want to be made over. I never felt good about that.
I wanted to help people that wanted to be helped."
After news broke that "What Not to Wear" had been canceled, Kelly revealed that he felt
the format was becoming tedious, especially after 10 years. He told Today,
"Don't get me wrong, everybody's story is a personal one and every week is different.
But I just sort of found myself rolling my own eyes at my own words as they're coming
out of my mouth, like, 'How 'bout you try a structured jacket?' 'How 'bout dark-washed
jeans?' 'How 'bout a ballet flat?'"
To freshen up the format, Season 10 featured celebrity makeovers, a triple makeover for
a group of friends, and a makeover for twin sisters. When discussing the final season
with People, London said,
"I do love that we are going out with a bang."
Fashion trends have really changed since "What Not to Wear" debuted in 2003. But as the show
continued to evolve over time, so did the hosts' views on personal style. Kelly told
People in 2019,
"I'm not even sure 'What Not to Wear' could even be done today, the world is a different
place. People dress differently now than 10 years ago. There are no rules. You should
be wearing what makes you feel good about yourself."
"I vow never to wear mom jeans."
London also spoke on how her own views on fashion have changed. Discussing how she has
since adopted a more androgynous style, she wrote for Refinery29 in 2017,
"There have been times when I've worried this [style] change won't sit well with fans of
my old look, […] that I am no longer playing by the rules I prescribed to countless women
over the course of the show."
After the show wrapped in 2013, Kelly and London went their separate ways. Kelly focused
on his role as co-host of "The Chew" and London soon returned to personal styling for TLC's
"Love, Lust, or Run." Years later, in 2017, Kelly published a collection of personal essays
called "I Hate Everyone, Except You." In the memoir, Kelly described his relationship with
London, writing,
"I either adored her or despised her, and never anything in between."
"Stacy. Please focus?!"
Not long after the book was published, Kelly tweeted a screenshot that showed that he had
been blocked by London on social media. After the tweet went viral, Kelly said on "The Chew,"
"It was like getting a little slap in the face."
In January 2018, London posted a screenshot of her unblocking a blurred name on her Instagram
account, writing,
"Forgiveness is something you give yourself to move on, to find peace, to let go. So I
unblocked a bunch of people today."
While fans speculated that London had unblocked her former co-host, Kelly revealed to People
in 2019 that he was still blocked by London at that point, adding,
"And guess what? I really don't care."
The main reason the show was canceled in 2013 seems to be due to a combination of different
factors; pressure to increase viewership, conflicting personalities, and the hosts'
desires to move on. TLC General Manager Howard Lee explained at an event in 2020,
"'Makeover' is a hard area when it pertains to fashion. Fashion is something that's very
easily explored online and elsewhere, so often it is difficult to create episodic storylines
around that."
As fashion resources became more readily available, former fans of "What Not to Wear" may have
been looking to Pinterest and Tumblr rather than relying on cable TV.
Success with reality show revivals for "Trading Spaces" and "Queer Eye" have undoubtedly inspired
the drive to reboot even more classic reality TV.
But since Kelly confirmed that London had not yet unblocked him, fans may assume that
the former co-hosts won't be reuniting for a new "What Not to Wear." There has also been
speculation that Kelly and London may not even be offered their former hosting positions
in favor of recasting the show entirely — just like we've seen for shows like "Queer Eye."
Despite an announcement in 2020 that a revival was in the works, no further details have
been released since then. Although nothing could replace the nostalgia and charm of the
"What Not to Wear" we know and love, a reboot would be a chance for fans — new and old
— to get excited for a brand new season of makeovers.
"The thing about this show is, it's really not about the clothes. It's about you and
why you deserve to be the best version of you that you can possibly be."
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