After premiering in 2003, TLC's What Not to Wear performed more than 325 makeovers, with
stylists Clinton Kelly and Stacy London at the helm. Participants received a wardrobe
worth $5,000, haircuts, and a confidence boost adding up to a massive makeover. Here are
some of the most stunning transformations.
When Megan first came on screen in Season 2 of What Not to Wear, she was rocking painfully
ill-fitting jeans and a ratty old tee shirt, and her stringy hair was covering half her
face. Stacy and Clinton were shocked, and they set out to make the 20-year-old musician
look more her age without losing her signature effortless style. Megan defended her toe socks
and cartoon-based tee shirts saying:
"I think I was born this way."
Stacy and Clinton attempted to make Megan see that she needed a bit more sophistication
in her life by looking her age.
"When I look at this, I'm like 'What a cute little 12-year-old!"
In a special interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stacy said they had to teach Megan
how to walk in heels. She added,
"She almost fell down in the store the first time we put her in heels. She was like this
little foal."
A little foal that blossomed into a beautiful woman. Megan's transformation was all about
adding feminine touches and rich colors to age-appropriate clothing like blazers, and
properly fitting trousers. How did Megan like her new look?
"I'm gonna continue to do my thing, but I'm going to do it with more confidence."
Season 11 of What Not to Wear introduced us to Casey, a firefighter and transgender woman
from Philadelphia. Casey's sister and friend nominated her for the show because, even though
she'd been living as her true self for nine years at the time, she was still struggling
to figure out a feminine style without any help from the women in her life. As Stacy
London said in the episode, their goal was:
"To teach Casey the foundations of feminine style [and] find a look that suits her shape
and her personality."
And they succeeded! Casey's final transformation was nothing short of stunning. The newly minted
redhead looked amazing in a-line dresses that defined her waistline, flattering trousers
and jackets paired with floaty fabrics, and even some sexy heels. But like many other
women on the show, Casey's favorite part of her transformation was how much more confident
she became. In an interview with Philadelphia magazine, Casey said,
"Being on that show has [made me] less worried about being perceived for what I'm not and
more open to being perceived for what I am. It's gotten me to a point where I'm not self-conscious."
Belinda was a beauty queen back when she was in high school, but she let her style go over
the years to focus on her kids, her job as a part-time nurse, and her pets. Belinda recognized
what she did and said,
"I sort of put myself on hold"
Belinda's daughter, Julia, nominated her for the show to help get rid of the animal prints,
ill-fitting and dated pieces, and her waist-long, horse-tail hair. Her husband, Roger, also
supported the nomination for What Not to Wear.
"She just wears t-shirts, and jeans, and a sweatshirt day after day. It's kinda boring.
It's very boring and I'd like to see her sexy again!"
Clinton and Stacy were able to bring Belinda back from the brink of fashion death. In an
interview with Entertainment Weekly, Clinton even said,
"Belinda was the first makeover that really blew my mind."
And that was audibly evident from the moment Belinda walked through the curtains.
"OH MY GOD! Shut up. Holy crap! Shut up. Get over here."
Stacy and Clinton said she looked like Madonna on the show and Stacy even started crying
because of how drastic and beautiful the change was. Belinda transformed her look to be more
flattering, modern, and, of course, sexy, and made jaws drop everywhere.
Season 9 of What Not to Wear featured Beryl, a young illustrator from New York who was
seriously struggling with her style.
"It's as if she's crying out for our help — and a good tailor."
Maybe Beryl's colorless, ill-fitting, and downright drab wardrobe was a cry for help.
Her faded, root-heavy pink hair certainly seemed to be for sure. Beryl's "anti-effort
look" was a result from her insecure teenage years and she still very much had a fear of
being judged. She even said on the show,
"If I'm drawing attention to myself, then I'm opening myself up to judgement."
But after Stacy and Clinton got their hands on her, Beryl's look went from drab to fab.
Her makeover was all about adding color, excitement, texture, and personality to her clothing,
so she could have the confidence necessary to show herself off. How did Beryl like her
transformation?
"It's like out of this world. It's better than I could have even imagined..ask for...
I'm loving it."
And she got to keep her pink hair. It just got a little TLC from TLC.
Maria, a busy mom with a big family, really made an impression on Stacy and Clinton on
her Season 3 episode of What Not to Wear. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly,
Stacy talked about how Maria would dress head-to-toe in one color, and added,
"She really thought she was getting it right, and she could not have been any cuter."
But as cute as she was, Maria was also dedicated to her outdated fits, loud patterns, and bright
colors.
"I think my clothes say I'm a cheerful, happy person."
The What Not to Wear team set out to show her how to wear colors in the right way. And
they did! Maria learned how to show off her personal style in a chic way, and she left
the show rocking a trendy new pixie cut, flattering jackets, and hints of her signature bright
colors. Plus, she's stuck with her new look. Stacy revealed,
"She is one of those people who just grabbed on to the rules and did not let go ever. Ever.
Every time we've seen her since, her style is unbelievable.”
Sunny, an aspiring actress from L.A., was on Season 6 of What Not to Wear because of
her love of wearing fairy wings in public on normal, non-Halloween days.
"My style is very girly. I'm like obsessed with fairies, and glitter, and pink."
Despite how happy she seemed in her fantasy-based clothing, Sunny's friends nominated her to
bring her style out of the fairy forest and into the real world. Part of the process involved
taking a look at the participant's entire wardrobe and getting rid of most, if not all
clothing, which proved to be difficult for Sunny.
"This is such a part of me. If we're gonna do it, we should just do it."
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Clinton said,
"Sunny thought she had to wear fairy wings to get attention. [...] After a week with
us, she realized that she possessed the kind of natural beauty that some women only dream
of. All we did was enhance that."
Stacy and Clinton brought out Sunny's beauty with a new modern haircut, a quick makeup
lesson on shimmer, not glitter, eyeshadow, and feminine-yet-sophisticated clothing. Clinton
expressed his delight in their success saying,
"When I first saw her at her reveal, I thought, 'She's breathtaking. She looks like a young
Natalie Wood!”'
Leanne, a professional psychic and self-described witch from Salem, was in desperate need of
some style magic before she went on What Not to Wear. In an interview, Leanne revealed,
"I only felt good in long robes and extreme goth clothes, or when I was at home, I'd be
in pajamas. I had no in-between clothes."
Leanne was extremely committed to her witchy look. She would run errands, attend business
events, and even go to PTA meetings dressed in goth gear or Halloween-inspired outfits.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stacy said,
"I found her style so stereotypical of what a witch might look like, but [we discovered
that] underneath she was this beautiful, modern, contemporary woman waiting to come out."
The team helped Leanne discover that she didn't have to completely get rid of her witchy clothes.
She just had to add to it with clothing that was appropriate for everyday wear. Leanne
said that it didn't change her style but was a transformation of her style and added,
"They really helped me overcome a lot of emotional roadblocks I had with my clothes."
Stacy joked to Entertainment Weekly saying,
"I was like, 'We're kind of magic!'"
Becca was in her final year as a medical student when What Not to Wear diagnosed and treated
her dying fashion sense. She was in desperate need of a professional, put-together look
so she could snag a good job upon graduation. Becca was prone to wearing baggy jeans and
childish, ill-fitting tops and seemed to forget that hair should be brushed.
To make matters worse, Becca did not enjoy the process. When asked if there was something
she would like to tell the world just by seeing her, she answered back with some fighting
words.
"I don't f---ing care. ... You're not going to want to be my friend because I'm wearing
a tank top and jeans everyday?!”
But Stacy and Clinton argued with her logic, attempting to set her straight by saying that
her mindset was, quote, "juvenile" and that it was a defense mechanism. They succeeded.
The two stylists gushed about Becca's transformation, showering her with praises.
"I hate to say this but you're a grownup. Wow. You look gorgeous!"
Fans know Mayim Bialik best as the quirky, nerdy, and charming Amy on The Big Bang Theory.
But what many people don't know is that long before the actress brought the unfashionable
Amy to life, she was living her own fashion nightmare with frumpy, unflattering, and downright
drab clothing.
Mayim was one of two big celebs that had makeovers on What Not to Wear, the other being Shannon
Elizabeth from American Pie fame. Mayim wasn't offended when Stacy and Clinton surprised
her on a New York City street. In an interview with People, she said,
"It's no secret that my sense of style has taken a backseat to the rest of my life, so
I wasn't terribly shocked. And I do have a quirky taste. [...] I like army boots, I like
peasant skirts — sometimes together!"
Stacy, Clinton, and the What Not to Wear team did some serious overhauling to get to Mayim's
big reveal, but it was all worth it. In an interview with People, Mayim revealed,
"They taught me about what to emphasize about my body, they gave me some easy ways to look
good when I'm just hanging out."
As Clinton said in the episode, Mayim Bialik certainly did find out how quirky can be sophisticated.
Amanda, a mommy-blogger with a love of sweatpants, needed some serious style help. What Not to
Wear was up to the challenge. But this particular makeover, though it did involve new clothes
and hair, was more about making over Amanda's self-esteem.
"The only time I waste time thinking about myself is when I'm thinking about what I need
to do differently."
She went on to say that she'd never thought of herself as beautiful. Heartbreaking as
that statement was, Stacy and Clinton were able to turn things around and reveal the
gorgeous woman that was always there. What Not to Wear showed Amanda how to own her body,
rock properly fitting clothes, and be her best self every single day.
And she's kept it up! As seen on her Instagram, Amanda still wears makeup most days, has a
similar lovely hair color, and follows the style rules Stacy and Clinton taught her.
In fact, she refers to her time on What Not to Wear as,
"The single most amazing experience I've had outside of birthing children."
Unlike many What Not to Wear stars that need some help elevating their clothing and makeup,
Denise needed help toning things way, way, way down. The flight attendant was on Season
8 of the hit show because her wardrobe was full of glittery, skimpy outfits, and her
face was covered in super heavy makeup. Clinton certainly had thoughts as to why Denise was
doing this, when he said:
"It seems that you've developed this character, that you're playing this role of Denise."
Stacy agreed, and she took things further.
"Do you think that your look can be off-putting to men. Sort of like, 'oh okay, she's doing
the kind of bubble-headed bimbo look.’"
The What Not to Wear team's goal was to help Denise hold onto her sparkle and goofiness
while balancing it with sophistication, grace, and a little less glitter. And, like always,
they did a wonderful job. Stacy and Clinton guided the flight attendant to a more subtle
sparkle that allowed her natural beauty to shine. Denise enjoyed her experience and said,
"This process was amazing. I wouldn't take it back for anything."
Michelle was just an average dog trainer before she appeared in Season 4 of What Not to Wear.
Well, maybe not average, as her style left much to be desired. She dressed like a grandma
with loud, printed long skirts, oversized tops, and a long, tangled mop of hair that
was rarely combed. Her excuse? She said,
"Dogs shows are not like fashion shows. [...] You want the eye to go to the dog and not the
handler."
But Michelle's coworkers were tired of seeing her try to be invisible, so they called in
reinforcements. As Clinton told Entertainment Weekly,
"From the first second I met her, I knew she had great potential and I was certainly not
disappointed by her final reveal."
Michelle's transformation was so amazing that some people thought she was a model pretending
to be unfashionable just so the show could look good. Though she wasn't a model before,
she certainly could have been after What Not to Wear was done with her! Even Clinton himself
said,
"She probably could have walked out of the studio and booked a few modeling gigs."
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