The year is 2008. You’re planted in front of your family’s TV as professional stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly scrutinize a stranger’s appearance from head to toe before a 360-degree mirror and, seemingly, all the fluorescent lighting in the world. Not only are you watching, but you’re taking mental notes: Horizontal stripes aren’t “flattering,” they said. Check. Oversized clothes make you look “big.” Got it. Dressing playfully is “child-like,” and wearing anything but a blazer and pencil skirt to the office is “schlumpy” (whatever that means).
As their show’s title suggested, for 12 seasons, London and Kelly told their clients—and by extension, viewers—What Not to Wear. At the time, they were using the information they had, and we can assume they meant well. But, in retrospect, their advice feels more off-key than empowering, and it seems like they would agree with that assessment: Eleven years later, the duo is extending an olive branch in the form of a Prime Video spin-off series aptly called Wear Whatever the F You Want.
News of the forthcoming show broke on August 26, and, in an Amazon MGM Studios press release, Kelly and Clinton shared their excitement to turn over a new leaf. “The world has changed a lot since the run of What Not to Wear, and, thankfully, so have we,” they said. “These days, we have zero interest in telling people what to do based on society’s norms—because there are no more norms! However, style is still an important form of communication, and we’re excited to show new clients how to align their personal messaging with their life goals. It’s time to celebrate individual style, not prescribe it.”
Like the original TLC series (which ran from 2003–2013), each episode of Wear Whatever the F You Want will follow London and Kelly as they help a new client “live out their fashion fantasy and find their style truth,” per the show’s official description. Both fashion moguls were thrilled to share the news on Instagram. “It’s happening!!! I’ve wanted to tell you guys about this for YEARS now,” Kelly wrote on his page. “Mr Kelly and I can’t seem to stay away from each other,” London said on hers. According to the press release, the pair is expected to make eight episodes “filled with expertise and inspiration; chemistry and warmth; and, of course, their signature, enviable style” with a release date to come.
What London and Kelly said in the official announcement is true—a lot has changed since they instructed people to throw their entire wardrobes away and that electric guitar riff transition sound (you know the one) haunted our dreams. Today we have terms like body neutrality, self-love, acne positivity, and more, all of which encourage much-welcomed radical acceptance and individuality. And now, after having more than a decade to reflect, the former What Not to Wear hosts are, refreshingly, putting their efforts toward the movement.
Sure, it’s easy to point fingers and deem them responsible for our past insecurities—and for contributing to the body image hellscape that was the early 2000s—but it’s not like they were immune to the beauty standards and cultural expectations that informed their styling advice. Like anyone who’s ever made a mistake, the best they can do is learn from it and pivot their actions accordingly, which is exactly what they appear to be doing with Wear Whatever the F You Want.
Plus the new series seems to be arriving right on time, given that the graver trends of the What Not to Wear era—like “heroin chic” and the idea that “thin is in,” this time fueled in part by prescription weight loss medications—are creeping in and pushing the pendulum back to the past. So maybe our childhood’s favorite brutally honest styling team flipping their script and screaming praises at people in front of a mirror is, actually, exactly what we need right now.
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