Series synopsis
What Not to Wear is an American reality television series that premiered on TLC on January 18, 2003. It ended on September 20, 2013. It stars Stacy London, Clinton Kelly, Carmindy and Wayne Scot Lukas.
Friends and family members nominate a candidate that they consider poorly dressed and ask the show to make over the "fashion victim." Fashion Police Stacy London and her partner ambush the candidate and make them an offer-- they are given a $5000.00 budget for a new wardrobe, which they must purchase in New York City boutiques over the course of two days, but only on the condition that they allow Stacy & her partner to critique, and in most cases throw out, their existing wardrobe.
Premise
Friends and family members nominate a candidate that they consider poorly dressed and ask the show to make over the "fashion victim." Fashion Police Stacy London and her partner ambush the candidate and make them an offer-- they are given a $5000.00 budget for a new wardrobe, which they must purchase in New York City boutiques over the course of two days, but only on the condition that they allow Stacy & her partner to critique, and in most cases throw out, their existing wardrobe.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Stacy London as Self - Host
- Clinton Kelly as Self - Host
- Carmindy
- Wayne Scot Lukas as Host
- Nick Arrojo as Hair Stylist
- Nick Arrojo as Hair Stylist
Guest cast
- Sawyer Sweeten as Self
- Kimberly Ann Hall as self
Episodes
This series spans 13 seasons with 327 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 2 | December 1, 2006 | May 9, 2008 |
| Season 1 | 10 | January 18, 2003 | May 10, 2003 |
| Season 2 | 46 | August 29, 2003 | September 10, 2004 |
| Season 3 | 40 | October 1, 2004 | December 23, 2005 |
| Season 4 | 24 | October 21, 2005 | September 8, 2006 |
| Season 5 | 41 | October 20, 2006 | January 18, 2008 |
| Season 6 | 43 | January 25, 2008 | March 6, 2009 |
| Season 7 | 13 | May 29, 2009 | August 28, 2009 |
| Season 8 | 41 | January 8, 2010 | April 12, 2011 |
| Season 9 | 23 | August 16, 2011 | August 21, 2012 |
| Season 10 | 17 | January 3, 2013 | October 18, 2013 |
| Season 11 | 25 | August 16, 2011 | August 21, 2012 |
| Season 12 | 2 | August 1, 2013 | August 8, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Wedding Couple Fiancé's Donna and Robert are walking down the aisle but Stacy and Clinton say "we object" to this fashion-challenged couple's messy look when they interrupt their Las Vegas wedding. |
April 11, 2008 |
| 5 |
Mother & Daughter Roslyn and Kirstyn are a mother daughter duo living in Las Vegas and both feel that the other is a bust when it comes to style.Roslyn and Kirstyn are a mother daughter duo living in Las Vegas and both feel that the other is a bust when it comes to style. |
May 9, 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Morna At age 24, Morna still dresses like a slouchy college student. She works for a major cosmetics company in Manhattan's classy Rockefeller Center — but in billowing skirts, worn-out sandals and an actual headband. After being filmed secretly for weeks while her friends have conspired with host Jillian Hamilton, Morna gets the shock of her life when fashion stylists Wayne Scot Lukas and Stacy London ambush her during lunch with her friends. Wayne and Stacy show her the secret footage before weeding out her closet's catastrophes. But Morna doesn't give in easily. The stylists have a fight on their hands. Then it's on for a hair and makeup overhaul with hair stylist Nick Arrojo and makeup artist Carmindy Bowyer. Will Rockefeller Center ever see the glamorous, elegant Morna that Wayne and Stacy envision? |
January 18, 2003 |
| 2 |
Eileen Eileen is only 29 but dresses like she's 50. Her clothes are dumpy, frumpy and totally lacking in appeal. Her best friend and three sisters think she needs a sexy new image and conspire with WNTW host Jillian Hamilton to give her a brand-new/updated look. Fashion stylists Wayne Scot Lukas and Stacy London take Eileen in hand and try to release the goddess underneath all the layers — including the Harry Potter glasses and bushy eyebrows. Hairstylist Nick Arrojo and makeup artist Carmindy Bowyer kick in to help Wayne and Stacy turn a Boston frump into a femme fatale. |
March 8, 2003 |
| 3 |
Donna Donna, 47, works as a sales rep for a printing company on Long Island, near New York City. She talks to clients on the phone ... good thing, given that she wears seasonal items and '70s leftovers. Sweaters with pumpkins, fall leaves and ice skaters, plus dickeys and culottes fill Donna's wardrobe — to her family's despair. After What Not to Wear host Jillian Hamilton conspires with Donna's family and friends, it's up to fashion stylists Wayne Scot Lukas and Stacy London to drag Donna away from kitsch. After culling the most horrific items and forcing her to face how bad these clothes look on her in a 360-degree mirror, Wayne and Stacy send Donna shopping with strict new rules and $5,000, before a complete hair and makeup overhaul. But Donna's been dressing like a Christmas tree for a long, long time. Can she learn simplicity and style — in one short week? |
March 15, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Gina Marchioni Gina owns her own hair salon, but she dresses more like a hooker from the '80's than a businesswoman. She prefers tight miniskirts, tube tops, spandex pants, and accessories like feather boas and fringe. She also has her hair dyed three different colors, which is not a way to impress customers with her coloring skills. Stacy and Clinton try to help Gina retain her need to look sexy and youthful while maintaining a professional image. Nick tones down her hairstyle, while Carmindy updates her makeup for the 21st century. |
August 29, 2003 |
| 2 |
Oretha Winston Oretha is a church-going, rocker chick with a wardrobe crisis — her Sunday best is the worst according to her friends. Oretha's a big fan of 80s music; unfortunately, most of her casual clothes are from the same era! A recent job promotion means Oretha needs to promote the right image, but at only 5'2"", Oretha finds shopping for clothes a problem. Her solution: Buy them big and baggy. And to get her hair just the way she likes it, she sleeps in curlers every night. |
September 5, 2003 |
| 3 |
Laura Miller It never takes working mom Laura too much time to decide what to wear — she doesn't have much to choose from. Her wardrobe is full of T-shirts, sweat pants and waffle shirts that are all big and baggy. She thinks they make her look thinner, but her husband, her boss, her mother and her friends think Laura is hiding her natural beauty underneath the grubby, shapeless clothes. They want like to see her look more feminine. |
September 12, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Kerryellen Kelly Kerryellen, a computer programming expert, believes in wearing comfortable baggy clothing, arguing that since she spends most of her time crawling underneath desks fixing other employee's machines, she shouldn't wear nicer clothing that will get dirty while she's on her hands and knees. Kerryellen's friends and family think she has a self esteem issue and doesn't like to show off her body. Stacy and Clinton help her come out of her shell a little more and find outfits for work and off hours that are flattering and practical. On the grooming front, Kerryellen freaks out when Nick decides to tone down her blonde locks and dyes them a dark reddish brown, which she hates. In a show first, after the reveal to Stacy and Clinton, but before she goes home to her family, Kerryellen goes to Nick's salon and insists that he make her a blonde again. |
October 1, 2004 |
| 2 |
Will Russell Will is a 25-year-old from Alabama who needs to drop his hillbilly fashion tendencies for a sharper, more professional look, especially to be able to cut it in his new job. At 6' 3"" and 180 pounds, Will is tall and lean; however, his clothes are certainly not. Stacy and Clinton have to convince Will that his extra-large polo shirts and oversized pants are not the way for the new guy at the office to look. Will also has a sock problem: all his socks are white and athletic — and he's wearing them with dark leather shoes! Last, to make sure that Will can make a great first impression, the WNTW team introduces him to an etiquette instructor who teaches him the subtleties of the proper business handshake, the confident walk and the memorable introduction. |
October 8, 2004 |
| 3 | Ellyn Sollis | October 15, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
What Not To Wear: Wannabe Stacy, Clinton, Nick & Carmindy interview people who applied to the show, following a contest posted on tlc.com, claiming that they are better at being makeup artists, hair stylists, and fashion editors than the team is. 12 finalists were chosen and challenged with a three day competition to see if they can match up. |
October 21, 2005 |
| 2 |
What Not To Wear: Reunion In another contest announced on tlc.com, WNTW asked for a team of friends, either four women or three women and one man, who were having their 20 year high school or college reunion during the weekend of August 5, 2005 to be made over before the reunion. |
January 1, 2006 |
| 4 | Suzannah | January 27, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christina C. | October 20, 2006 |
| 2 | Ginger C. | October 27, 2006 |
| 3 | Shireen M. | November 10, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Melissa (Go Red) A 23-year-old personal trainer who is so addicted to athletic gear that she wears it on dinner dates is an ambassador for the American Heart Association's Go Red campaign and needs to shed her fitness fashion sense for a flirty and fabulous fashion routine. |
January 25, 2008 |
| 2 |
Kathy (39, Norfolk) A 23-year-old personal trainer who is so addicted to athletic gear that she wears it on dinner dates is an ambassador for the American Heart Association's Go Red campaign and needs to shed her fitness fashion sense for a flirty and fabulous fashion routine. |
February 8, 2008 |
| 3 |
Rosemary A 45-year-old wife, mother, and construction company co-owner has an ill-fitting, masculine wardrobe of baggy jeans, sweat suits and stained shorts has her looking more like a laborer than a professional business owner. |
February 15, 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayim Bialik | May 29, 2009 |
| 2 | Chelsea (28) | June 5, 2009 |
| 3 | Jessie (52) | June 12, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Courtney Courtney recently lost 170 pounds and gets help from Stacy and Clinton to re-energize her wardrobe and recognize her true beauty. |
January 8, 2010 |
| 2 |
Leanne Stacy and Clinton help Leanne, a woman who uses witch costumes as a means to hide her true emotions. |
January 15, 2010 |
| 3 | Christine | January 22, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Becky Jenny McCarthy and Cheryl Burke ("Dancing With the Stars") call on the hosts to help make over their hard-working personal assistant, Becky, in the Season 9 premiere. |
August 16, 2011 |
| 2 |
Top 10 Most Resistant Makeovers The most resistant makeover candidates in the show's history are counted down by hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly. |
August 16, 2011 |
| 3 |
Noel A 22-year-old hairstylist tones down her crazy outfits. |
August 23, 2011 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Tiffany 1980s pop singer Tiffany nominates herself to find a new look. |
January 3, 2013 |
| 2 |
Nicole Former “Baywatch” lifeguard Nicole Eggert wants a more mature style that accentuates her figure. |
January 10, 2013 |
| 3 | Tristen | January 17, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Becky Cheryl Burke and Jenny McCarthy call on Stacy and Clinton to help show their personal assistant that she is worthy of a look that will put her front and center. |
August 16, 2011 |
| 2 |
Noel Noel is a hairstylist and acrobat student who shows her character in her crazy outfits. |
August 23, 2011 |
| 3 |
Jackie Stacy and Clinton help a mom who loves to show off her assets. |
August 30, 2011 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Perfect Storm: Riana C., Taylor P., and Megan G. Skimpy dresser, Riana wears clothes that are too tight. Megan's frumpy wardrobe doesn't work for her body, and Taylor's boho style is just too mismatched. In this episode, Stacy & Clinton take on all three friends to help each find their own unique style. |
August 1, 2013 |
| 2 |
Lizz G. Lizz is a stage mom of nine who has put her family's needs over her confused style of short skirts, thrown together layers and boots. Can Stacy and Clinton get this busy mom to drop her inappropriate sexy style and finally discover an identity of her own? |
August 8, 2013 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | TLC |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 18, 2003 |
| Last aired | September 20, 2013 |
| Runtime | 45 minutes |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Friday at 11:00:00 |