An era ends in style

An era ends in style

After a decade of changing women’s (and men’s ) perspectives of themselves one makeover  at a time, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly of TLC’c hit series “What Not to Wear” have bowed out with all the “Color, Pattern, Texture, Shine” and belly laugh humor that made them famous.

The show first aired on January 18, 2003 and the last episode featuring the shows 351st makeover aired on October 18. Over the course of ten years, the fashion-show-that-was-never-just-a-fashion-show used its signature approach to style to help contributors develop a sense of self confidence and pride no matter what society had trained them to think about their individual appearances. London and Kelly ran the clothing component of the show, with makeup artist Carmindy and hairstylist Ted Gibson (replacing hairstylist Nick Arrojo in the show’s seventh season) aiding in the final steps of the week-long makeovers.

The last show, called “The Last Hurrah in Vegas,” was a two hour event in which London and Kelly road tripped across America to visit former participants and relive old memories, ending their trek in Las Vegas with a final makeover (Dawn, a mother known for her barely-there approach to dressing herself) and a large party with over 100 past contributors as guests.

On their last episode, the hosts once again amused viewers with their witty remarks and obviously scripted opening takes. While driving to Vegas, the twosome sang campfire songs loudly and off-key, teased each other and told never-before-released stories of their some of their more memorable days. Describing their unique relationship that has inspired fans to repeatedly inquire as whether or not the stars are married (they’re not), Kelly said, “We got along like a house on fire.” Once in Las Vegas, they got down to business for the 24-hour makeover of Dawn and the aforementioned party.

At the party, Carmindy summed up the message of the series, “As you go forward, I really want you to take this spirit with you. I want you to love yourself each and every day, knowing that you’re truly and uniquely beautiful. Never forget that,” she said.