What Not to Wear

A reality TV show in five versions - a seven-season U.K. original and a ten-season U.S. remake, both called What Not to Wear and now cancelled, the Brazilian Esquadrão da Moda, the Italian Ma come ti vesti?!, and the Russian Снимите это немедленно ("Snimite eto nemedlenno", literally "Take it off immediately").

The hosts (in the U.K., Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine; in the U.S., Stacy London and Clinton Kelly) ambushed badly-dressed people in public places, and informed them that friends and family thought they have terrible style. Hilarity Ensues, and eventually the person was revealed to be Beautiful All Along, after a few style tips and a haircut.

Tropes used in What Not to Wear include:

Age-Inappropriate Dress
Aborted Arc: Male makeovers. Executive Meddling is likely responsible, as the show's audience has long been primarily female. The opening is thus a bit of a fake out since it still implies that the show devotes equal attention to both genders.
Beautiful All Along: Nearly every. single. person. ended up improving vastly with their week spend under the guidance of the hosts. The phrase "as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside" was used in reference to almost every guest, as well.
Big Applesauce: For most of the U.S. episodes, save specials, the guests are usually shipped to NYC.
Big Beautiful Woman: Even the gals who have some weight on them learn how to dress for their body and accentuate their good features. And they look amazing.
Big Breasts, Big Deal: A lot of women hide their figure in order to hide the fact that they may have a larger cup size.
Brutal Honesty: When they start giving out advice, it's genuine, realistic, and usually dead-on. They always have a persons best-intentions at heart, but they can come across as abrasive.
- And sometimes the guests need it, as some believe full-heartedly that being 60, and wearing juniors is perfectly acceptable.
  - Or a very common one, which is career women in their late 20s/early 30s still wearing their high school clothes
Camp Gay: Clinton Kelly, though it varies. Clinton and Stacey sometimes come off as Platonic Life Partners, and apparently some more in-the-dark fans have wondered if they may be a couple.
Catch Phrase: Stacy's "Shut the front door/shut up!"
Celebrity Star: Mayim Bialik and Mindy Cohn
Comically Missing the Point: most of the nominees at first, on why they don't look good.
Getting Crap Past the Radar: References to 'The Girls.'
Face Heel Turn: In all versions. the hosts start out handing you $5,000 (or an equivalent amount in local currency). Then, when you get to NYC/whenever they film the shopping, they rip apart your wardrobe and point out your every fashion-flaw in a 360 degree mirror.
Fashion Hurts: Averted. While being fashionable is the goal of the show, comfort is right up there. Even if it looks good, the hosts contend; if it doesn't feel good, go find something else.
Fashion Show: The guest gets to do a strut down an aisle for a final review. Additionally, the 'big reveal' to the guests friends and family qualifies.
Fashion Shop Fashion Show: Averted, on the first day it's usually the guest, alone, with just the mute cameraman recording. The second day, it's a gay-man and a fashionista/a couple of fashionistas. Neither one will get bored of you popping out of the changing room. But there will be music!
Get It Over With: The way some people cling to their hair, you'd think they are being tortured, or getting ready to be sent to an electric chair.
Hidden Buxom: It happens every so often that a woman on the show will find out that her bra size is 5+ sizes too small for her.
- Or if her clothing becomes form fitting, the hosts will point out that she's showing off 'the girls' far better than she previously was.
Hollywood Pudgy: Averted. Almost every woman on the show has some legitimate body issue that is bothering them. And its often because it doesn't fit the Hollywood view of attractive. Tummies seem to the be the biggest issue.
Hypocritical Humor: Clinton was one-time caught on camera on his day off breaking EVERY RULE that they give to other fashion victims. Stacey never lets him live it down, but it's pretty hilarious when you see him in ratty clothes, no make-up, and completely disheveled.
Impossibly Tacky Clothes: Just when you think they've found the worst of the worst, something even more horrifying will come along.
Magic Mirror: Played with. The 360 degree mirror shows off EVERYTHING. Add in two fashionistas who stand in there, pointing out every. single. flaw. with what you are wearing, and how you're carrying yourself. As well as how your wardrobe reflects you. You suddenly find yourself completely revealed.
Only One Name: Carmindy.
Outdated Outfit: The source of the hosts' strife and pain.
Product Placement: It IS a fashion-show where people go shopping around town. Quick shots of store fronts and the clothes inside are to be expected.
Reality TV: Par for the course, being a show where people get plucked from their daily routine, flown to NYC, and then transformed.
Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Sometimes a guest will completely ignore the rules given to them, and buy their old wardrobe back. The hosts can't do anything except hope you don't spend all $5,000 the first day.
Serious Business: At one point, Clinton began crying and had to leave the room for about a minute because a woman wouldn't accept his (admittedly useless) criticism.
Skunk Stripe: Stacey has a grey streak in her hair that became more prominent over time. If you see her in some of the commercials she appears in now, though, it's minimal or completely colored over.
- The stripe first grew in when she was 11.
- Pretty sure she's always had the streak but can hide it by parting her hair a different way.
Suspiciously Similar Song: They occasionally use a knock-off of Duran Duran's "Rio" for their subject's post-makeover interview.
We Help the Helpless: Stacey and Clinton's mission statement, a bit of a variation since they help the fashionably helpless.
What Beautiful Eyes!: Stockphrase 1 of 2 for Carmindy.
Worthy Opponent: Stacey and Clinton do enjoy a good challenge to the rules. If someone is persistent in their fashion sense, the duo have no problem in verbally sparing it out.
- Trinny and Susannah also had a bit of this, mostly because their guests tend to be stronger-willed.
X Called. They Want Their Y Back.