The Daughters of What Not to Wear Reveal: Modern Cancellation Culture
Ah, the glorious days of What Not to Wear, where sharp tongues and even sharper scissors defined the very fabric of fashion advice. Today’s hot topic arrives courtesy of the stars’ daughters, Esme Bertelsen and Lyla Elichaoff, who cheekily claimed their mothers might not survive the merciless claws of modern-day cancel culture. I mean, listen, who could survive all that piercing critique? But then again, if you can’t handle a little sass, what are you even doing with a fashion degree?
Now, the dynamic duo of style, {{ Trinny Woodall }} and {{ Susannah Constantine }}, churned out style advice like it was going out of fashion—oh wait, it did! But back in the ’90s, the only thing getting ‘cancelled’ was a bad outfit and maybe a few egos along the way. Their trademark zingers, like Susannah’s “chicken arms” and Trinny’s “flat chest,” had us all in stitches — a long cry from today’s cotton-soft sensitivity! If only our modern social media overlords could take a leaf out of the book of unapologetic wit.
In a new gig for the illustrious December issue of Tatler, Esme and Lyla reflect on their whirlwind of a childhood, growing up amid the phrase, “You look absolutely dreadful!” delivered with a side of delightful humor. You can’t help but admire the audacity — “That coat looks like it was attacked by a herd of angry hedgehogs!” They might very well make their mothers proud. But let’s not kid ourselves; in this new age of tweets and TikToks, such vibrant banter could land you a ticket to the cancel train!
The Fashion Legacy Continues
As they join the ranks of “London scene queens” — sorry, what does that even mean? Is it a new monarchy I wasn’t aware of? — they openly express their bafflement that they’ve never even tuned in to the classic shows their mothers starred in. It’s like Shakespeare’s descendants saying, “Nah, not interested in those plays.” But of course, despite never watching, they share memories of their parents embarking on European tours and accidentally helping to style some hopefuls along the way. You’ve got to hand it to them, though; navigating this world while dodging their mothers’ actual fame is an Olympic event in itself.
Lyla joked, “You can’t really speak to people like that anymore, and say things like, ‘You’re so ugly.’” True, but I stand by my belief that we’ve simply transformed the method of delivering the same message! It’s now wrapped in a “Let’s uplift each other” sticker instead of a nice blunt hammer. We’ve come such a long way since those days, where honesty found its edge in brutal fashion critiques, and somehow, we were all okay with it!
Iconic Fashion Memories
Our young stars recall receiving a treasure trove of fashion memorabilia from their famous parents. I mean, who wouldn’t want a pair of Miu Miu heels thrown at them as a ‘free reign’ gesture? Perhaps a hefty lesson that sometimes, being fashionable means enduring a bit of shame via your mother’s wardrobe! Insert deep belly laugh here. Do you know how many high-heeled disasters I wore under the pretext of “finding my style”?
But let’s not move too quickly past the visuals here: imagine the scene: a young Lyla, puzzled, titled her head in confusion as a woman in Europe demanded to be made to look like Hannah Montana. Admittedly, life’s puzzling moments are often filtered through an adolescent lens and oddly entertaining in retrospect. Makes one question how many “oops” fashion choices led to a bemused childhood!
The Evolution of Fashion and Humor
Lyla and Esme may have happily avoided their mothers’ iconic series but inherited the sharp claws of comedic commentary. As they walk the fine line between respecting their mothers’ legacy while carving out unique identities, they’ve indeed sparked conversations, without a direct tug of war to the cancel battleground.
So where does this leave the iconic What Not to Wear? Do we bury it in the annals of time, or do we laugh at our own expense? One thing’s for sure; while Trinny and Susannah may never get screen time in today’s sensitive climate, their snappy wit and unabashed fashion statements remind us that there’s always a time for honesty —or at least a slightly diluted version of it.
As Esme punctuates, “Let kids make really bad mistakes!” Ah, parenting — perhaps the biggest fashion disaster of all! But one thing is certain: our understanding of time, humor, and a fashionable outfit may have changed, but the need for cheeky banter never will!
