'Wear Whatever the F You Want,' Say Stacy London & Clinton Kelly. 'There Are No More Norms!'

As its title might indicate, "What Not to Wear" had a critical edge; and for ten years fashionista experts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly found people struggling with their looks and gave them a makeover. The TLC series aired from 2003 to 2013 as London and Kelly made over nearly 350 participants over a week's time during which the so-called "fashion disaster" needed to throw out their old clothes and with a $5000 Visa Gift Card buy a new wardrobe supervised by London and Kelly. They also received new hair and make-up by celebrity stylists.

The series offered a "Cinderella" story with bite. "Are you trying to terrify small children?" London asked a Goth participant. "Your pants are so tight, I can see what religion you are," Kelly told a male candidate with too-tight jeans. Kelly also told a sparkle-obssessed woman: "You are one sequin away from a Vegas lounge act – and not in a good way."

But their tart comments were tempered with positivity as at the end of each episode they pointed out the fruits of their labors – a successful makeover.

But would the show hold up in our more self-aware times? No, think London and Kelly, who have revamped the show, sped up the makeover process, and turned down the rhetoric with the more positively titled "Wear Whatever the F You Want," that begins airing on April 29 on Amazon Prime Video.

On it the pair cut back on their biting comments. "The world has changed a lot since the run of 'What Not to Wear,' and, thankfully, so have we," Kelly and London told YahooNews. "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."

In the new series, Kelly and London are more involved in letting their participants find their own way than imposing fashion upon them. "The hosts express opinions – they will explain what doesn't work only after the client expresses their own doubts – and will show their delight when they love an outfit ('Awesome!' 'Adorable.'), but don't argue. ('If you're not feeling it, that's a no for us.')," writes the Los Angeles Times in a glowing review. The results, the review continues, is a transformative moment after the whirlwind, 48-hour makeover as the subject is reunited with family and friends with their new look. "Who doesn't love a Cinderella story?" asks the Times.

And behind it all are Kelly and London, who speak so much in the same voice they can complete each other sentences. Older now – in their 50s – they bring their accumulated experience to each contestant's makeover, and do so with joy and fun. Who doesn't want a dream-come-true life change thanks to these fairy godparents? EDGE spoke to the pair about their new take on their former show.

EDGE: What does "Wear Whatever the F You Want" mean to you beyond clothes?

Stacy London: I think that it means confidence. We're talking about confidence, a feeling of competency, and empowerment.

Clinton Kelly: It's about controlling your visual narrative. How will you put yourself out into the rest of the world to get what you want out of life?

EDGE: I loved the show and all the participants. They all had very touching stories. Is there one story that continues to stick with you?

Stacy London: I think Freedom's story was pretty amazing. She had been through so much, including the loss of her sister. She is an amazing and delightful human being, and it was exciting to see her shine. Her story really affected us.

Clinton Kelly: They all had emotional moments, but I think hers was probably the strongest, where something clicked in her and you could feel it in the room. We all saw her life change in front of our eyes.

EDGE: Do you think the fashion world is finally moving past judgment and more into self-expression? And do you hope that this show will prove it?

Stacy London: To answer your questions in reverse, I certainly hope the show has that kind of impact. I do think that the fashion industry can't ignore what clients are doing, which is this idea of self-expression. If they don't promote that, that will hurt their sales. So, I think it's important that individuality is now a topic in fashion.

Clinton Kelly: What's nice is that the fashion industry isn't necessarily leading with the perfect body of the 1980s. It's like they're responding because the fashion industry is an industry. They want to make money so that they will respond to the cultural shifts. And there has been a major cultural shift regarding body positivity and self-expression. Instead of setting the tone, I think the fashion industry is now trying to catch up to the tone.

Stacy London: Agreed. I think we'll see more of that, not just around body positivity but also ableism and creating adaptive clothing. I believe that is around the corner because not only are consumers, but the industry is starting to recognize that we all have different needs, and it is not one size fits all anymore.

EDGE: What advice do you give someone afraid to break with their fashion norm?

Stacy London: Come see us.

Clinton Kelly: Watch the show. There are no norms anymore. That's the thing. The first step would be to ask yourself, "Why am I following these norms that don't exist?" That's the first question. And then I would say, "Try something new," but if you love following fashion norms, follow them. If they make you happy, and if you know what they are, do it if it brings you joy.

Stacy London: You said the keyword - afraid. If you're afraid of something, you have to ask yourself, "Do you want to live a life of fear? What do you fear will happen if you wear a purple shirt?" A purple shirt, a pink shirt, or a lavender one? Is the world going to come crashing down? No. Nobody cares about what you're wearing as much as you think they do they do. So just be you.

EDGE: Fun question and not relevant to the show, but we've all had moments when we have worn something out that you hoped nobody would catch you in, but did.

Clinton Kelly: I stopped caring about what people think of what I'm wearing long ago. I have a house in Connecticut and spend a lot of time there, especially in the garden. Sometimes, you get a little dirty only to realize you need to go to the store and get something for dinner, and it's closing in 5 minutes. I walk into the grocery store, and think, This is me. I was gardening today. If you don't like it, I don't care.

Stacy London: Remember when people would call you out about the stuff you were wearing? They would get so mad.

"Wear Whatever the F You Want" premieres Tuesday, April 29, on Prime Video.