Do you want style advice from Trinny Woodall?

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Genuinely interested - this is a woman who was on the tv in the late 90s, never been more than a size 6 and rarely leaves Kensington.
I’m 35 years old, two kids, my friends and I shop anywhere from Reiss to Pretty Little Thing. Tbh we shop at the same places as my 40+ year old colleague and my older friends teenage children- there are no longer shops per age only budgets.
I’m baffled as to who on bbc breakfast thought she would resonate with the tv audience - it pretty much sums up why place like marks and Spencer’s can’t shift clothes.
Am I wrong, does she still hold gravitas in the style world?

It’s not just about the quality of her fashion advice. She’s a familiar name to older ladies and a good tv presenter. She has a large following on Instagram too.

I used to love watching What not to wear! I think they were brilliant at helping women figure out their shapes and what suited them. Women supporting other women to feel confident, look their best and see their worth. What’s not to love? Of course styles from their old programmes were outdated but fashion changes. I’d love them to do another programme.

I would. I think she knows what she's talking about. She's quite good with shapes and details, and I don't see any reason why she wouldn't have updated her style in 20 years

I'd say myleene class is more dated than trinny! Shes just younger, I've never really thought of her as particularly into style in the same way as tinny and Susannah

Because most people watching don't really want the fashion advice - but she is good at what she does, can command a segment, is easy to watch, and is still quite popular.

(I'm really not into fashion and I have watched a few of her closet videos - she is likable and entertaining).

No, I dont want style advice from Trinity. Noticed her on TV this morning and she irritated me effortlessly. When I choose C5 in preference, something is very wrong.

Bloody spellchecker.

I used to love What Not to Wear but in hindsight I think it is quite a toxic concept for a lot of people. I still know people who 'can't possibly' wear x neckline, or y, or z, and their sense of self and style comes down to following these pre-prescribed rules. They're very constrained by them and in many ways I think it would be good for them just to chill a bit, and wear something because, say, it was comfortable, or they love the colour (never mind whether it 'suited' them), or it was fun or made them feel joyful. They are also the people I know who judge others clothes, when everyone else is just wearing things and getting on with life and really giving minimal fucks about it all. Perhaps this is just a personality type or confidence issue?

@Pinchoftums

Isn't breakfast TV mainly watched by the over 55s?

No as we have to work till we’re 67, or hadn’t you heard?

I personally love the style of Linda Rodin and often copy her looks despite her being 30 years older than me and several sizes smaller than me. And my DN who is 9 also loves and tries to emulate some of her looks.

I don’t think age should limit who we use for fashion inspo because real fashionistas like Linda have appeal across all age groups.

She’s fine but I don’t see her advice as relevant to a 40 odd year old overweight woman from Yorkshire who mostly works from home and walks the dog with an occasional lunch or meal out.
Most of her outfits would be wrecked within hours if not minutes f me wearing them (if they even did them in a size 16)

I like Trinny a lot. Don’t watch her on TV but I watch her videos on YouTube.

I find her life-enhancing - she’s open about difficulties and encourages people to find joy in their lives. Dressing to suit style and personality is one way of doing that.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

I would think a Myleene Klass or a Vogue Williams would be better/ more relevant. Trinny doesn’t dress like anyone I see in today’s society was my main point

What experience do they have in styling other women?

I used to like watching their What not to wear show but I didn't always agree with their choices.
I seem to get Trinny pop up on FB a lot and mostly can't stand her choices there - just way overdressed most of the time .... very much a Kensington vibe .... and can't see why she'd be advertising make up as she looks older than she is imo.

I would have liked to have seen this item, not available on iPlayer.

Trinny cons:
Absolutely loaded with wardrobes of beautiful clothes that most mere mortals can only dream about. She will pop into the Harvey Nics sale and buy a blouse for £250. She’ll order boxes of stuff from Zara. She’s also as a pp said had loads of work/treatments on her face so not a level playing field and any purely cosmetic recommendations (including her make up imo) have to be taken with a large pinch of salt. She’s clearly very posh and privileged so that doesn’t go down well with some people. She is living in another world.

Trinny pros:
She’s enthusiastic and passionate and full of tips on how to look age appropriately stylish but also be comfortable which I like. I think she looks fresh. She points out ‘issues’ with her own body (eg she doesn’t like her knees, her legs are too short in proportion to the rest of her) and really understands proportions. Her layering techniques and use of colour are inspired imo. She isn’t as vocal about fast fashion as I’d like (if at all) - her favourite is Zara which is not known for its ethical credentials but then no worse than many others. But effectively she is an (unpaid, apparently) brand ambassador for them. At least it’s attainable. In her shop ups she will go round the shop giving her opinion on items and who they suit which I find really interesting even though I don’t shop in Zara. She does at least demonstrate investment dressing and keeps stuff for years and is a big advocate for shopping your wardrobe, finding new ways to wear old stuff. I really enjoy her Closet Confessions videos. I’ve learnt a lot but I’m probably target audience at 45.

She’s also had some real challenges in her life. She had loads of IVF cycles to have her daughter, got divorced and then her ex husband committed suicide. She also had financial problems. Not on the same scale but she also struggled with bad skin for years.

@MuggleStudiesResearchProject

I used to love What Not to Wear but in hindsight I think it is quite a toxic concept for a lot of people. I still know people who 'can't possibly' wear x neckline, or y, or z, and their sense of self and style comes down to following these pre-prescribed rules. They're very constrained by them and in many ways I think it would be good for them just to chill a bit, and wear something because, say, it was comfortable, or they love the colour (never mind whether it 'suited' them), or it was fun or made them feel joyful. They are also the people I know who judge others clothes, when everyone else is just wearing things and getting on with life and really giving minimal fucks about it all. Perhaps this is just a personality type or confidence issue?

It is possible to watch a TV light entertainment programme explaining what shapes suit which body types without turning into an unhappy clothes fascist.

Nothing to do with the TV programme, which wasn’t ‘toxic’, and everything to do with who is watching it and their own issues.

'flinty-eyed dilettante Heat magazine no-marks' is BRILLIANT.

Totally agree OP. I do think she's stuck somewhere between 90s and 00s style wise.

That's not ageism. I know quite a few people past middle age whose style still keeps evolving, including my dad. And others that got stuck around 20.

Plus I don't think I'll ever forgive her for being one of the first UK peeps to call red lipstick'a red lip' and trousers 'a trouser' (a short/ a Jean) . Keep those for your NYC pals pls luv.

@thecognoscenti

'flinty-eyed dilettante Heat magazine no-marks' is BRILLIANT.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I follow her on Instagram. I don't follow her for her style choices but because she knows very well how to put an outfit together for any body shape. I'm a lazy, boring dresser and she layers and colour blocks things in ways I wouldn't think to and has great accessories tips.

Yes her wardrobe is enviable and a lot of items are very expensive but from a theory perspective I'm on board. If I went to her for help I don't think she'd send me out looking like a bag of shit.

What annoys me about her is she has one particular style, wide bottom trousers and trainers or sequins or all of it together nothing else!

Trinny definitely NOT size 6 - I’ve met her. As a 50 something I appreciate her approach to “ageless” fashion and find her knowledge on skincare second to none and have used some of her recommendations.

I really like Trinny. And I also liked what not to wear when she and Susannah were presenting it. Focussing on what looks good in a timeless way, rather than focussing on fast fashion. They were kind in a bossy sort of way too.
When the other presenters took over it was terrible, everyone ended up wearing leggings and a tunic.

I also cannot stand myleene klass. I really cannot. It would make me turn off the TV if she was dishing out advice.

I was very fond of Trinny and Susannah and still am. It was the first time I had ever seen anyone explain why some things looked good on me while other stuff looked like shit. At the time it was a revelation.

I liked it that they accepted women's bodies as they are, without advising dieting or cosmetic interventions. (Admittedly they don't seem to have followed their own advice in that respect but hey ho.)
I also liked the way they made fun of themselves and didn't take any of it too seriously.

I think what has dated the most isn't Trinny's devotion to a dress over trousers, it's the way they both largely overlooked how dressing can be a creative activity, and how choices are influenced by personality as well as body shape.

I think we've all got a bit over obsessed lately with whether something suits us which is not, I believe, something real and objectively verified but really just means how closely a garment helps us conform to a fashionable ideal.

Of course we live in the real world and 'flattering' is always a consideration but, if taken to extremes, I think it strips away much of the fun of getting dressed.

But to be fair, I don't know what Trinny would say about that now - she may well have moved on.

I liked their shows too. It might not have been the best concept for a show in that it started by telling someone how wrong their clothes were, but after that, they seemed to have good advice about shapes and colours, didn't body shame people, were positive and encouraging about trying new things, and weren't snobbish about shops and brands. In fact, it made me go into all kinds of new shops and look at stuff that I might not have considered otherwise. I agree that they didn't always take personality or lifestyle into account quite as much as they could have, but they did to some extent, thinking about what people needed for their lives/jobs/going out. They were quite fun about it and made fun of each other as well. So I think actually they could be quite good for advice, especially when it's not starting from the premise of embarrassing someone by telling them that they're wrong, and instead having the person instigate it themselves.