DOVER — Tonight twin sisters Molly and Mandy will make their national television premier on TLC’s “What Not To Wear.”
The show selects individuals who have been nominated by friends or family to receive professional makeovers and a new wardrobe. The show then secretly follows and gathers video footage of selected participants for two weeks to determine what is lacking in the way they dress.
Often, participants are stuck in trends of a past decade, show too much skin, don’t appear professional or simply don’t take the time or effort for themselves to look beautiful.
Mandy Young was “trapped in her maternity clothes” and Molly Sweeney was “trapped in her 20s.”
The two 30-year-old “trapped” twins had their big reveal of their new looks back in May at Portsmouth’s 100 Club on Market Street. This was after spending a week in New York City shopping and receiving professional makeovers by the show’s famous stylists, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly.
Their families and friends have kept their involvement with the show hush-hush for several months as it has yet to premier. Although they’ve seen the twins’ new looks, the contract with the show has allowed little to be said about their involvement with What Not To Wear until the national airing.
John Huff/Staff photographer Twins Mandy Young, right, and Molly Sweeney prepare for the Friday evening airing of the The Learning Channel’s “What Not to Wear” episode that showcases the two of them getting makeovers in New York City. |
Mandy and Molly grew up in Dover and graduated from Dover High School in 2002. Mandy went on to study at the New England Institute of Art and now works as a Kitchen Designer at Lowes. Molly studied at Plymouth State University and now works as an aide at Newfields Elementary School and part time at The Loft at Strafford Farms.
A friend of the twins’ mother, Lynn Boston, nominated them through a LinkedIn contest that was conducting a nationwide search for twins in need of makeovers to be featured on the TLC show.
“I nominated the twins because they are young, fun and beautiful and also in memory of my twin sister,” said Boston of her sister Lisa who died in 2001.
“We were all so excited when they were chosen,” said Boston. “I thought they’d be mad at me though!” Boston explained she didn’t nominate the twins because they dressed badly, but rather because it was a great opportunity.
Mandy said she did dress horribly and the producers must have agreed that the twins needed some professional styling assistance. “I was still wearing maternity pants about five months postpartum,” said Mandy. “They were all ripped!” Mandy has a 2½-year-old son Maddox and 10-month-old daughter Marlee.
Molly agreed she wanted to do the show, whether or not she was involved, for her sister. “She really needed it,” she said.
Molly’s style was “trapped in her 20s.” She wanted to land a better job and make a good impression at interviews. “I looked really young and not professional,” she said.
The twins initially didn’t believe they were going to be on the show. Molly found out on a school snow day and didn’t believe it was real.
“We were both really excited though,” said Mandy.
“I was a little offended because I thought I dressed pretty well,” said Molly.
After some hard-to-handle review of the secret footage, the show flew the twins to New York City where they surrendered their wardrobes, faced the dreaded 360-mirror, and were then given $5,000 each to spend on fabulous new wardrobes.
“We don’t usually take time for ourselves,” said Molly whose favorite part of the experience was getting away with her sister for a while. Mandy agreed that was the best part, although it was also hard for her to be away from then 4-month-old Marlee.
The twins were the last to receive makeovers in What Not To Wear’s NYC studio before it relocated to Las Vegas. It was a sentimental time for the cast and crew, but it didn’t make the 360-mirror any easier for the twins.
The 360-mirror is a small mirror-encircled space with harsh lighting that makes those getting makeovers address their current look from every possible angle.
“It was pretty scary,” said Molly. “It was kind of shocking to see yourself in that light and they said some pretty wisecrack things.”
The twins also had to toss their former wardrobes, a task that didn’t come too easily for Molly. “She was pretty attached to some of her clothes,” said Mandy. “I was like, ‘Just take it.’”
Mandy purged herself of her entire wardrobe. Molly held on to a few nicer pieces. The twins then spent several days shopping in NYC. “We were shopping from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day,” said Molly. “If we weren’t shopping we were in the studio. We only went to the hotel to sleep.”
Since Mandy was left without any wardrobe, her stylist brought her to several affordable stores. “She got more bang for her buck,” said Molly, who did most of her shopping in more pricey boutiques.
Once the shopping was complete, world-famous stylists Ted Gibson and Carmindy got to work on hair and makeup. Later that night Molly had the courage to venture to a NYC bar by herself. “I was feeling really confident,” said Molly who was sequestered from her sister until they revealed their looks to each other at their big reveals.
The twins said the urge to text pictures of their makeover results to one another was hard to resist but they didn’t give in.
Their brand new looks had their premier to friends and family at Portsmouth’s 100 Club in May, but getting there was a long journey on little sleep and allowed for nerves to build.
“I threw up all over my high heels,” said Molly. “I puked in the middle of Portsmouth, all over my shoes.” The shoes survived, however, and Molly plans to wear them on Friday night when friends and family will gather at The Loft for a viewing party.
The show will air on TLC at 10 p.m. and again at midnight.
The twins’ mother, Beatrice Sweeney, said, “It was a once in a lifetime experience. It was really nice.”
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