Why Holly’s skirt got short shrift
TV HOST Holly Willoughby revealed yesterday she came up short in the eyes of her bosses when her skirt was deemed too racy for a breakfast audience.
The 37-year-old This Morning presenter was told the Zara miniskirt was just too short.
Ms Willoughby’s stylist Angie Smith shared an image of the presenter’s £29.99 outfit, captioned: “The one that got away #TooShortForTM.”
The ruling that the skirt was judged too high above the knee received a firm thumbs-down, with Holly receiving support from her army of 7.5 million Twitter followers and 3.5 million Instagram fans.
Many encouraged her to ignore the edict, with some even claiming “the shorter the better”. And debate raged about whether the second skirt, a £34 denim number from Topshop, may have even been a little shorter than the first.
The Zara skirt measured 4.5in above the knee on the left leg and 6in on the right, while the Topshop version was 5.6in.
One fan tweeted: “They are both gorgeous and I wouldn’t say too short at all Xx... if you look as good as her then why not. The other one looks shorter?”
Another said: “It’s just most of the oldies that deem it too short. You look so beautiful Holly. The shorter the skirt the better because you have a great pair of legs.” Ms Willoughby has led the way in using the internet to champion her daily fashion choices.
Other TV household names such as Susanna Reid and Ruth Langsford do the same to show what they will be wearing on any given day. Fashion experts say it is a way for celebrities to promote their own styles and publicise their chosen labels.
Lynnette Peck, owner of lovelysvintageemporium.com, which counts Ms Willoughby among its clients, said: “In order for presenters to keep current, they need to be on social media platforms and not just TV. It is also a brilliant and free way to promote themselves and the TV shows they work on.
“The ‘selfies’ trend also means the public is now used to having what they feel as personal access to celebrities and they then like to wear exactly what the star wears.
“Being able to buy a high-street dress after they have seen it on their favourite celebrity will give them a feeling of equality with that famous person.”
SAY what you like about Holly Willoughby but she certainly knows how to command attention. Is her skirt too short? Is she showing too much leg? What she’s really doing, of course, is providing This Morning with acres of hugely valuable publicity. What a pro.
If she gets a clothing allowance it should be doubled forthwith.