People who are newsworthy have always been scrutinised and commented on about their appearance, the difference now is the internet and everyone is able to express an opinion.
Frankly, I'd never heard of Em&Em before this but everyone has now. There's no such thing as bad publicity, so they say 😃
(I'm more M&Co, more my price bracket.)
Yes, Shirley Williams did come from the kind of intellectual background which gave her advantages denied to Angela Rayner but she also had to fight for her place in a world dominated by men. At least that is one hurdle Angela Rayner doesn't have to overcome.