**The Unlock Your Style e-book is no longer available. It’s been re-written and fully expanded into a 176-page colour book to be published by Hachette, August 2014.
Personal style is a funny thing, isn’t it? For starters, it’s well … personal.
Which means what YOU like to wear may not be the same as what I like to wear. But do you know what?
That is a very good thing.
Imagine if we were all walking around dressed EXACTLY the same. Cookie cutter versions of ourselves greeting us at our local cafe, at work or on the school run.
BOR-ING.
Celebrate our differences, I say. Show them off. Wear them on our sleeve … or dress, coat, pants or statement necklaces.
When I left my previous life as a fashion journalist and magazine editor for a regional Australian newspaper, I could not have envisioned just what would unfold.
My former personal styling business grew from nothing. Actually, that’s not true. It grew from a handful of beautiful business women, friends who knew me and knew that I wasn’t going to make them wear anything that would leave them anything short of confident.
They let me into their wardrobes (this is such a personal thing) and they let me guide them to make new clothes shopping choices. I’m incredibly grateful they did because what started with a handful of people grew into a client list that reached more than 150 before I stopped offering one-on-one sessions at the beginning of 2012 to concentrate on helping women on a wider scale through this blog.
Those 150-plus women proved to be the best kind of market research that anyone could hope to have access to.
Because I’m here to tell you nothing you don’t already know already … no two women are the same.
The common denominator among these women – and many more through this blog – is that they were all looking to re-discover their style. They knew it was in there, they just didn’t know how to unlock it.
The other huge thing I’ve discovered is that it’s really difficult to fathom how to unlock your style when you reach a new stage or age when the only fashion cues around you are magazines aimed at (much) younger women on (much) higher budgets.
I am in my mid-40s and I refuse to wear denim cut-off shorts on the grounds that my legs are so not made for them but I also refuse to be pigeonholed into a style of clothing that others suggest women of a certain age should be pigeonholed into.
Style does not come with a use-by-date. (Don’t just take my word for it, check out this New York blog.)
Style is dressing to suit your shape, your personality and your lifestyle.
It’s about owning your style. And not giving two hoots if someone else doesn’t like it. They don’t have to like it because it’s YOUR style.
Style is about getting up each morning and putting on an outfit that makes YOU smile. Even if it’s just one piece in that outfit that causes even the smallest upturn in the corner of your mouth … because God knows we all have THOSE days.
The feedback I’ve received over the past five years is that geting to that end point – that point where you exude confidence from knowing you’ve created a wardrobe and beauty routine that works – can seem like a difficult place to reach.
And that is why I put together the Styling You manifesto (pictured above) late last year and followed this up in January on the blog with a style boot camp in the Unlock Your Style in 14 Days series.
The reaction and embracing of the Unlock Your Style series blew me away and by the end of it readers were asking if it would be available in a downloadable e-book format.
… drum roll please …
Because here it is.
The content has been added to and includes some updates, tips and feedback from readers who took part in the series.
I will not be taking the original content down from my blog. You are more than welcome to access those posts at your leisure.
What buyers of this 52-page e-book will have as a bonus is access to the Unlock Your Style Facebook group for ongoing support and style advice.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned on my style journey is that unlocking your style has no end point.
It is and always will be a work in progress.
If you completed the 14-day style boot camp in January (or even part of it), I’d love you to leave a comment below letting others know what you got out of it.
Testimonial
I was a reasonably new Styling You devotee just before the style boot camp began. Those 14 days have literally changed my world. I had already decided that 2013 was going to be the year of me, making decisions that would make this year all about me, and then bang – there it was. An online bootcamp that didn’t involve a single burpee or ab crunch, that promised to help me find my own personal style from the comfort of my chair. The tips and tricks that I learned in that bootcamp now help me every single day. I have removed items from my wardrobe, and my life, that have held me down, made me sad, or simply never been a fit with me as a person. I have embraced colour, jewellery, shoes and accessories. I feel confident and secure in how the world sees me nearly every day now, simply by following the simple steps that you laid out Nikki. I have learned about what I like and what I don’t like, what works for me, and hat doesn’t. Most importantly though, I have learned that I deserve to look and feel amazing every day – whether I am at work, on holiday or buying groceries. Thank you Nikki. Marianne
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Special thanks: I want to thank Kelly Exeter from Swish Design for working down to the wire (she’s giving birth tomorrow!) on creating the design for the e-book and for my old friend and former workmate Sharon Luck for reading through and proofing my copy. Finally, thanks to Darren Rowse, the blogger behind Problogger and Problogger Events. At last year’s Problogger conference in Melbourne, he challenged the 300 in the room to find 15 minutes a day to work on something on – or for their – blog. It was the kick up the bum I needed.
Comments 34
Congrats Nikki! Love your work x
Thanks Nicola!
So happy to have been one of those 150 people to have had you in my wardrobe… I still wear every piece of clothing we bought on the shopping trip. I follow your blog above all others & am still learning new things from you… Congrats on your ebook… You are doing great things for women everywhere. You are amazing. Thanks for all you do.
Oh Dianne, thanks so much. It means a lot to me that you’ve continued on from our session following along on the blog. x
So excited and happy for you, Nikki! I’m really looking forward to seeing how the Unlock your Style journey unfolds for me!
Enjoy every step and realise that you’ll change it up again and again!
Hi Nikki – I’m about to dive in and take on the style challenge with your book. Thank you for the opportunity – I certainly need it! I’m actually (cough cough) a few years over the 40’s and more into the 50’s bracket. Still thinking I’m 35 of course and still looking to find my own style. I love your blog and have picked up some really great ideas already. cheers Wendy
Brilliant, Wendy .. remember it’s not an age thing. It’s about a feeling!
Nikki – super excited about the e-book!
I was a reasonably new Styling You devotee just before the style boot camp began. Those 14 days have literally changed my world. I had already decided that 2013 was going to be the year of me, making decisions that would make this year all about me, and then bang – there it was. An online bootcamp that didn’t involve a single burpee or ab crunch, that promised to help me find my own personal style from the comfort of my chair. The tips and tricks that I learned in that bootcamp now help me every single day. I have removed items from my wardrobe, and my life, that have held me down, made me sad, or simply never been a fit with me as a person. I have embraced colour, jewellery, shoes and accessories. I feel confident and secure in how the world sees me nearly every day now, simply by following the simple steps that you laid out Nikki. I have learned about what I like and what I don’t like, what works for me, and hat doesn’t.
Most importantly though, I have learned that I deserve to look and feel amazing every day – whether I am at work, on holiday or buying groceries. Thank you Nikki.
Oh thank-YOU Marianne … that is music to my ears. I’m stoked that you’ve been able to make these simple changes and that you feel good because of them.
Congratulations on the ebook Nikki! I am so pleased you have been able to do something you wanted to do. It is a great feeling. I followed along with the boot camp and whilst I was in pretty good shape, there were certainly things that opened my eyes. Especially how many similar things I already had in my wardrobe – all it took was a bit of organisation to see that as well as see what else I actually needed. Thanks Nikki, looking forward to reading the ebook.
Oh, fantastic Kelly – and you were an excellent student!
That’s brilliant Nikki. Can’t wait to read it 🙂 xx
Thanks Nicole – very exciting day!
Congratulations Nikki. I hope the book comes with an industrial lock pick or stick of dynamite. I need to blow the lock off my style (she says sitting comfortably in trackie daks and uggs).
LOL Laney … you know there’s nothing wrong with trackies and uggs … they have their place 🙂
Wow Nikki, you’re an inspiration beyond the wardrobe! I’m keen to read your book now! X
Thanks Katie – it’s taken me way to look to do this but feels great to have produced one!
Hi Nikki, congratulations! This is so exciting, as a regular Styling You reader I definitely feel I can pull together a look a lot better than 2 years ago – thanks to you. I don’t think I would have gone near the tight fitting condom dress without your guidance and yet? It is one of my favourite items. Three cheers!
Oh Alex, thank-you SO much. Yes, it’s great to step out of our comfort zones and if we do it all together, all the better!
Yes Nikki,I took part in your bootcamp,and yes it was great and I have the maifesto hanging near my wardrobe to remind me and also the phone cover.I think style is an ongoing thing,and now I am true to MY style,and it enabled me to get rid of things I knew didn’t suit me or I didn’t like ,just because they were expensive or just cause I might wear them one day,that day never comes,does it ?I did another wardrobe edit yesterday for the Autumn tops and pants and found I need a new cream or Khaki top so I will plan that shopping trip to find one.I find your blog very helpful and it is my favourite style blog and Congratulations on your E book.
Thanks Lisa – and thanks for being such a loyal reader and commenter.
My Pleasure Nikki.
Hi Nikki,
So excited your book is out. Sadly I didn’t do the boot camp because the timing was all wrong for me but as a Styling You reader of many years I’ve definitely broken out of my usual clothing rut because of you and started to feel more confident about what to wear too.
I’m so glad the Styling You book is out. I’m just about to load it onto my iPad and am looking forward to diving in. I always recommend Styling You to friends and it’s even better now I can tell them to buy the book 🙂
Thanks Annabel, that means so much to me … and don’t think I haven’t noticed those coloured jeans … and more recently the metallic ones!
Oh how exciting! Well done you!!! xx
Thanks so much Janelle!
Dear Nikki,
Congratulations on your new E Book !
You asked us to let you know what we achieved out of the recent Boot camp and I have to say I got so much more than I thought I would. I discovered items of clothing that previously I would have walked past in the shops, think Kaftans, florals and a few bright colours, more trendy pieces ( the show ponies 🙂 ) than I would normally wear.
I discovered a world full of accessory shops that have some amazing pieces and not all expensive either, who would ever have known, I have been living under a shell for all these years!!
All in all, I think I gained a new found confidence in my forties and the skills you taught us in boot camp have given me happiness to leave the house knowing I look pretty good most days (even if it is just the school drop off and a quick duck into the supermarket), polished and put together whereas before it was the same old jeans or shorts and t shirt most days.
I look at my Manifesto every day as a gentle reminder and now even subconsciously check it off on my final check in the mirror to ensure that I have done the best I can with me and what I have for that day. Thanks so much Nikki! xx
Oh Jen, that’s such a wonderful testimonial to read. I’m so stoked that you go so much out of the process.
I took part in the boot camp and it was seriously the best thing I have ever done. The best part was that it got me thinking laterally and enabled me to hone in on my own style. I now know what key basics I need and I’m now more confident going shopping knowing that I’ll buy what I need, what suits me and what I like. Sounds simple and it is! Do it!
Oh Jodi, that is great. It is simple but often can seem too big a job to do to make it simple.