Styled: How to dress as your most stylish self, #author Sally Mackinnon

Styled: How to dress as your most stylish self.

‘What am I going to wear today?’ is a question we all ask ourselves.

Personal stylist Sally Mackinnon, known by her many online followers as @styledbysally, works with real women every day to help them gain confidence and clarity in expressing themselves through what they wear.

STYLED is Sally’s long-awaited style bible ....a timeless, go-to guide in which she shares all her best insider secrets, tips and hacks learnt over almost twenty years as a personal stylist.

Filled with real-life examples, helpful activities and inspiring illustrations, STYLED offers an easy-to-follow approach that will make your wardrobe work harder so you can get dressed every day with enjoyment, individuality and ease.

Author Sally Mackinnon is one of Australia’s most respected and sought-after personal stylists. Since launching Styled by Sally in Melbourne in 2007, she’s helped thousands of people discover confidence through style with her intuitive eye, warm approach and refreshingly down-to-earth advice.

To connect with Sally ...
https://www.instagram.com/styledbysally
https://www.styledbysally.com.au/
http://www.youtube.com/@UCIm3Lrew5dycxtPyqBGjF4g 
https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/sally-mackinnon

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

It's good morning, Sally McKinnon. Welcome to Yellow Shelf. Thank you, Jo. Pleasure to be here. I'm excited to have a chat with you.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

It is super exciting to have you here. I feel like some days I need all the help I can get. So when I received your book and saw the wonderful uh, you know, inspiration that you give through your work, so happy to be talking to you today. Congratulations, your book's out now. It's called Stone. Thank you. Tell us all about it.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

So it is a book. Uh it came out on uh Melbourne Cup Day. So very memorable date for us here in Melbourne, the 4th of November last year. I cannot believe it's been six months already. Like that just feels insane. Uh, it is a book about personal style, but I would preface that with saying it's not a book about personal style as you know it. Uh, there are no rules, there is no discussion about body shapes in terms of okay, you're this or that, i.e., you're a pear, you're an apple, you're a brick. Uh, there is no chapter on uh defining your best colours and putting you into a box in terms of a seasonal colour palette. It is basically a summary of nearly 19 years working as a personal stylist and all the all the things really that I've learned over those years, and a lot of those learnings have come from my clients who I reference in the book because they are little anecdotes throughout the book. Um, real life interactions with clients, real life stories. Obviously, their names have been changed, but I think as the reader, this was always my intention, Joe, as the reader, you feel like you're part of the conversation. You feel like you're just sitting on the couch having a chat with me. And all those examples of clients that I use throughout the book, like one of them will be you, Joe. You will read one of them and go, oh my God, Sally's talking about me.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Yeah. So it's a very relatable book. Um, and it's also a very timeless book because I don't have those kind of stringent rules. It's a very open-ended book. What you take off from it will be different to somebody else. Um, and in that way, hopefully, my aim was to write a book that whether you read it today or in five years, or you pass it down to a daughter in 15, 20 years, it'll still be very relevant.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Yeah, and Sally, to that point, I already know people I want to pass this book on to, you know. But the Harley actually doesn't want to pass it on, you know. I kind of I feel like I want to keep it.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Um my little secret.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

Yeah, just to refer back to. Sally, one of the points that I love in the book was got me thinking about, you know, just trust, trust your instinct. And I it took me back to being in my 20s, in a change room, a salesperson telling me this looks fabulous. Me thinking, well, no, this colour doesn't suit my skin tone, buying it. And then I have wedding, not my wedding, but I have attending a wedding photo years later, still seeing, thinking, I knew I shouldn't have got that. So it took me, it took me on a journey reading the book.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

Yeah. Well, it's also don't feel bad, Joe, because it's also a really common experience. We all feel that because we don't trust our instincts, even though they're there, they're they're in the back of our head, and your instinct was saying, it's not quite right. Whether you can put your finger on what's wrong or not, it's just a feeling, and that's a very strong, as you just said, a very strong focus of the book to really uh encourage the reader to trust their gut when it comes to personal style and what they feel good in. Because it's very easy to, you know, to get a little bit excited or a bit influenced. And, you know, your example was um someone, you know, working in the store who probably told you it looked fabulous, and oh god, you have to get that. But that person can also be a family member, a friend who, you know, kind of encourages you. And I guess they think they're doing the right thing, but I really encourage people to really trust their instincts when it comes to their personal style and what they actually feel good in. And I think as women in particular, we're so good. We're such, I know personally, my instincts about other things in life are normally pretty spot on. Like I when I have a feeling about something, it's normally spot on. And so whilst I think we're really good at using and trusting our instincts in other aspects of life, I think when it comes to our personal style, we I don't know, we just don't have that same capacity.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Yeah, yeah. No, so there were for me, though the book was that journey feeling of yeah, like being okay with that particular, you know, um, episode in my life. That not that it haunts me, but it's just I still think about, you know what, they were obviously just trying to sell me something, and I I probably knew better.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Um, we've all been there, I've been there, Joe, so don't feel bad. And I think even still today, I mean, I think again, it's just human nature to when you go into a store, there's a sense of obligation because particularly if you have been helped by a really helpful sales assistant, you know, of course there's that obligation to, oh, I feel really bad. I've taken up her time, she's been really helpful, you know. But you are allowed to say, Oh, I just need to have a think about it. Yeah, yeah, no. And that's another tool trick, actually, to think about something overnight. Yeah, I can guarantee if you wake up the next morning and never think of it again. I mean, how that's your answer. It was wasn't meant to be. If you wake up the next day and go, I'm like, I I need this, I'm thinking about it, then it's probably worth buying. But sometimes just having a little space to think is a really good idea.

SPEAKER_00 5:59

Yeah. And Sally, uh, you know, the book takes takes us through, you know, your your roles with clients as a personal stylist. But I'm I I really want to ask the question about what inspired you to write the book to share with others and tell us a little bit about you, anything you want to share.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Yeah. Uh well, I was very fortunate to actually be approached by Penguin Australia. So they approached me and said, We think you could write an awesome book. And I said, Really? Um, I mean, I knew I could. Yes. Um, so I was very fortunate really looking back. Um, and you know, obviously someone at Penguin followed me on Instagram and saw saw an opportunity there. So that's how the book all came about. Funnily enough, you know, I had I have had lots of friends over the years say you should write a book, um, not only just to impart my styling knowledge, but to be honest, kind of all those stories that I've you know accumulated over the years, you know, they do tell a really um, you know, can a very powerful story. You know, some stories are are really um encouraging, some some are really enlightening, some are also really quite sad. Um, and so there are examples in the book of client interactions that were very negative. Um, and I'm talking about negative in terms of um how they felt and their own perception and the influence of others, but anyway, that's all in the book. Um, but I used to be a primary school teacher, so uh, which is a long time ago now, um, but I was a teacher for 13 years, and I just kind of I've always loved fashion, I've always loved styling, I've always loved helping people with their personal style and taking them shopping. And I got to, you know, I was probably in my mid-30s, I'd been teaching for 10 years, and I just thought if I don't do something now, I could definitely see a market. I could see that there was a market for personal styling. Um, for those, you know, listening, watching, who will remember Trini and Susanna, I mean, they were the pioneers of personal style, and so I would watch shows like that and just think, I can do this, I get it, and I think I could make a business of it here in Australia. And that's kind of exactly what I did. And that was back in 2007 that I started Style by Sally, my styling business. And I now I'm at a bit of a career pivoting point of my career. Obviously, with my book, I'm doing a lot more styling events and podcasts and presenting, um, uh, you know, TV and radio and things like that. But I have a great team of stylists as well. So I've got three team members, and as personal stylists, we just work with everyday men and women, not celebrities, not super rich, just everyday people to help them with their everyday style.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

It's very rewarding.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

And, you know, I mean, this is a whole different episode, but you know, having presenting, feeling presented well, yeah, is confidence.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Yeah, you know. Absolutely, yeah. And um, you know, I think again, that's a very key takeaway and a key message throughout the book that you know, clothing, despite some people um, you know, feeling that clothing's very kind of frivolous, and if you're interpersonal style, then maybe you're not super smart, you know, all those things. Um, clothing is actually really powerful. Uh, it's, you know, think of it, it is like our second skin. I've said this many, many, many times, but we all have to get up every day and choose something from our wardrobes to wear to go about our day. So whether that is sitting here doing this and I've got this fabulous, you're probably thinking, what on earth is she wearing?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

No, I'm thinking you look amazing.

SPEAKER_01 9:45

It's this little tulle kind of bralette thing that you wear over things, not on its own. It's its first outing. Um, but you know, I chose to wear this just for something a little bit different, maybe to catch the viewer's eye. Um, you're probably choosing something, I'm sure you've chosen that colour, Joe, very deliberately to pop on camera to work in with your background. So we all make that conscious choice every morning to put something on our body to either lift our own mood, make us feel a certain way, also maybe to lift someone else's mood, um, to present a certain image. And it can also be like a second skin, but it's almost like a costume. Like we can use clothing to kind of distract from other things, um, to, you know, to influence how other people perceive us, um, to make us feel more confident in social situations where we perhaps don't know anyone. Um, so clothing is like it's a really powerful, but it's also such a creative and exciting tool that also I must add, doesn't mean you need to spend a lot of money.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

That's what I believe with with clothing. You know what I mean? It's just about it's about personal, personal choice. What and whatever budget you have, you can still create a personal style that works for you.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Yeah. And Sally, knowing that I follow you on Instagram, that's 100% true. Your your tips and your advice is incredibly affordable. Um, yeah. And in some cases, high street or streets uh shops you'll find on the high street or charity shops. And and I'm gonna dial up Sally and Cher. A year ago you appeared on Morning TV before I even knew I was gonna interview you. Um and you were talking about winter coats and winter styling. And I happened to walk, I don't normally watch breakfast coats, but watched it, took your advice, and over the summer I stumbled across the perfect coat in a charity shop, you know, got it dry cleaned. And it was your advice around fantastic. Yeah. What colour did you get? Do you know what? It's kind of it's black and white. So it's kind of that, you know, like David Jones type and reflect.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Yeah, yeah, a bit of a few.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

It's just really smart, and it's uh obviously a well established brand coat, you know, but somebody had given it away, the charity. Um, and I just know it's going to be with me for a long time. So your conversation on Morning TV sparked my purchase.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

That's great. I love that. And I bet you you feel um, it's funny you've just mentioned that because obviously it's so today in Melbourne, it's like four, it's the coldest day we've had for like over six months. And so I'm about to do some content after this to show how I can transition four summer dresses into winter like that. So it's all about inspiring people to look at their wardrobes. Yeah, you don't have to go out and buy new stuff every week, it's just about being a bit creative with what you've already got. Um, and I love and I love that.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

Yeah. Oh, it so comes across. I know that. Sally, if we're watching anywhere in the world, your your book is interesting, wonderful stories, but also your social is a great place to connect with you. Do you want to point us in the direction? I'll put it in the show notes for anyone to connect with you and the book.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Yeah, so uh all the links are in my bio. Uh Instagram's kind of my main, my main squeeze. Uh that's where my largest following is, which you know is amazing. I still pinch myself. I've got three over 300,000 followers on Instagram. This, you know, one in their 50s from Melbourne.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

There's plenty of us who need help, Sally.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

So Insta's the main thing. That's where I put everything. Um I do post some things to Facebook as well, but it's just at Styled by Sally, um, Instagram and Facebook. And in the uh in the links are all the links to the um to the book. But if you go to Penguin, you can also see all the all the stockers. It's pretty much stocked everywhere in Australia. It's just about it's on pre-order in the UK.

unknown 13:55

Yay!

SPEAKER_01 13:56

I'm hoping maybe well, maybe this, Joe, maybe this might get me into the the US market. We're still we're still working on this.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

Calling my US friends. Okay. Please.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

I think it's a really, yeah, it's a just I should say it's it is a very different book on style. Yes. You know, I've got lots of books on style from other stylists, and it is really unique. Yeah. American. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

Unique. I love that. That sums it up perfectly. Sally, thanks so much for joining us today. Thank you for having me. Cheers.