KATHRYN EISMAN:
We are what we wear.
Or is it that
we wear what we are?
I'm Kathryn Eisman,
and ever since
I was a young girl,
I've had this ability to
read a person's true character
just by looking at
the clothes they're wearing.
If you fully grow up,
then would you not be
her little girl anymore?
Whether you were born a woman
or you become one,
you are the butterfly.
This group of people,
whom I've never met,
are taking part in
a unique social experience
to ultimately find out
if changing our clothes
truly can change our lives.
Look at you! Oh, my goodness!
WOMAN: I want to inspire people
to be vulnerable.
And this is me also
coming to terms with my trauma.
I thought I was presenting
this fun, positive person.
But it is avoiding the
darkness.
I'm Kathryn. What's your name?
Alyssa.
Alyssa, would you like to
have a reading?
Sure.
Great.
Alyssa.
Yeah.
When I look at you
and your beautiful outfit -
and you look gorgeous -
if I had abs like that,
I would also be tempted
to wear that.
When I look at you, I see
someone who is a joy seeker,
a sun seeker,
someone who is
running towards happiness.
But when someone
runs towards happiness,
seeks it so aggressively,
there's a side where they have
seen sadness and seen pain,
and you have this
palpable vulnerability to you.
And that's why,
with a smile on your face,
you're running away from it.
- Do you wear a lot of
light colours and pastels?
- Yes.
I've actually tried to
not wear black at all,
because I think, like, I
know...
Sorry, no offence.
(LAUGHS NERVOUSLY) Sorry.
You just lost a few friends,
but that's OK. No...
Sorry.
But, like, I just think for me,
I just think it kind of, like,
sucks your soul a little bit.
When I look at you
and your beautiful outfit,
and you're
a young, beautiful woman,
you're soft inner belly
is so exposed,
like a puppy dog or a kitten
still in this world.
And you subconsciously dress
to have people
kind of look after you,
because you're
kind of seeking that nurturing.
And I see that there is a
reason that you became that
way.
You're wearing lilac,
and it's a beautiful colour.
What it represents is innocence
and being youthful,
but it also represents
being a delicate flower.
And I think, a lot of the time,
that's how you feel.
It's almost as if you...
can't grow up.
And when I look at that,
I think why is that,
that she is stuck as, like,
a 10-year-old girl.
When I say these things,
is there anything that
really connects with you?
Oh... (LAUGHS) Um...
(LAUGHS AND CRIES) Sorry.
Um...
I've never kind of
seen my fashion
as, like, a little girl,
but I guess it does
make sense now.
I'm wearing a lilac two-piece.
Um...
But I lost my mum
when I was nine,
so that's kind of been
my struggle,
and...
going through that as well.
Can I give you a hug?
Can I give you a hug?
We're too far apart.
- You're doing great.
- Thanks.
It's not easy,
but I'm here with you, OK?
- Yep.
- Yeah.
Before she passed away,
she left presents
with her two best friends
for my 10th, 13th, 16th,
18th and 21st birthdays.
So, like, my whole life,
I was always getting presents
and cards from my mum.
Um...
And then,
it wasn't until I was 21,
when I received my last
present,
that I actually grieved
for the first time.
So, yeah...
I know.
She should have left more.
(BOTH LAUGH)
Oh, I know what you mean.
What was the last gift
that she gave you?
Oh, she actually
gave me this ring.
- Yeah. May I look?
- Yeah.
- It's beautiful.
- Thanks.
And you never
take it off, right?
No.
When you lose your mum so
young,
what happens is
there's a part of you
that, if you fully grew up,
then would you not be
her little girl anymore?
Would it be saying goodbye
to the childhood
that you're clinging to?
Because it's probably
some of the happiest moments
in your life,
and, subconsciously,
you stay stuck there, in a way.
And now you're kind of staying
in that eternal adolescence
because you think you kind of
lost a bit of your youth
and a bit of your childhood.
What kind of woman was your
mum?
- Was she a strong woman?
- Yeah, she was.
She was really strong,
and she was really involved
in the community.
Like, everyone loved her,
at my school. And, yeah..
I would love to be able to
get that strength
that you have already
inside of you,
and use that pain that I see
and say, "You know what?
That's nothing to run from."
And we can be
a little bit broken
and be even stronger for it,
because we rebuild new
connections when that happens.
For me, like, I struggle
to dress professionally.
Like, I don't really know
how to dress
to be like
a businesswoman powerhouse
that I want to be perceived as
and kind of represent.
And the reason that
you don't know how to dress
like that person
is because you're not yet
that person to yourself.
Right, OK.
And so I want you to step into
that power first internally,
and then give yourself some
structure and some strength
to fortify you,
because you are this strong,
survivor of a person.
- Yeah.
- (APPLAUSE)
ALYSSA: Being in a room
with strangers,
it's very confronting
and overwhelming.
I want Kathryn to make me
feel powerful, braver,
like I can command any room.
Growing up,
not having my mum around,
has definitely influenced
my confidence
of how to dress as a woman.
As much as I love my dad,
my dad can't exactly
offer the same advice.
I run
a digital marketing agency.
The way that I dress,
I feel could definitely impact
me getting clients.
My clothes are not presenting
that intelligent
business powerhouse woman
that I want to be.
You know, you have to balance
your personality.
You don't want to lose
your personality
in the clothes, obviously,
but you can't be kind of
dressing like you're
going to the club all the time.
Not that you do do that!
- You don't mind a midriff.
- You don't mind a midriff.
I do like a crop top.
When I look at Alyssa now,
I see someone who's very much
in this endless adolescence,
and she's wearing these
really cute twin sets,
and there's a certain
immaturity to it.
What I want to show her is that
she can still retain
that sense of fun,
but she can also elevate it
and make a bigger impact when
she goes into the workplace.
- Welcome.
- Well, well, well.
I'm very excited to see
the home of the crop top.
It's this where if
anyone's ever lost a crop top,
- this is lost and found.
- Yeah. (LAUGHS)
So this is, like, my Bondi
wear,
and then this is
my business wear.
A little bit more Bondi
than business, I'm seeing.
Tell me what you would wear
into a business meeting.
Yeah. Don't laugh.
This is literally...
So, I would
generally wear jeans...
Yeah?
..sneakers and this shirt.
Do you want to try it on for
me?
Sure.
- Ta-dah!
- Oh, so business.
First of all, how do you feel
when you wear this?
I just don't think it
represents, like,
a businesswoman.
Alright.
To show up and present that
strong, empowered,
responsible person,
just completely wrong.
This top looks like
it's an unmade bed.
It says that you are
slack, relaxed.
It's not helping you.
When you walk into
a business meeting,
where you want to look like
you're on top of your game,
that you're meticulous,
that you're detail-focused,
all these qualities
that you want
when someone's
handing you money,
what shoes would you
normally wear?
A white sneaker can say that
you are organised and
meticulous,
but the fact that you're
wearing them to a business
meeting,
it sends a message that
you don't take that meeting
seriously enough.
And so tell me about your mum.
Did she have a favourite
colour?
Yeah. She really liked yellow,
which I have a little bit of.
Yellow's a really interesting
colour. I love yellow.
It's optimistic, it's bright.
It's someone
who's unapologetically so,
which I think
speaks to your personality.
Yellow's a great colour
for you to wear,
but wear it in pops.
What I want to see is
you embracing the black
in your wardrobe.
Most people wear too much
black.
When you think of black,
what emotion
do you associate it with?
Well, yeah, I would associate
it with mourning.
I get why you
don't want to wear black,
because you spent
so much of your life
in a dark space, mourning,
and you've fought your way out
into the light,
and now you want to
embrace that.
And that's a beautiful thing.
But what I want you to do is
you don't have to run so much
away from that pain,
and that experience,
because the good AND the bad
is what makes us feel powerful,
that we have overcome
obstacles in our life.
And so when we wear
those pieces,
they are kind of
visual reminders
of what we've overcome
and who we've become.
Alyssa, I have a bit of
a fashion reset for you.
For five days, I want you to
dress in an outfit
that combines strength
and sweetness,
and you're going to
have to find pieces
that embrace the darker side.
So it might be
navies and blacks,
but then you can add in
the pops of colour,
like the yellow that
reminds you of your mum
and speaks to
your sunny disposition.
- OK.
- You ready?
- That sounds good. Yeah.
- OK, let's do it.
I want to show her that by
bringing some darker colours,
by bringing more tailoring
into her wardrobe,
she will look in the mirror
and she will see
the successful businesswoman
that she is aching to be.
It's going to make
a big difference in her life.
My biggest goal in life is
to make sure that my children
grow up healthy and happy
and to make sure that
I'm being the best parent
that I possibly could be
to my children.
All of my life, I feel like
I've been putting on a front
of being someone
who I'm really not,
and I felt I was having a
battle
with not being honest
with my own children.
I told them,
when I transitioned,
they can choose what they like
to call me.
My kids call me Mum now.
I love being a mum.
I've always been their mum.
People don't transition easily.
It's not an easy thing to do.
And you set yourself up
for challenges
because not all of society
is going to understand.
Being judged is something
that's rather daunting.
For me, there was
a lot of anxiety.
Going and dropping the kids
off at school in the morning,
I would walk into the school
with my shoulders shrugged
and my head down,
worried about not fitting in.
Worried about standing out.
I feel, with this experience,
it's going to give me
the confidence
to be able to lift my chin
a little bit more,
and to rock it, and to walk it.
Hi. I'm Kathryn.
What's your name?
Hi, Kathryn. I'm Isabella.
Isabella, would you
like to have a reading?
- I would love to
have a reading.
- Please join me.
I see you in front of me.
And there are so many things
that I can't wait to
talk about with you.
First of all, yellow.
Yellow is the colour
that people choose
when they are optimistic,
and wanting the next chapter
or the next day
to be sunny and bright.
The top you have
is called the cold shoulder,
but there's nothing cold
about you.
There's palpable warmth.
But there's an element of kind
of wanting to feel exposed,
and wanting to feel unarmed.
You've got these fabulous
jeans,
and they have these frayed
edges along the side.
They have a kind of
rock component to them.
So it's someone
who has a bit of edge,
and it's in contrast -
you've got this
very soft, feminine top,
although there is some hardware
in there as well,
which kind of ties in
with the jeans, which have...
Yeah, they've got attitude,
they've got edge.
That's a really interesting
quality.
May I see your shoes?
- Yes, you can.
- Oh, and look at that.
I love that little side thing.
Butterfly socks! There you go.
They're all over my house.
They're on my fridge, they're
on my coffee table, in my
bedroom.
Butterflies everywhere.
You are the butterfly.
If people didn't know
the story of the butterfly,
they would just
see the butterfly
and only know it
as the butterfly.
People don't really think about
where butterflies came from.
It's a change, and it's
a change for the better.
Tell me a little bit about
that.
Well, it's a long-time change.
So I started out as a male,
in my life.
Um, I guess
a lot of people don't...
or haven't had the opportunity
to meet someone
who might be transgendered.
A lot of people assume that,
oh, you wake up one morning
and you've decided that
you're going to do this.
And that's a myth.
It doesn't happen like that.
It's something that
happens gradually to you.
You change slowly,
like a butterfly.
Before that, life was dark
and I wasn't happy.
And, you know,
there was a lot of times
where I just...
if I didn't have my children,
I probably wouldn't be able to
talk to you about it right now.
It's them that's giving me
the strength
to go on day by day.
And they've been a part of the
transition, for me, as well.
So I've raised my children,
since they were a young age,
by myself.
And I couldn't go on
living a lie to myself,
when I'm raising children.
It was important that
they needed to see the truth.
What I am most excited about
for you,
is the fact that I see that
you are ready to bloom.
There's still so much more that
that you can become,
and kind of step into that.
With a woman, she goes through
that adolescence,
she goes through life,
and she finds herself
upon a longer journey.
And for me, it was
'hit the ground running'.
When growing up as a girl,
like, you go through different
phases.
Like, I remember
my leather pants phase.
See, my leather pants phase
was about a year ago.
- Oh, really? There you go.
- I still look good at them.
I bet you do. You probably
look better than me.
So you're having this kind of
delayed adolescence, in a way,
where you get to do
a sped-up version
of that sense of
experimentation when it comes
to fashion.
Is it daunting, kind of
trying to find what kind of
woman you are
when you didn't have that
period of experimentation?
Just trying to find
the worthiness.
I've spent quite a life
feeling a little unworthy.
The pressure is the school
drop-off and pick-up,
with the other parents.
The pressure's not
from the children.
My worry is what's going
through the parents' heads.
And then trying to fit in.
Like, I don't want to stand out
when I go to pick up
the kids from school.
I'm just trying to blend.
That's where the pressure is
for me, the most,
is just in that
school environment.
You've spent your whole life
dressing for someone else,
and I would never, ever
want you to do that again.
This is all about you now,
and what makes you
feel beautiful.
You know, you don't have to
dress like them.
And that's the whole point.
You've come so far
to finally be the
authentic version of yourself,
and what a step backwards
it would be
to then try and be some
other version of a woman
when that feels,
also, disingenuous.
Well, I spent my life
trying to fit in
in a gender that didn't suit
me.
And now I've found myself...
And I don't want to
have to fit into
the that mould
of what people expect.
I think it would be
really beautiful
for us to go back to our teens
and have that fun
with fashion again.
Do it for YOU,
and make you feel so amazing
that all the hard work you've
done to get to this point
will be so worth it.
- Would that be fun?
- That sounds like great fun.
- We're going shopping?
- Let's go shopping.
I know, you don't have to
ask me twice.
Alright, come here.
(APPLAUSE)
ISABELLA: What you see
on the outside
sometimes is
a good representation
of what's going in
on the inside.
And unbeknownst to some of us,
we don't even know it
until someone like Kathryn
points that out.
She brought out to me
some things that
I didn't know about myself.
- She's pretty amazing.
- Yeah.
I walked out of the room
feeling like a million dollars.
Has been a little bit
of a struggle
to try and work out
who I am as a woman.
I never had the upbringing
of girlfriends
and teenage friends
and going out with the girls
and try different looks.
So it's taken me some time
to work through,
and pretty much experiment
and try a different clothing,
within my budget.
What I'd like to
change about myself
is to just be able to dress
with more dignity,
and step into the shoes that
I belong in.
Isabella has to get
a very clear idea of
the woman she wants to be.
The secret to alleviating
school pick-up anxiety
is to have a clear idea of
the image you want to portray.
Who are you? How does that
express through fashion?
Well, it's a lot of
fun things in there.
There is some fun stuff.
I can tell you enjoy
buying things.
Well, there's been a journey
to get to there.
When I look in there,
I see a lot of clothes,
and a lot of colour,
but not necessarily
do I see the thing
that I want to wear on that
day.
I noticed you have so many
colourful tops here,
and I don't see anything
that matches them at all.
Do you have an issue with
putting things together?
I guess I'm still
putting myself together.
Yeah. What's your
favourite piece?
Do you have a favourite piece
in here?
- So, I like this kind of
thing. - Ooh.
What I like about it is
it's shaping.
So it gives me the ins and outs
where I want
the ins and outs to be.
And then it has the colour,
but it has a deep base.
I tend to stick to
the darker colours on top,
wherever I can.
It just makes me feel
a little bit more...
..in there, you know, sort of
hiding a little bit, I guess.
Well, the way you shop
is a bit like a bowerbird.
It's exciting to be able to
walk into a shop
and pick things that you love.
The danger of that is that
you end up picking pieces
that there's no partner to it,
there's no matching,
so you end up with
a wardrobe full of clothes
and nothing to wear.
It just becomes fashion
clutter.
Alright. So let's see
some of these colourful skirts.
I love colour
and I'm not afraid of pattern.
What I do is
I look at each print.
Anything from this
whole colour family here
would be perfect
as a block-colour top.
So you could go with
the darker pink,
you go the lighter
pinky-purple.
Any of those things,
immediately
you've got an outfit.
Are any of these
going to go on the no pile?
All of them would have went
on the no pile.
But now that you've made
some sort of sense out of it,
some of them can be salvaged,
I think.
- Yes.
- With the right top.
I want you to have a wardrobe
as complete as you are.
Isabella, are you ready
for your fashion reset?
I sure am.
Alright, so I want you to find
your favourite coloured skirt
in there
and take it
into the shop with you.
And I want you to match it
to a block-colour top.
So you create
a head-to-toe look,
and I want you to wear that
look next time I see you.
OK.
- You ready?
- I sure am.
I'm going to show Isabella
how to shop like a stylist.
You don't think of
individual pieces.
You always think of the outfit
in its totality.
Isabella's fashion fix
is to feel like a feminine,
elevated version of herself,
that she can finally feel like
the woman she was born to be.
Alyssa has gone through
something unimaginable.
She lost her mother
when she was just a young girl.
And when
things like that happen,
sometimes you see people
dress in a way
that makes them look like
they're trapped
in this endless adolescence.
It's a way of her feeling
closer to her mother,
of still being her little girl.
I want to reframe it
for her and say,
what kind of young woman would
your mother like you to be now?
ALYSSA: My mum, I just remember
her being this amazing mother,
and she was a really strong,
kind of bubbly woman
that had a lot of friends,
and really sweet and caring.
And I definitely do think
I share qualities like my mum.
I think...
for me, there's definitely
stages in my life
where I feel I just
haven't had that push,
and maybe that's where my mum
would have stepped in
and just told me to keep going.
It's good to
acknowledge your past,
but you can't dwell on things.
and you've just got to
move forward.
Without darkness,
we can't see light.
Kathryn wants me to
redefine black
because it's actually
a power collar.
Black is definitely associated
with mourning and grief for me.
By wearing black,
I'm accepting my past,
but also owning it.
I think it's permission to let
go of the young-girl Alyssa,
and grow into that
woman, business Alyssa.
I've just got to
get comfortable in it first.
I want to reframe
darker colours for her
and say what you went through
can actually give you maturity,
make you more complex
as a person,
and that, she can use
to her advantage.
I'm on my way
to a business meeting.
Very excited
to see what they think.
I've done five days of the
reset,
and I'm definitely already
surprised at the results,
and I feel a shift
in my confidence.
I think I look professional.
Yeah, I've just... I feel good.
I feel like I've got this.
- How are you?
- Good. How are you going?
I'm so happy to see you.
I could barely recognise you
without your abs on display.
So how did you go, overall,
with the reset?
I did wear a crop top once,
but um...
- You slipped.
- I relapsed.
You relapsed into the crop top.
Did anyone even notice that
they'd been a bit of a shift
in the clothes you were
wearing?
I was definitely
getting a lot of compliments.
It was like, oh, wow, you look
really sophisticated and
classy.
I think I was taken more
seriously as well.
I guess just more confident,
professionally, in my work.
Um...
Yeah, it was
a different feeling.
Well, talking about looking
more professional and fabulous,
I've got something
I want to show you
that I'm incredibly
excited about.
I've chosen this wardrobe
for Alyssa
because I want her
to feel empowered.
I want her to feel that she
really does have what it takes.
This isn't just a wardrobe.
This is a new life.
Alright, girl, I know
you love your pastels,
and I know you love a two-set.
So I couldn't take that
away from you.
I'm not here to ruin your life.
I'm here to make it better.
So imagine if you had
a two-piece set...
Yep. Nice.
- ..that was also professional.
- Perfect.
I thought I wasn't allowed to
wear pastels.
So you can wear pastel,
but when you wear it
with the cut of clothing
that is also lacking maturity,
it reads as weak.
But when you wear it with
something like
a nice wide-leg pant,
and this still fitted,
cropped vest,
that gives it the strength.
Two-sets are great,
because it makes getting
dressed really easy.
You don't have to do
any thinking.
See, this is very me.
When I came to your house,
you mentioned how yellow
was your favourite colour
because it was your...
Yes, it was
my mum's favourite colour.
So I wanted to step into
yellow,
but do it in a grown-up way
so you can feel close
to your mum -
not by being a little girl -
but being a mature, elegant,
confident woman
just like your mum was.
- So have a look at this.
- OK.
What do you think your mum
would think
if she is looking down on you
now and saw you in this outfit?
I think she'd be really proud.
I think, looking back on it,
I probably have...
(LAUGHS NERVOUSLY)
Um, yeah.
..probably have been
holding onto the past.
I want you to know that
by wearing these clothes,
you're not
stepping away from her,
you're stepping closer to her.
You're carrying her with you
in her favourite colour.
Yeah, definitely.
And I think, like, even just...
seeing these outfits as well,
like, I can picture myself
being successful
and being that person
that I want to be as well.
But then, also,
it's kind of like...
I guess, helping me
kind of come to terms
and just kind of step into
the next stage as well.
What do you think
she'd say to you
if she saw you
step into a meeting
and get a new client
and be this kind
of grown-up version of Alyssa?
Yeah, I think
she'd be really proud
and really honoured
to be my mum and... yeah.
- I think she would, too. Yeah.
- Yeah.
I have one more look for you
that I think will help you
truly become
that woman that
you're so hoping to be.
And it is waiting for you
behind that green curtain
in the dressing room.
Alyssa, it's time
to get dressed.
- Perfect.
- Go get it.
ALYSSA: I've come to
this realisation,
throughout this experience,
that, like, I was
holding on to the past.
And I really believe that this
is the next step in my life.
I struggled to
dress professionally.
I don't really know how to
dress
to be that
businesswoman powerhouse
that I want to be perceived as,
and kind of represent.
And the reason that
you don't know how to
dress like that person
is because you're not yet
that person, yourself.
I can't wait to see
your transformation, Alyssa.
Come on out.
So sophisticated!
Take a look at yourself.
OK.
Oh, my God! (LAUGHS)
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. I look so
different.
Oh, my God.
I look like
a completely different person.
Have a good look in the mirror,
and tell me who you see
staring back at you.
It's like...
I honestly just don't even
recognise myself.
Yeah, like...
I definitely see...
I definitely see, like,
the business person,
and, like, yeah, like,
the professional
business powerhouse.
And my friends and family are
just going to be in disbelief.
Why do you think
I've chosen this look for you?
Black - embracing my past.
And it's interesting,
because when I actually
look at myself all in black,
I don't see grief.
And then, obviously,
the yellow shoes
kind of just having that
power there as well.
How is your perspective
about your life,
and, really,
about yourself, changed
since you began this process?
I've noticed a shift.
Yeah, it's honestly
changed my life,
in terms of I would definitely
be seen as a professional.
And, yeah, it's... it's great.
It's honestly amazing.
Your mum was here, and
hopefully she is looking down,
what do you think she'd say
about you, seeing you like
this?
I think she'd be really proud,
and I think she'd just be like,
"Yep, you got it."
I love everything about
this black suit.
I see the successful woman
that I want to be.
- Dad!
- Wow.
You look amazing.
I know. How funny is it?
- I look so different. I know.
- Look at that.
That... is a vision of
unparalleled splendour.
I'm wearing Mum's ring
that you gave her.
Yeah.
And then I'm wearing
yellow shoes, so...
- Her favourite colour.
- Yeah, her favourite colour.
So, she's with me in spirit.
And... Yeah, so I'm...
I'm there.
- I'm very proud of you.
- Thank you.
KATHRYN: A lot of people
think that
in order to be
taken seriously professionally,
that you have to 'dress like
a grown up', be boring.
And that's simply not the case.
Find the things that
make you feel like yourself,
that make you feel
creative and inspired,
and inject them
into your work wardrobe.
That is the correct outfit
for you to wear.
I'm a strong believer that you
have to live every single day
as if it's your last.
I always ask myself
the question,
"If I was to die tomorrow,
"would I be happy knowing
that today is my last day?"
Through this transformation, I
have let go of the young girl.
And I have stepped into this
proud, confident business
woman.
I just wanted to thank everyone
for their support.
Thank you for encouraging me
to start up my business
and to kind of take that
leap of faith.
I am very excited for
this next chapter,
which, yeah, is me.
(CHEERING)
The more I speak to people,
the more I realise that
other people also have
had things happen to them.
And by sharing your stories,
you're able to connect with
other people and help them
grow.
And then you
grow as a person as well.
It's about overcoming
adversity.
And knowing there's always
a blessing or a lesson
in every life situation.
KATHRYN: With Isabella, she
never had the experience of
growing up and trying on
different clothes
and going with her girlfriend,
shopping.
I want to give her
that experience,
but also help her discover
her own fashion personality.
ISABELLA: I'm really blessed to
have this opportunity
to go shopping
with Kathryn today.
And I really do hope that
some of that style and elegance
that Kathryn shows,
that I can learn
a little bit from that.
Isabella!
- How are you?
- I'm great.
How are you, beautiful?
I promised you that
we'd do a girl shopping trip.
So here we are.
I'm very proud of you.
Your skirts - you bought them.
Alright, let's go...
- I'm good like that.
- You are good.
Alright, let's find
a matching top. Follow me.
Let's go.
- Oh, wow.
- Yes.
So this was one of them.
Have a look here and tell me
what colours you think
might match with this skirt.
OK, well, I think...
I guess you could pick up
the aqua or the pink.
Yes. Let's have a look.
I like the pink.
- That's kind of nice.
- Oh, very nice. Look at that.
Ooh, look at you!
Yeah, I like this colour.
Your first block colour!
Congratulations.
What do you like about it?
It's just soft, and it's just
shapey. It's nice.
And I love that
it's slightly open here,
to show off that feminine part
of the decolletage.
How does it feel on?
It feels so soft.
It's really... Yeah.
Very luxurious.
Everyone will want to hug you,
so watch out for that.
I look forward to that.
Does it get the 'mum'
tick of approval?
Absolutely.
Yeah.
What do you think
the other mums would think
when they saw you arriving
at drop-off in this?
Well, they'd either think,
"Who does she think she is?"
Or, they would think,
"Oh, my God, I wish I could
find out where she got that
top."
And who does she think she is?
- Who do I think I am?
- Mmm.
I'm a happy, chirpy,
cheerful mum.
With a better top
than all the other mums.
- Yes. Is it a keeper?
- It's a keeper.
Yay! We found it!
ISABELLA: The fashion reset
has affected my mindset,
so I've started wearing things
that I might not have
considered wearing before.
It's given me that
encouragement to keep going and
trying more.
Hi, Dad.
My dad raised me in a way
to have integrity,
to be honest, to be yourself.
I've always loved you, as a
son, and also as a daughter,
you know, and nothing's
changed.
You're the same
wonderful person inside
that you always have been.
Thank you.
KATHRYN: The clothes we wear
really speak to who we are,
what we value,
our sense of self -
even our sense of humour.
I'm starting to wear skirts,
where I normally
wouldn't wear skirts.
More jewellery, too.
There's probably about
a whole...
$10 worth of jewellery
on my hands there.
'Cause you know why?
Because I'm worth it.
Yeah. Yeah.
KATHRYN: Figure out
your fashion identity
that speaks to that truth,
and getting dressed
is a lot easier
when you know who you are.
Isabella!
- Hi.
- Hello.
Well, you are wearing
our sweater.
- How does it feel to wear it?
- Oh, it's so nice.
It's really soft and luxurious.
And where before, a lot of
my clothes were more edgy,
more rugged, more frayed,
more worn.
Probably a little like I felt
that I was myself.
Have you worn this look,
or what have you worn
since you began
the process to school pick-up?
I have worn it at school,
of course.
There was
compliments there, too.
It's not just about the look,
and it's not just...
It's the way it makes you feel
and the way you project it.
It makes you stand taller,
and lift your chin
a little bit higher
because you're feeling
much better about yourself.
- Isabella...
- Yes?
I'm very excited
to show you something.
Come on over here.
This entire rack of clothing
is all for you.
Goodness. Wow!
There's so much beautiful,
bright colours in there.
Yes.
That's a colour I wouldn't
normally go for, but, wow.
What a statement.
Skirt would look wonderful
with it, no doubt.
Oh, you learn quickly.
I have to.
So I am so happy that you chose
not just this shirt,
but also this skirt.
Because the big problem that
you had in your wardrobe
was the fact that
you didn't know
how to put any of your clothes
together.
So I wanted to pick up
that colour,
and your love of florals
and feminine prints,
and then add it
with the block-colour skirt.
What about this piece here?
- I'm not a big fan of sequins.
- I know.
Although, I do love this dress.
I sing, and I get up
on the stage,
and sequins is great
on the stage,
with the lighting and so forth.
The fact that you are
on stage and performing,
but give it a little bit of a
black rock'n'roll twist to it,
it just makes you the star
of your own life.
And that's really the stage
that I want you stepping onto.
Well, you're going to have to
look out for me in that one.
I don't think
I'll miss you in that one.
I think you will either.
- Isabella?
- Yes.
- It's time to get dressed.
- OK.
ISABELLA: I was a person
who was trying to hide,
trying to dull myself down
and to try
and blend into society.
I wasn't supposed to do that.
I was supposed to stand out
and enjoy life.
I'm much more proud of today
than I was yesterday.
You spent your whole life
dressing for someone else,
and I would never, ever
want you to do that again.
This is all about YOU now,
and what makes
YOU feel beautiful.
And you've come so far
to finally be the authentic
version of yourself.
And what a step backwards
it would be
to then try and be
some other version of a woman
when that feels,
also, disingenuous.
Well, I spent my life
trying to fit in
in a gender that didn't suit
me.
And now I've found myself.
And I don't want to
have to fit into
that mould of
what people expect.
Isabella, it's time to
take a look.
THAT is what I wanted to see.
Have a look in the mirror.
Wow.
When I looked in the mirror,
I felt a sense of,
"I finally have come home.
"I finally have found myself."
There's a lot of emotions that
are going through me right now.
What are the emotions?
I just... I'm happy.
That's... There's that.
So I'm bubbling inside,
of happiness.
I feel like I've...
I've been found.
You know, I feel like I've been
living my life for a long time
not being able to be
or present who I am.
How long have you been waiting
to look in the mirror
and see yourself as you
imagine?
Well, a woman
never tells her age,
so I can't tell you exactly
how long, but a long time.
A lifetime, we'll say.
You read me in that reading.
And...
And you've nailed who you knew
that I want it to be.
- So, thank you for that.
- Yeah.
It's my great privilege,
for me to see inside of you
that beautiful woman -
sophisticated, elegant,
putting together
a picture of the truth.
And the truth is beautiful.
- Yeah. I feel beautiful.
- Yeah.
ISABELLA: I feel complete.
I've found the person
that I've always wanted to be.
And it's not just about
the clothing.
It's the clothing helps you
bring out and validate
the way that you feel inside.
- You look fantastic.
- Thanks, Dad.
Well, I think the
new you has arrived,
and I think that
from here on in,
you're going to be
a lot more confident.
And I think the kids are going
to love the new me as well.
The thing is, all that worry
you had in the past,
you needn't have worried at
all, everything's worked out
fine.
Absolutely.
And from here on,
it's going to be even better.
- We should go celebrate.
- Yeah, Why not?
Let's go. Alrighty.
- Thanks.
- The night is young.
KATHRYN: Seeing Isabella
in her reveal is so exciting,
because it's just
all softness, all femininity.
She knows who she is,
and now she knows
how to dress that person
for the world to see.
ISABELLA: This whole experience
is about
making the best version
of yourself.
It's what I need.
It's my medicine.
The clothing is beautiful,
but it's more about the
confidence that comes with
that.
I've been elevated to
a prouder version of myself,
and I can walk head held high.
(INAUDIBLE)
You can change your life
by changing the way that
you present,
the clothing choices
that you make.
I truly believe that
if you try something different,
and you can choose to be anyone
you want to be,
you deserve the change if you
want change in your life.
I chose who I wanted to be,
and I'm living it.
(DOG BARKS)
I love being a mum.
That's actually
my greatest accomplishment.
My son is my world.
You know, every day,
I teach my son and I tell him,
just be you.
I need to learn
how to do that, for me.
I'm almost 40,
and I still think about things
that were said to me
when I was 10.
You know, I remember one day
wearing a short skirt
and somebody saying,
"Oh, you shouldn't wear that.
You look fat."
So I've never worn short skirts
from that day.
Hi. I'm Kathryn.
What's your name?
I'm Connie.
Connie, would you
like to have a reading?
- Absolutely.
- Please join.
Tell me a story.
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