By Janet Kirlew, Editor-in-Chief
For years, I watched other women get TV makeovers while I sat on the sofa in my PJs, eating chocolate and thinking, "One day… maybe." I was fascinated by the whole process, the confidence, the clothes, the big reveal, but it always felt like one of those things you never quite have the time (or the courage) to actually do yourself. Until recently, I was invited to take part in Nicky Hambleton-Jones’s Transformation Tuesday. That's when I thought, this is it, now or never. If anyone could help me discover my style and show me how to feel good in my new body, it was her.
For context, my relationship with my weight has been, well, like a long, complicated situation. But lately, things have improved. I was committed to taking care of myself, and somehow, I shrank from a size 16 to a size 8. I don't think I've ever been a size 8. As far as my wardrobe was concerned, this was shocking news. So I thought, why not celebrate?
I’d watched Nicky for years on Channel 4's 10 Years Younger, the ultimate makeover fairy godmother, and I already had the pleasure of interviewing her for Women in Trade Magazine. But meeting her in person, for fashion advice no less, was a whole different level. She looked exactly like she does on TV, polished, warm, stylish, and somehow both calm and energising at the same time.
Walking into Elys department store in Wimbledon, I felt a bit like the nervous contestant on a makeover show, excited, sweaty, and honestly wondering if I should've worn nicer underwear. But as we started to chat about my style and clothes, I was getting more relaxed. Nicky listened like she was reading between the lines of my soul. Then came the clothes. Rails of clothes. Structured pieces, shiny pieces, and silhouettes I never thought I’d be brave enough to try.
At some point, I realised I was smiling like an unhinged pageant contestant. Because for the first time in years, or maybe ever, I was trying clothes on not to hide my body, but to celebrate it. And that felt pretty damn good. When I looked in the mirror and finally saw my size-8 self staring back, confident, bold, and genuinely happy, something shifted. “I wasn't just playing dress-up. I was meeting the woman I had been slowly becoming.”
And the outfit? Pure magic. Heels, gold flared pants, combined with a sequin top in chocolate brown. I felt like a bronze goddess! I was shining from both inside and outside. And the way she just knew these colours were going to look so flattering on me, it was like being styled by someone who could see the version of me I hadn't quite stepped into yet.
So in the end, Nicky didn't just style me. She reminded me that transformation isn't about becoming someone new, it's about rediscovering yourself with a little more kindness and a lot more courage. We all deserve to celebrate ourselves and our achievements, big or small. Thanks to Nicky and one seriously uplifting Tuesday Transformation, I walked out feeling like the main character.
My outfit
Trousers @reiss
Top @marella_official
Blazer @reiss
Shoes @kurtgeiger_wimbledon
Beauty
Hair by Fidel @hair_by_fidel84
Make-up by Owen @bb_Wimbledon
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