Worthy of Wearing: How Personal Style Expresses Our Feminine Genius

by Nicole Caruso

Most women would enjoy talking to a good Catholic beauty and fashion consultant, but such consultants are practically nonexistent. Meet Nicole M. Caruso, former beauty editor of Verily Magazine, who unfolds a variety of elegant and tasteful clothing styles on a budget you can afford. Nicole is a mom and wife on a mission: to bring out the feminine genius in you.
In this beautiful, first-of-its-kind book, Nicole guides you through the steps involved in cultivating your personal style that celebrates your unique genius, mission, and vocation and that's reflective of a Catholic worldview. You'll learn how to perceive and appreciate your self-worth by owning your own story and celebrating your unique inherent dignity. You'll then learn how to integrate that identity with your faith life and personal style. When all three are combined, you'll be able to harness contagious confidence, which becomes the means through which you can connect with others and evangelize in a compelling way.

You'll follow Nicole's practical guide to curating a wardrobe worthy of the soul who inhabits it. You'll learn expert styling tricks, tips for shopping with intention, and encouragement to embrace the current season of life by discovering how to unite your interior soul with your exterior body. In this lush coffee-table spectacular with gorgeous photos, you'll also learn:

Why modesty and beauty go together
That what you wear and how you wear it is not price dependent
How to find nice clothing on a budget
Why editing your closet is a good idea
Tips for an effortless daily skin-care and makeup regimen
How to find your signature style
Why and how you should create your personal first impression
The keys to cultivating your femininity
Why self-worth is not narcissism
The difference between fashion and style for a Christian
Despite the fashion industry's authoritative rhetoric that often misrepresents the true dignity of women, Worthy of Wearing is both a reminder and evidence that God, the Author of life, is the Creator of beauty. Armed with this truth, you can now reclaim your personal style from the fashion industry's disordered representation of femininity, which actively seeks to destroy both your modesty and your worth.

Genres: Catholic, Nonfiction, Christian, Faith, Self Help, Spirituality, Religion

199 pages, Hardcover

Published May 25, 2021

Reviews

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book!
Nicole gives amazing insight for recognizing your self-worth so you can dress yourself with true dignity. And then amazingly helpful tips in curating your lovely wardrobe!
The whole book is filled with lovely photos of gorgeous women which I also absolutely love. It makes one realize how thoroughly beautiful all of God's women are.
I highly recommend.

[Kirby Gepson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know I needed this book! She so beautifully writes about how every woman is worthy of wearing what she wants, and can do so by still glorifying God. I have often felt vain and selfish as a Catholic woman when I feel like I care about what I look like and the quality of my clothes. I feel so reassured that I can care about my clothing, while glorifying God!

[Shelby Poinikiewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 would recommend this book to any woman out there. At first glance I hardcore judged this book, assuming it was a big book of rules about modesty and thought, "how unhelpful, why do we need this??" Then after reading it, I found so much insight!! It actually changed my mind about style and dress and vanity and seeing myself as worthy of spending time to think about what makes me feel amazing, confident, and beautiful, and I'm worthy of spending time in the closet or the store to make sure I feel this way, and I'm actually evangelizing when I take time to look and feel my best because others will be more willing to open up to me if I'm feeling and looking happy and confident the way I am. I journaled so much and thought a lot about why I dress the way I do anyway? What actually makes me feel amazing and why am I holding onto things that don't? This book is what happens when a single woman puts her gifts and talents in the hands of the Lord and gives His message to all his children that they are worthy and beautiful! I loved it. So much food for thought and prayer and practical application. CHECK IT OUT!!

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it. And I did, but I wasn't wowed. I think my favorite part was discussing theology behind the way we dress and conduct ourselves in general, and how the outward is a reflection of the internal. The book invites the reader to be at peace with the internal and see themselves as intrinsically good, before moving to the external.

But ultimately I felt that it put too much emphasis on clothing and its place in one's spiritual life. I don't think you need to be stylish to be a saint, although I do think it's important for us as Christians to conduct ourselves attractively in general. But that doesn't come down to "fashion." I don't think Caruso was ultimately trying to say that, but it was implied in a lot of places.

The fashion/shopping tips were also something I think an 18-year-old would find helpful, but they were a bit too "basic" for me.

[Ify O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, I enjoyed all the Catholic additions, the constant reminder that your worth is in God and the practical guide and style tips provided. This was a book I savored each morning and looked forward to reading.

[Anna Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic reflections on femininity, self worth and practical style tips. Loved it!

[Ella Wasinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved! Inspiring and so empowering. The interactive journal bits made it more than just a coffee table book. I enjoyed reading it thoroughly but also just flipping through the pretty pages.

[Elizabeth Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautifully designed book! Reads like a magazine and is filled with so much style inspiration. Nicole shares a refreshing perspective on beauty, worth, and our dignity as women. Highly recommend!

[Sophia Terryberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and an inspiring read!

[Sara W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! As someone who isn't super into fashion but is still trying to navigate looking-cute-while-still-honoring-God, this was a great read with a good mix of fashion advice, personal stories, and theological truths to get me inspired! I can't wait to try out some of the tips she provided and be more intentional about what I wear every day. In addition, the book was just lovely to look through with all of the gorgeous photography and excellent graphic design. A lovely weekend relaxing read.

[Joanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this book made me think of how I dress myself in a different light. It made me realize it’s not vain to want to dress nicely and in a way that makes me feel good and confident. In fact, dressing well honestly motivates me in my vocation as a wife and mother. I gave it four stars because I don’t feel like it really helped me figure out my style. Maybe that wasn’t the point, but I was hoping it would!

[Lauren Houser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good! A friend gifted it to me and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Great reflections on how we can express ourselves through clothing and the value of appearance. I also loved the layout, it was aesthetic and felt like I was reading a magazine. “The world is thy ship, and not thy home” - St. Therese of Lisieux

[Anna Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was MADE for me. If you are a woman who wants to embrace her style and change up her looks worth what is in her closet this is the BEST book. Made me rethink what I deem worthy for everyday.. and it was just chefs kiss! Couldn’t recommend more!!

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much more than a book on style. The author brings in self-worth, dignity, confidence, comparison, judgmentalism, courage, beauty, and above all, Christ. It’s a beautiful book and I will be thinking about the things I learned for the rest of my life!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars

This was a phenomenal guide book, testament of faith and dignity, and love letter to fashion -- all at once!

Admittedly, I dragged my feet and took forever to read this, but once I finally sat down with a pen, journal, and a determined mindset, I was awed by the writing, tips, style guide, and all-around heart and soul that Caruso poured into the book.

I truly savored each page, reflected deeply upon the prompts, and journaled what was on my own heart as I read. I've always had an interest in fashion, been struck by beauty (and a good fit), and Worthy of Wearing seemed to unlock that deeper desire in me. I loved how Caruso stressed the beauty and dignity of all women, first and foremost. We all have a priceless worth as daughters of the King. Dressing with that truth in mind is sacred and life-giving. By doing so, we honor the gift of our bodies as images of Christ Himself.

I also enjoyed the final third of the book. Caruso simplified common style/fashion terms and advice with ease, enabling this amateur fashionista to follow along. Additionally, the Closet Edit is a practical way to declutter one's current closet and begin curating a worthy wardrobe. I'm super excited to take the Thirty-Day Action Plan as well.

Overall, I loved this book. It's such an inspiring tool and one every woman should read, whether religious or not.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I’m the kind of person who can be tempted to think caring about clothing and makeup is vain and wasteful. And I like clothes and makeup, so then I feel guilty! I really liked the parts of this book that talked about how we can show our dignity through how we dress, that we are worthy of taking care of ourselves in this way, and that it’s not necessarily vanity. But, on the other hand, as a person tending toward scrupulously and overthinking, I don’t know how long this book will convince me. But, on the other other hand, I have been feeling more conviction of the same things the book talks about, which is why I felt drawn to the book in the first place, so maybe it will stick. I didn’t really enjoy the advice at the end of the book on creating a vision board… partly because I didn’t feel like I could relate to ANY of the described style types and I feel like I’m so much more casual than any of the Pinterest mood boards. Anywayyy I don’t think I was looking for help finding my personal style, so maybe that’s why. I just wanted to hear someone explain why a Christian woman can and/or should put money and effort into her appearance, which Caruso did fairly well.

[Sarah Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I basically read it in a weekend. I found it difficult to turn away from, and I would recommend it to any woman, but especially those who hold the Christian Faith, because such tones were well placed throughout the book.
I don't like the popular notion that if you're a Catholic woman (as I am), you should be in dresses all of the time, and especially dresses that are circa 1800AD. It's not just that I think it's theologically poor (though it is), but dressing in a way that destroys confidence and makes people think we're unserious can't be the best way to proceed. Nicole really counters the myth well, and speaks to women about finding whatever their style is, in part because through such choices, we can glorify God better. It's a totally different way of looking at things.
It has tons of pictures, so that readers can get an idea of the variety of possibilities and see what appeals to them most.

[Lauren Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Pope John Paul II recognized the need for women to see their beauty and strength as inherent to their creation in the image and likeness of God. Strength is not a merit we gain by inspiring fear or by eclipsing our femininity with masculine behavior.”

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an encouraging and Christ-centered book. Also loved the journaling prompts! Bonus points for mentioning my favorite children’s book :)

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reflection questions were so helpful!

[Gillian von Esch · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was kind of basic and really just validates you. I think this book would be more helpful for someone who has genuinely grown up neglecting her appearance and needs some guidance.