Where I'm Finding Style Inspiration

Thanks to the likes of platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest it is easier than ever to work out how you’re going to style a specific item, or what your next purchase will be. You can see the latest trends being worn in a hundred different ways in a much more wearable way than print media and the catwalks may initialy make you think. However, thanks to the sheer volume of content (which certainly isn’t a bad thing) and the interference of algorithms you can quickly find your feeds morphing into a samey-samey style library with every similar-looking girl or guy wearing very similar outfits in very similar ways. That initial hit of inspiration you had starts to fade and suddenly it’s much harder to work out how you want to style the pieces you already have in your wardrobe, let alone what else you may buy.

I adore using social media for curating a feed of fashion inspiration but sometimes I find myself looking for something else and wanting a different take on things. This has been happening more and more recently but with the start of a new season I’ve been looking elsewhere for my inspiration and have loved feeling imspired and excited about style again. So if you’re feeling like you’re in a bit of a style rut then keep reading.

Different People and Styles 

Instagram and Pinterest are great places to start for a wealth of inspiration but it’s so easy for the algorithm to take hold that before you know it you’re back looking at the same stream of samey images all over again. This is why I’ve recently been actively following and keeping up to day with women who’s style I love but is very different to mine. Not only does it show me items I wouldn’t usually give a second glance to but it makes me think differently about how I can style things up. Their different approaches encourage me to take a step out of my style comfort zone and have more fun with my wardrobe, which is what it’s all about anyway. I’m guilty of blurring the line between my personal style and just plain old comfort zone so I find this to be a great way to see new and exiting things. Some women that I always rely on for some fresh style inspiration are Megan Ellaby, Liv Purvis and Alex Serruys.

Magazines 

Ah magazines, once my staple for all things beauty and fashion, like many I don’t pick them up anywhere near as often as I used to. Even though there is now a stream of up-to-the-second fashion content I still feel there is a place for magazines, and this is the best time of year for fashion content. Each September I treat myself to a copy of Vogue and leaf through the pages of trend reports to see everything that’s launching. It isn’t about buying those exact pieces or falling for things that cost more than my monthly salary but, again, it’s about seeing things I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. Looking at the trends and seeing how I could replicate them on a budget if I wanted to. It’s exciting, glamourous and over the top, everything that fashion should be. 

People ‘IRL’

I’m fortunate that I have been surrounded by some incredible stylish people throughout my life. This has become even more apparent over the past few years when old family photos and clothing items have been cracked out more recently. Looking at the authentic style of the women around me from previous decades and what they actually wore (not just what was sterotypically worn in the 80’s) has really inspired me to have more fun with fashion and hunt out pieces that are a bit more unusual, whether that’s the original pink suit from the photo or 2018’s version (thank you Topshop). Often the outfits are so much more wearable than anything sterotypically shared from that time and if you get chatting to someone who has always adored style then the conversations are brilliant, they’re often full of unusual styling tips too. 

Get Out To The Shops, But Don’t Spend

Let’s be honest, online shopping is a godsend. All of the things you love in one place that’s easy to shop and have delivered to your door the next day. Brilliant. You have more variety, more sizes and you can fit it in no matter how busy you are. But the downfall of online shopping is that you can miss out on some brilliant finds. Whilst filtering the criteria for what you want can be seriously useful it also restricts what we see. We also don’t get the full effects of the fabrics and colours online. That’s why recently I’ve been feeling a lot more inspired by actually going shopping in shops, even if it isn’t to buy anything. In fact, looking and not buying has become one of my favourite activities. Often I see things that I know I wouldn’t have given two thoughts about online and it’s exciting to see things that you’d normally filter away. It also gives you the opportunity to try things on, things that are totally outside your comfort zone and usual style without having to pay for them first. If you’re in a bit of a funk have a wander around the shops, try on some things that are totally different to what you would usually pick up and you’ll likely start to feel inspired again in no time.

I love that the amount of content on social media means that I can easily get styling tips and outfit ideas at a couple of clicks or follows of hashtags, it’s fun and fashion is more accessible than ever. But it’s far to easy to get stuck in a styling rut and with that comes that feeling of looking in your wardrobe and seeing nothing to wear, even if it’s bursting at the seams. When I’ve been feeling like that I’ve started to use these methods to hit refresh and change the way I am looking at things and have found it’s helped me to fall back in love with fashion again, and I can’t wait to start putting together all of my autumnal outfits.