It drives the very souls of all creative people. You’re either bathing in it, yearning for it, or going stir crazy from boredom due to a lack of it. It guides the hands of the designers we admire, and eventually controls what ends up in our closets. If you are one of the many out there trying to get a handle on this mysterious, ethereal thing we know as inspiration (especially for your wardrobe), fear not. It’s in a lot more places than you think.
Now, before you make a vow to dress only in what you are inspired by, remember that the most important thing that should be guiding your clothing choices is FIT. If you aren’t familiar with what works on your body type, you’ll end up spending tons of money for things that inspire you, but only look good hanging in your closet.
Keeping that in mind, here are my suggestions for finding inspiration (outside of looking through the traditional fashion magazine, of course):
- Take a look around.Sure the cast of Gossip Girl is styled incredibly, but that’s only ONE potential source of inspiration. Turn off the television and look around you. Is there anything in your house that you find particularly striking? Do you find yourself oddly drawn to something you’ve seen outside somewhere? Have you ever seen a plate of food and thought to yourself, “This looks amazing?” If so, you’ve found some sources of inspiration. Sure they aren’t actual looks that have been put together, but you can find some interesting ideas on color combinations, mixing textures, and plays on proportion in some of the most mundane of places.
- Get on the internet.The web is an absolute treasure trove of inspiration. Personally, I like to browse individual style blogs – real people with finite closets and the creativity to make their things look refreshing and new even if they wear them over and over inspire me a great deal. This route is also probably one of the easiest, because there are hundreds of them available to you. If you find that to be too time consuming, you can check out sites like Chictopia which is complete with a Style Gallery that features site members wearing looks voted in by other members. It’s a great place to get styling ideas. Photo blogs like The Sartorialist are also good for getting ideas on how to piece looks together.
- Don’t be afraid to try something new.I know how easy it is to get stuck in a style rut; you find something you like and subsequently wear it to death until you become wholly predictable and boring. This is definitely not what you want, unless of course, that’s what you were going for. If not, you have to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. If there are style-related things you aren’t totally comfortable with but you find mildly interesting, go out and try them. If you always wear pants, try wearing a cute skirt or dress. If you’re addicted to flats and sneakers, try a pair of comfortable heels. All about hoodies? Try out a blazer and see if you take a liking to it. Little changes work to widen your comfort zone and open you up to a whole new world of sartorial possibilities.With a little time spent on sites like the ones mentioned and by expanding your comfort zone little by little, you should be able to gain plenty of inspiration and start putting together some fresh and exciting looks.
Until next time…
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