How to find inspiration that is actually helpful pt. II
More ways to spark ideas and bring originality to everyday life
This is The End of The Shift, a curated space for thoughts on fashion and daily styling. Welcome! If you like what you see, please consider subscribing. I'd love to have you around <3
Last week we focused on how to self-assess and improve knowledge of your own taste by searching for everything else from interior design to film and art, how to look through it critically and apply it to your own personal style. If you haven't seen part I, make sure to check it out right here so you can get the full scope on today’s post!
Today we’re going to talk about another few steps you can take in this self-discovery path.
2. Go to the source
If you’re having trouble styling a specific piece, go to the brand’s website or instagram and look at how they styled it. Sometimes it's as simple as looking at the way a certain piece was meant to be worn or how the brand's stylists envisioned it.
In a similar way, if you like the way a brand styles pieces, even if you don’t love the items within themselves, look at pictures online and ask yourself what about the way they build outfits piques your interest. The same goes for celebrities whose style you love. What about the way they style their pieces is so interesting to you?
Love The Row but can't afford it? Look at ways they style their pieces and how you can apply it to your own wardrobe using what you already have:
Extra tip: The site Tagwalk, a fashion search engine I've talked about before, allows you to search for specific items, trends, materials and colors through different runway looks. That way, if you're having trouble styling a specific item, you can look at and compare ways different brands style it. Plus, it's free!
It’s important to beware that you may like a certain item of clothing and a certain brand, but the final look won’t always be your exact style. Remember you’re a mixture of everything you like, and that may include this clothing piece/brand, but it’s not limited to it, nor is it limited to a certain style or aesthetic.
3. Find creators who lean more into your aspirational style
Look for creators who lean more heavily into the style you aspire to achieve instead of the one you currently embody. Even if you don't absolutely love everything they put together, even if it feels like too much of a certain style for you, sometimes that's exactly what you need: something that'll get you thinking outside the box.
Here's a couple of great creators that will give you that boost of inspiration and where I think their style leans more heavily into:
Eclectic:
(also on tikok/ig), @marygscully (tiktok/ig)Sporty/casual: @ladydianamay (tiktok/ig), @christinamychas (tiktok/youtube)
Minimal/90s:
(also on tiktok/ig), @fabianacristinx (tiktok/ig), @oliviasshoppingdiary (tiktok/ig)Colorful/playful: @justmacrose (tiktok/ig), @carlarockmore (tiktok/ig)
Western: @andoej (tiktok/youtube), @courtney_steeves (tiktok/ig)
If, for example, you find your style to be more minimal, but your outfits are starting to feel boring or uninspired from these basics, maybe checking out a creator who isn't at all minimal will give you that little shot of inspiration you were lacking. Even if you wouldn't dress the way they do, you may get some ideas on adding that playful, eclectic touch you were missing.
4. Gather data
From outside:
See something on IG or tiktok (or substack) that you love? Take a screenshot! See something in a store or a random combination of things in the street that gave you that “hmm” pause? Take a picture!
(ps: this is a good moment to remind you to be mindful of not taking pictures of other people in the wild without their knowledge. If you see someone with an outfit you liked, maybe just just write it down.)
From yourself:
Hear me out: the best place to draw inspiration from is yourself.
You’re the person who knows yourself best, who knows your own wardrobe inside and out, how your pieces work together, and how they feel on your body. You’re the one living in your own skin, after all. So what better place to draw inspiration from than past outfits you’ve worn and loved? Pieces of clothing that made you feel stylish and most like yourself?
The only way you'll be able to remember what you've worn and loved (or hated) is to keep track of your outfits. There are two ways I like to do that:
The first is through Indyx, a digital wardrobe platform where you can upload your clothes, build outfits and even plan on when to wear them through their add to calendar feature. Indyx is free and super helpful in visualizing everything you own and testing out combinations of pieces without even having to put them on.
The second way is to simply take a picture of them. Even if you're on a hurry, even if you don't feel good about yourself today, even if you didn't actually like the outfit you put on but there's no time to change, take a picture of it. This is all data you can use to improve your outfits!
5. Reflect and analyze
Data is nothing without analytics.
I use Indyx religiously to plan my daily outfits (it helps a ton in saving time in the morning) and then I can look back on them and edit/delete the ones I didn't end up loving and take a deeper look at the ones I did love: what is it about them that made me feel so good?
The same applies to the pictures I take everyday before leaving the house. If you didn't like how you looked on a particular day, go back to the picture you took and ask yourself: is it the outfit, or is it me? Maybe you were just having bad hair day, or you were super tired and cranky. Or maybe it was in fact the outfit's fault, and then you can ask yourself what exactly you didn't like about it. In time, you'll see patterns emerge, and you'll find things you should lean into or avoid based on that.
For example, I thrifted this navy uniqlo pleated skirt and started playing around with it on Indyx. For the first outfit, I wore it with a sleeveless grey turtleneck, since I really like the combination between grey and navy. However, I didn't love the outfit, even though I like the pieces individually. It was only when I wore the skirt again, but with an oversized white button-up that I realized what the problem was: proportion. I didn't like the skintight shirt with the A line skirt, which made the bottom of the outfit feel disproportionately heavy, but I did like it with the more oversized top, which balanced out the volume from the skirt.
Most importantly, remember to have fun! Fashion should be enjoyable and playful, don't take it too seriously.
This is it for this week's post! Please drop suggestions for more content creators whose style you enjoy down below, especially smaller creators who may not get the same visibility as the big ones. I'm always on the lookout for more stylish, authentic people to follow and support.
See you next time,
Beijinhoss xx
Thanks for the note, Luiza ❣️