Where I Find My Style Inspiration
Fall is really the only time of year I become truly inspired to put together outfits. Winter dressing is more a form of function, and spring/summer have never appealed to me as much. Fall presents the opportunity to layer, and mix beautiful rich fabrics and hues together. Crisp October air is a blank canvas for cashmere scarves, leather gloves, and knitted hats. I make a ritual out of pulling out my tall, shiny boots from storage each year, readying them to be paired with coloured tights and dark denim.
I have my staple outfits that I wear year after year, but I always like to incorporate a new trend, or find a new way of wearing something I already own. In this post I'll share my favourite sources of inspiration for updating my style.
Magazines
The good old glossies will forever be my main source of inspiration. From a young age I've always loved flipping through each and every page, and circling my favourite looks and trends. Die-hard fans of Sex and the City will remember Carrie's famous quote:
When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I would buy Vogue instead of dinner. I felt it fed me more.
I used to think that was glamorous, but now I realize it's just part of an unhealthy narrative that's affected my body image, and is truly problematic not only from a physical health perspective, but also promotes bad budgeting habits. ANYWAY. The sentiment behind the quote rings true - the art of editorial styling does feed my soul.
When I'm flipping through magazines, I'm not really looking for exact outfits to copy. Instead, I'm inspired by the details that set the look apart. For example:
- A chambray shirt peaking out from an ivory sleeve, with gold buttons
- A gold anklet over sheer tights
- A turtleneck layered underneath a button-up
- The colour combination of sepia brown and bright blue
- Stripes + plaid + leather
- White + black + beige + red is striking
- Shirt collars popped above jacket necklines
- Red, white, and blue in tweed
- A chunky choker necklace on top of a turtleneck
- Houndstooth + red
- Wine stained lips with everything
I even find inspiration from ads, if they're done well. My favourites are always Gucci and Miu Miu. Here are a few from Gucci that made my fashion senses tingle:
Movies
I loooove a good movie wardrobe. There are the classically popular choices that I return to again and again (Devil Wears Prada, Clueless, Marie Antoinette, Breakfast at Tiffany's/anything with Audrey Hepburn), and I'm always partial to a good Wes Anderson look. Here are a few more specific examples that have stood out to me:
- The blazer game in Heathers
- Margot Robbie's white boots and miniskirt ensemble in Once upon a time in Hollywood
- Faye Dunaway's berets in Bonnie & Clyde
- Everything from Ocean's 8
- Everything from Black Panther
- Cate Blanchett's fur coat in Carol
I could make an entire post about movie wardrobe moments that changed my life (THAT green dress in Atonement), so I'll just leave you with these examples for now...
YouTube
There are a couple of YouTubers I love who capture seasonal trends really well, while keeping a sustainable perspective. Their videos are well-researched and beautifully curated:
Audrey Coyne:
Justine Leconte:
All my previous sources of inspiration are a little more abstract. If you're the type of person that needs a more prescriptive dose of inspiration, then I recommend Pinterest. The outfits on Pinterest are much more wearable, and frankly, what I turn to most often for day-to-day dressing. Pinterest makes it easy to put a list together of pieces you may want to add to your wardrobe, and how to wear them.
Here are a few pins I love:
Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to know how you find your fashion inspiration! Xox