This might be a strange solution but it may help: when you see something thats not a garment that you consider beautiful for whatever reason, photograph it and then use your wardrobe to try and capture that energy.
For example, I go on a lot of nature walks and something that happens a lot on my walks is that I'll see a lot of beautiful colours that I often don't see worn together, blends of textures like where the leaves of a tree meet the sky etc and so I try to capture that. Like that's how I realised that I love the colour combination of orange and grey.
To help I may then look through old magazines and cut out images to make scrapbook pages of inspiration, or if I have the influence of a particular era in mind to express the look I may look at stills of films from that decade (that's another way you can use pinterest that's not so algo heavy).
Then you just try stuff on and see how you feel, what you like about your attempts what you don't like etc. Ultimately imo the easiest way to avoid relying on algorithms for fashion inspiration is to take inspiration from things other than clothes and to practice translating the aesthetic principles into garments.
Do you like that one brutalist style building with hedges of wild flowers near the place you work? How do you express it in an outfit. Do you keep looking at the sheen of an apple before you bite into it? What fabrics might have a similar effect?
And then use the clothes that you have to try things and edit/style your looks until you get to things you like wearing.
Nov 2, 2024
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this is such a cool take on the overlap between creativity and mindfulness. In creating in a naturalistic say, and noticing the scenes, textiles and objects around you… suddenly you have outfit inspo? brb gonna try this for sure!!!
This is so cool because i feel like this technique is something I’ve practiced in creative writing classes — once, my professor handed us these little polariod shaped cutouts and asked them o out them in different corners of the room, and asked us to write what we see. I’m gonna try to apply this technique to my outfit inspo…
Nov 2, 2024
harmanzworlddddd I'm glad to hear that you'll try it <3 It's definitely an interesting exercise in mindfulness and it reminds you of how inspiration is truly everywhere.... That creative writing assignment sounds absolutely fascinating- and fun- I'm definitely gonna try something like that!
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Look at the six items you actually wear and note what you like about them: is it the color, the fit, the style (casual, formal, eclectic, etc.), brand, season, and fabric.
As an example, I feel most confident in structured, classic modern outfits— I look for all organic materials (linen, cotton, silk), I tend to stick to a few favorite brands for basics, and I keep a list of what I need to replace/what’s missing in my closet so I don’t impulse purchase vintage t-shirts when I need a fitted blazer.
Thrift stores are really great for exploring your style— so are mood boards. When you see an outfit you love online, take a picture of it or note what about it was interesting.
One thing that I think goes overlooked is underwear— a well fitted bra really changes how clothes, especially shirts, hang and feel. You’ll only wear an outfit if the underwear you wear it with is comfortable. So if you have a dress you love, but aren’t wearing it because it either requires shapewear that makes you uncomfortable, or a nude/backless underwear or bra that you don’t keep in your closet, you’ll get less wear out of the item.
Additionally, know your measurements. Your body size is neutral, but language around sizing isn’t, and it can be discouraging to shop when you have a vague idea of your sizes and end up needing to size up or down. Get a soft tape measure, and get your true waist, hips, bust, shoulders, inseam, and rise. I have a very high rise to my natural waist, and knowing that helps me shop for pants and skirts with less frustration over fit.
Lastly, it’s okay for it to take time— curating your style and wardrobe should be ongoing and thoughtful; a fast fashion haul won’t help figure out what you like outside of trends, and those clothes tend to break down quickly. If you can, try to buy well made versions of your staple items— resale and thrift stores are a great place to find real leather jackets, upscale basics, and one of a kind pieces that you can’t find elsewhere.
Jun 23, 2024
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1. Look at lots of inspo and break down why you like those fits. Think drape, color, material, etc. be specific af.
2. Pick 3 adjectives to describe your style. You can think of it as what that type of person would wear, or maybe the vibe of the clothes themselves i.e. artsy, architectural, outdoorsy.
3. Look at what you already like wear. What feels like you? Do deep dives (secondhand 🔥) to find interesting pieces. e.g. Ivy is cool af but I really just wanna wear trail runners and fleeces. Who is doing that well rn, or was doing that in the past?
4. Keep it small. Hot or cool institute put out a paper a bit back that said keep it to 85 pieces (including shoes but not accessories) if you live in a 4 season climate. Theres creativity in constraint, and as a plus, it keeps you from buying a bunch of stuff you don’t really vibe with.
Feb 9, 2024
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dress with intention and do everything for your inner child. my 15-year-old self would fucking love my style today.
everything is so algorithmic these days and everyone dresses the same. define your own style identity outside of online influence. look through film, music, old magazines, fashion books, and find people/runway collections/characters whose styles resonate with you.
study how people throughout history have communicated with their style. (start with lil' kim!)
journal about your style journey throughout your life and think about why you dressed the way you did and how it made you feel. ask yourself how you want to dress moving forward for where you wanna go in your life.
study runway collections and learn about the designers' intentions with the stories they're telling through their creative work. when you finally purchase a piece you've appreciated for years instead of impulse-buying a bunch of fast fashion clothes, it's so fulfilling.
styling is a skill and you'll continue to develop it throughout your life. it's a journey, not a destination.
Sep 14, 2024
Top Recs from @ngaatee
Whether you need inspo, are curious about the discourse over the last few decades, want to get into a new hobby or whatever else, you can download open source magazine issues from decades past. They have magazines from as early as the early 1900s too! I have been obsessed with old video games lately so I have been looking at the old club nintendo magazines and it has been so fun. Like look at some of the covers these magazines used to have
Aug 7, 2024
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There is something about seeing someone be unconscious about something that they really love. The sincerity of it, the way they forget to be quiet if its in public, the way they gesture with their hands more. Its great 10/10 would recommend being passionate about your interests!
Jul 10, 2024
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Originally I went in with a double major in sociology and communications because I felt like I needed to major in at least one "sensible" major so I chose communications. But I took philosophy as my sequence and I fell in love with it. My then lecturer invited students to this philosophy symposium and he saw my interest in philosophy (I had never dared even think about why I kept choosing philosophy modules during my degree) so he said I could speak to philosophers there and ask them about their work so that I could also see what the field was like.
I almost didn't go but I went and I knew that philosophy wasn't a passing fascination for me. I didn't want to go because I was scared of having to tell my parents that I wanted my double major to be philosophy and sociology i.e. two interests that people told me were not a sensible career path. But I loved it and I realised that I could actually just go to the offices and change my majors and no one could stop me so I did. People were dubious of my decision but I ended up tutoring second years in modern philosophy, African philosophy and the ethics of AI, and now I am doing my masters, so I would say that it is a moment where I exercised my free will that worked out. It isn't my favourite because it worked out though.
It is my favourite because I was willing to risk it not working out. I exercised my free will fully knowing that it might "go wrong" and I did it anyways because I decided that the chance of it going right was worth it and I trusted myself to live with whatever the outcome would be. I still feel the electric sensation of being assertive in a decision that I made on the basis that I wanted to do something because it would make me happy, not because I was concerned with the shame of not meeting people's expectations.
Funnily enough I actually loved communications and I still keep up with research in it, its just that my favourite parts about communications are also not the "this will get you a job" sensible aspects of it, those parts were just okay to me. This decision had a domino effect on how I live my life, it got me back into making art, it made me interested in film, made me realise that I love teaching, and perhaps most importantly it made me brave. There is a version of me somewhere that is too timid and afraid to really live but instead, because of that one moment where I said "fuck it" and just did what I wanted to do without overthinking it, I am passionately and intensely alive. And prone to getting my hopes up lol.
Sep 27, 2024