Style Inspiration: How I Use Pinterest To Plan My Wardrobe
I use Pinterest to research style, trends and outfit ideas which helps me formulate my wardrobe. Since I’ve found it effective for me, I thought I’d share my process with you.
Start With What You Have
Before looking at anything new, I always like to look at what I already own. It’s common to only wear 20% of your wardrobe and even though I’m a Stylist, sometimes I’m guilty of this as well. Reviewing my wardrobe reminds me of what I have that I may have forgotten about.
Keep, Maybe, Donate, Recycle
While I’m reviewing I sort my clothing into piles. Things I want to keep can go back into my wardrobe (I tend to group items in categories like jackets, pants, tops etc and then they’re colour coordinated, mostly because I like the way it looks). Items that I’m unsure of or haven’t worn in a long time (or ever), I put in a pile which I will store away for a few months. If I find that I am not thinking about anything in that pile or I don’t go searching for an item to wear, I know that it doesn’t belong in my wardrobe. The donate pile is for clothes that are still in good condition but that I no longer want and recycle are clothes that may be old and out of shape or have holes that need to be recycled correctly or repurposed.
Make Time To Play
Once I’ve reviewed my wardrobe and only have items that I know I like and will wear, I give myself time to play and be creative. I start creating outfits by putting different items together and if I stumble on a combination I like and would wear in future, I take a photo of myself in the outfit (just for personal reference) and keep it in a folder on my phone. Sometimes giving yourself time to style, without the urgency of needing to get ready for work or an event, allows for more creativity and fun. You may create combinations that you’ve never thought of before or that you thought wouldn’t suit you. You may even think of a use for your maybe pile clothing.
Look For Gaps
Now is the time to determine what you are missing. Maybe you had to donate some out of shape t-shirts that need replacing or you realised that you don’t own any good quality coats for winter. This is when you can start putting together a shopping list so that you only purchase what you actually need.
Personal Style Pinterest Board
Personally I could spend hours on Pinterest, looking at inspiration for my own style and home and also cool imagery and looks for photoshoots. When I come across a style I would like to try or an item of clothing I would like, I save it to my Personal Style Pinterest board. Over time this board fills and I start to get an understanding of the style and looks that I enjoy.
From this collection of images, I will look at patterns of clothing items that are used to create the looks. For example, I have been loving looks that incorporate trousers, particularly in lighter tones, therefore I know that a white or cream pair of trousers with a crease is an item that should form part of my wardrobe. I continuously do this until I can create a great majority of these outfits with items that suit my shape and style.
Wardrobe Board
Now that I have an understanding of the items that I like and will wear in multiple outfit combinations, I create my Wardrobe Board (I’ve included a screenshot of mine below). For me, it consists of categories including shirts & tops, jackets, blazers & coats, jeans & pants, skirts & shorts, dresses, accessories, shoes, and bags. With a clothing item that I want as part of my wardrobe, for example a white shirt, I look for my dream white shirt on online stores and then save this into the category in my board. It isn’t always possible for me to afford that particular shirt however I now have an understanding of the style elements and features I want the shirt to have. I may end up finding a very similar shirt at a more affordable price point to purchase, or in some cases I have invested in the luxury version.
The decision of whether to go affordable or investment is completely up to you. Personally I like to splurge on items such as bags, shoes, jewellery, jackets, blazers and coats as I can incorporate these into many outfits. However I would like to get to the point where I’m investing in ready to wear pieces too, personally that’s my ultimate goal with my wardrobe but it will take years to build. Start where you can and slowly build up from there.
Shopping
Once you have a solid understanding of your personal style and have created your wardrobe board, you can now slowly buy/invest in the pieces you would like, always remembering to only add items to your wardrobe that are in your ideal wardrobe board rather than impulse buying and never wearing an item. Your wardrobe is of course going to evolve over time with your personal style, budget and lifestyle, however I think it’s a great way to ensure that you shop with purpose and have the ability to create the outfits that make you happy.
Lookbooks
Once you’ve added new pieces into your wardrobe, make some time again to play. Incorporate the new items into looks and snap a picture of yourself in the outfit for future reference.
Finally
Make sure to have fun with the process. It doesn’t have to be completed in a day or weekend, take all the time you need. You can always make changes at any time. If you have any questions or would like any help with this process, please get in touch with me, I’m always here to help!