Another thing I get asked from time to time on IG is how I translate style inspiration into real-life outfits. In recent years, my approach to outfit-making is much more intuitive than process-driven, so I am not sure if I am the right person to talk about this topic. If you are looking for detailed analysis, Margaret of @mgetsdressed is really good at talking about her process and breaking down style inspo. But I am going to take a stab at this topic and hope that it’s at least middling useful.
The first thing I do when I see a photo that lights up my lizard brain (to borrow a phrase from another IG users, Frisky Gatos), is ask myself: why do I like this? Very often, it’s because the outfit elicits a certain mood, feeling, mental image, whatever you want to call it. Other times, it might be a colour palette, or a particular silhouette. If it’s something specific like that, recreating it in my own outfits is pretty straightforward. If it’s colour palette, I look for pieces in my closet that are the right colours (or close enough) and play around until I find a combination of items that works together and approximates the inspiration palette. If it’s a silhouette, same thing: I look for pieces that have similar proportions (irrespective of whether the colours or other details are the same or not) and then figure out if the versions I have actually go together or not. Sometimes, this means I end up with really interesting pattern or colour combinations that I might not have otherwise thought to create. Bonus!
The more complicated — and, to me, interesting — process is when I am drawn to an inspiration photo in its totality … in other words, because it embodies a mood or idea that captures my imagination. This doesn’t mean that my goal becomes recreating the exact outfit. Sometimes that is feasible, but more often than not it isn’t, because I don’t have pieces that are exactly the same or even close. Moreover, I am personally not a fan of copying outfits. Style is a form of personal expression to me so even if I am inspired by someone else’s ideas, I feel the need to put my own creative spin on them. Plus, if you use inspiration as a guideline rather than a prescription, you can create more than one outfit that shares the same DNA. I am a huge fan of remixing (i.e. wearing your clothing in different ways) — it staves off “closet fatigue” or “style ruts”.
Okay, so you like the vibe of an inspiration outfit … now what? The next thing I do is try to break down the key elements of the outfit, and then decide which ones are critical to that vibe. It’s hard to talk about this in the abstract, so let’s use a visual example. I have had this Ralph Lauren runway outfit saved since last spring, and I go back to it regularly.
Here is what I like about it: it has a very Romantic feel but it’s an outdoorsy, not-too-frilly vibe. There is an autumnal coziness. I love the juxtaposition of the floaty skirt and the rougher jacket — that feels important somehow.
I won’t lie: I have been looking to find a skirt just like the one in the inspo photo for months now. Not simply to copy this outfit (see above) but because I think it would fit into my wardrobe really well. I haven’t found a “dupe” yet, but I did end up buying some items that have a similar vibe — floral, floaty, maxi length.
My breakdown of the key elements is as follows:
- semi-sheer floaty (chiffon) patterned (preferably floral) maxi skirt (or dress)
- heavier weight jacket, preferably with texture
- high neck knit top (different texture than the jacket)
- belt
Looking at the inspo photo more closely recently, I realized that there is actually a vest over a turtleneck (I think). That opens up a few more possibilities, but I actually don’t think that the vest is a key element; I think the main thing is having texture in play through the jacket and top.
Here was my first attempt:
The only thing I didn’t love about this outfit was that the dress wasn’t quite long enough. The proportions with that long blazer are just a bit off. If the dress came to my ankles, it would have been perfect. To me, the shorter length detracts from the Romantic-ness of the overall vibe. It feels less lush.
Here is a very different take:
The colour palette is totally different, right? But, to me, the mood is the same. A minor nitpicky observation: the material of the dress is heavier, and the cut of it a little narrower than I would have liked, but the handkerchief hem compensates by creating that “floaty” feeling. The shorter length of the jacket here balances the (still) too short length of the dress. I didn’t feel this outfit needed a belt, so I didn’t add one.
One more:
Here, I went back to a more literal translation with the top half, but tried a more out-of-the-box option for the bottom half. This skirt has a busier pattern (it’s actually a mix of patterns) which has the disadvantage that it could pull too much attention and overwhelm the outfit. The tiers create visual weight (not good) but also a certain lushness (good). The length works well with this longer and oversized jacket. I really like the juxtaposition of the velvet waistcoat and the corduroy jacket. Overall, I think it really works.
And this is how I got 3 outfits (and more to come, I’m sure) from one inspiration photo:
I hope this breakdown helps to illustrate my process — which, honestly, until now I have not put into words in my own head — and gives you some ideas about how to approach the inspiration-to-real-life transition. Happy experimenting!