Inspiration Without Wishlisting

Plus The Curated Tastemaker teaches us the hottest style class on Substack!

My go-to app for scrolling when I feel like zoning out is Pinterest. Substack is actually my favorite right now because “notes” are sort of sucking me in and I’m not sure how I feel about it? Do we like notes, guys, or are they so distracting?

Back to Pinterest. I love to scroll on Pinterest. My algorithm is fine-tuned to populate serious style inspiration for me and I find that I can stumble upon very cool Instagram girlies without having to be in IG (huge win for me).

However, when it comes to scrolling Pinterest (or insert your favorite style inspiration website here) I think we have to divorce ourselves from finding an inspiration photo and assuming that we have to buy the items that we are seeing in the image. It’s unhelpful to find an image like this one;

Two people tipped me off to Barbara Santiago within 3 days of each other, her style is incredible!

And think “great, so if I just buy these pants, those shoes and a jacket in that silhouette and that color scarf, then I can recreate this!”

Obviously if find yourself constantly pinning pictures with mary-jane flats and you don’t own any, then it’s probably a good sign that they would make a good addition to your wardrobe.

However, here are a few other ways you can breakdown an inspirational photo to recreate without being so literal about it.

Here are some examples using several images that populated on my Pinterest feed when I opened it just now.

Option 1: Similar silhouettes

If you take each of these pieces out of the image for a minute you might get something like this;

• Crewneck sweater or cardigan

• Cropped denim or trousers

• Mary-janes or ballet flats

• Hair accessory

• Oversized bag

shoppable links with increased transparency here

If you go into your closet and pull out approximates for the pieces you see in a photo, you may find yourself with a fresh combination of an outfit that you may not have thought of before. Then again, you may think *wait, I have worn this outfit before* in which case, congratulations, you know your taste without realizing it. And, finally, you could think to yourself that this outfit is not at all what you like and you just learned that what you actually loved was the color combination or the setting of the photo or the person in the photo themselves!

Ok, another example;

@beautypie

Option 2: Similar Colors

Look at the colors of the outfit inspiration and list them out, or which ring they belong to (for more about ring colors see here);

• Blue (ring 4)

• white (ring 2)

• brownish/orange/rust (ring 3)

• green (if you notice her toenails!) (ring 4)

Now look in your closet for similar color combinations, either directly or in similar ring colors.

shoppable links here

The secret sauce is to really investigate the inspiration you are looking at and break it down into it’s various components; silhouettes, proportions, colors, textures, etc.

source

This image is a great texture example

• Knit

• Silk

• Patent leather

As I was writing this piece

Bari S, The Curated Tastemaker

, posted a Note called You’re Thinking Ab Outfit Forumulas All Wrong!!!! and it was too relevant not to share here.

However, Bari, is brilliant and I couldn’t do her ideas justice so I invited Bari to explain a third option for approaching inspiration; recreate the essence. If you don’t already, follow Bari here, for college-level style theory!

Option Three: Recreate the Essence

Words and Thoughts by Co-Author

Bari S, The Curated Tastemaker

I think for the most part when you see an outfit & admire it but can’t quite put your finger on why- or maybe you can’t see yourself in an exact look, but appreciate the general ~vibe~ you’re likely experiencing symptoms of the following:

1. You want to recreate the essence of the outfit - not necessarily the exact formula itself

orrr

2. You think the person is pretty 

I want to dive deep into the ladder another day- but this is a severely underrated aspect when we think critically about our inspiration & why we gather it. 

In the case of wanting to recreate the essence of a look, you have to flex your creativity muscle(s). This type of work requires introspection & reflection to articulate your unique lens - turning inward to your own taste & preferences; acknowledging them, questioning them, and attempting to understand them in order to materialize a vision beyond just your imagination.

Sometimes we might not fully understand or even recognize our own taste, but exercises like the one I’m about to share will get your wheels turning and ignite the rush & momentum of creative flow. For more creative exercises (I call them games) spanning personal style, creating art, and self actualizing - see my Creation Games PDF (they’re a constant work in progress as is every single facet of life- nothing is ever “done”).

Before I dive into how to recreate the essence of a look, a quick & important disclaimer: 

My recent note on Outfit Formulas gained traction- I think- because it encourages us to think creatively. What does thinking “creatively” mean? To me, it’s accessing a part of ourselves that we often neglect - the part of us who is outcasted. 

Being an outcast gets a bad rap. Zooming out & removing any emotional attachments to the idea, outcasts are those brave enough to think differently & act on their impulses. They are willing to stand out or stand alone because they are confident in their message/ expression. I’d like you to keep this in mind as you review the below exercise and attempt it for yourself - lean into the extra weird, extra obscure parts of yourself as you reach for the words to define your taste. This is how you will begin to feel truly unique & fully represented through your personal style. 

If you read my note on Outfit Formulas, you’d have seen that I like to approach them as more of a recipe than a math equation. 

Where an outfit formula as a math equation may look like: puff sleeve top + a-line mini skirt + patent leather mary-janes… This is like Option 1 that Kelly mentioned.

An outfit recipe looks like: something geometric & textured (puff sleeve top) + something classic & understated (a-line mini skirt) + something feminine & slightly coquettish (mary-janes). 

Or it could be arranged entirely differently. That’s the beauty of an outfit recipe- it’s completely interpretive & there’s no wrong way to do it. Illustrating what you see in this way helps to untangle the knot of your taste & conceptualize your Style Point of View so you can begin to paint the aspirational image you see through your own attire. 

Let’s break down a look by, none other than the queen, Mrs.

Leandra Medine Cohen

.

via The Cereal Aisle

In my personal interpretation, this is a recipe: 

1. Something that nods to another era or time period (pillbox hat) 

2. Something classic & neutral (black tee) 

3. Two contrasting but monochromatic textures (pebble wool coat & corduroy pants in shades of brown) 

4. High shine abstract accessories (brooches) 

5. Something that feels off-season in the context of the outfit (open toe sandals) 

To Kelly’s points, if you resonate with this look it may be because of the silhouette or color scheme which are incredibly relevant to the style story. 

But if we want to apply this outfit recipe to the creation of something entirely new (that still harnesses the same flavor) we could have something like this: 

1. Something that nods to another era or time period (80’s JPG Sunnies) 

2. Something classic & neutral (Black Leather Toteme Handbag) 

3. Two contrasting but monochromatic textures (Silk Fendi Coat & Khaite Shearling Sandals) 

4. High shine abstract accessories (Sunnies & Pendant Necklace) 

5. Something that feels off-season in the context of the outfit (slip dress) 

(Look sourced entirely from The Real Real, shoppable here.)

The recipe allowed me to focus my concentration on the elements of the inspiration that spoke the loudest to me, and influenced me to craft a look that in my opinion is still very on brand for Leandra. It’s challenging, a little confusing, fun- but still somehow classic and incredibly chic. 

There are endless iterations that can be created from just this one interpretation of the recipe, and even more through your own unique recipe-concoction. 

For more styling content and advice like this, follow Bari on socials (IG, Tiktok, Substack), shop my bizarre outfit combos here, or book a style call with Bari.