Moodboarding
Where to Find Genuine Inspiration and What to Do Once You Find It
One of the questions I get asked the most is how to find inspiration. And not only that, but how to find unique inspiration that doesn’t feel algorithmic. I have done a few videos on this and usually reference this one:
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But, in this newsletter, I wanted to expand on finding inspiration even further. This will be helpful for everyone, no matter what level you are at. If you already have inspiration, I am going to show you how to use it successfully. If you don’t know where to start, I am going to set you off on a journey to find images that actually inspire you and feel original, personal and unique. Keep in mind, similar to the three words, it is all about your own personal recipe. You and I can have the same image on our moodboards for different reasons. More importantly, we will translate it into our own closets differently as well!
If we don’t have a vision, it is hard to create looks, and equally importantly, it's hard to shop! Of course, I like to leave plenty of room for whimsy and emotion when I am shopping, but if we don’t even have a vision of how we want to look and how we want to feel, it is incredibly challenging to curate a collection that feels genuine and useful to us. We want to have a vision so we can choose things that align with that!
It is similar to manifesting.. if you can’t envision your perfect life and what you want, it is hard to figure out a path to get there. It is the same with your closet; if you don’t even know how you want to look and feel and how you are expected to achieve it, you can’t achieve a goal that you don’t even have!
If this feels daunting and like a big undertaking… I get it. But it actually doesn’t have to be that way. This is not the kind of thing that you sit down and MAKE. It doesn’t require any time at all because starting from THIS moment on you will Always Be Collecting! ABC… Always Be Collecting. If you see something you like on Instagram.. take a screenshot. Love a look from a substacker… screenshot time! If someone is wearing something on the street… snap a photo! If a character in a film or TV show is wearing something you love… take a quick pic of the screen. It doesn’t have to be perfect or pretty. This is for your reference only. It isn’t to share (unless you want to) - it's meant to be helpful, so it can be more down and dirty!! (For example, I have a lot of screenshots from TikTok that have the the icons at the bottom where the person is making a strange face mid-sentence, but these little snaps are actually so helpful even if they don’t look picture perfect)
I find the most daunting part of this process is getting started and the feeling that we need to actively SEARCH and seek out inspiration. We really don’t. I actually find when we are actively searching on Pinterest or Google, we are sort of forcing it, and everything starts to look the same. Eventually, you won’t need to type “double denim looks” into a search engine.. You will be able to go to your own archive of images and find the double denim images that you screenshot along the way.
Okay, so if we are ABC-ing, that means that we are expecting the images to come to us. But how do we even curate our feed or social media to find the things we like? What if we are starting from zero? Don’t worry! Here are some tips to help these images find YOU! Of course, we are in charge of our social media feed and who we follow, so of course, an easy tip would be… follow people who inspire you…. But how do we even find those people!?
Fashion Publications
If you are really starting at square one, I suggest looking at the classic fashion publications' Instagram accounts. They will often do edits and roundups that feature editors, celebs, and designers— that can be a great place to start. For example, @vogueshopping will often feature their editors and contributors, and I have found some fabulous women that way. Allow yourself to slide down that rabbit hole. Maybe you discover @mfass from the Vogue account and realize that her looks and edits are right up your alley. Follow Maddie and see who she follows and tags as well! It is a fun discovery process. You can even go a little old school and go to The Who What Wear blog. They will often do roundups, edits, and feature influencers— many of whom have a smaller following, and I have discovered a lot of great people through this method!
Brands
Most brands have Instagram accounts and usually post more editorial images of the clothing on their website. Of course, this is possible with larger brands like Cos or Zara, but I find it to be really fun to follow high-end designers and really small designers. The high-end designers act as an inspiration— you are not actually buying the clothes; you are shopping for the inspiration. I often love the mood that the brand creates each season; for example, Chloe often posts their campaigns and the editorials that feature their pieces. I find that really inspirational!
I love following small brands because not only do they post their pieces styled in different ways, but they often feature celebrities and influencers who wear the brand. For example, if you love Colleen Allen and follow their account, it would lead you to Paloma wearing her top on the cover of AD. Hopefully you already know Paloma, but if not.. thats a win!!!
TV / Film Characters
If there are Instagram accounts dedicated to your favorite TV and film characters… follow those! Do you love Mad Men? Friends? Sex and the City? Emily in Paris? Great, you are in luck because there are accounts dedicated to their fashion!!!
Celebs
Most celebrities have stylists, and most celebrities don’t have very exciting Instagram accounts, so we have to be creative here. I often will screenshot a celebrity's look and then find out who their stylist is and follow THEM. For example, I love how Ayo Edebri and Greta Lee dress for red carpets so naturally… I follow their stylist, Danielle Goldberg. If you love the vintage vibe of Bella Hadid recently.. look no further than her stylist Molly Dickson. Following these celebs leads to the stylists, and THAT is where the real magic happens!
If there are particularly fabulous street style stars, like the Olsen Twins, for example, there are entire accounts dedicated to their looks! Or you can just check out my Feb Subscriber Issue all about them and their style!
Art / Interiors
Don’t be too literal. Is there a piece of art or an interior space that you love? Add that. It is about feeling! In my Three Word Method, I talk about the third word being emotional and asking yourself, “How do I want to feel?” An image can help you get there! Maybe you realize you are attracted to interiors that feel calm, tidy, and minimal... maybe that tells you something! Maybe you feel really pulled toward art that is bright and abstract… maybe it is about taking some of those color combos and applying them to your wardrobe. Or maybe it's even telling you that you are craving color!
Similarly, I follow a lot of interior design accounts. I will often try to find the designer's account because if I like their interior design style, chances are I will like their fashion, too!!!
Street Style Accounts
During fashion week, street style accounts are an amazing way to get acquainted with the fashion crowd. I have found some of my favorites that way!! And if you find a great photo of a fabulous person and they are not tagged… see number 8 on this list!!
Inspiration Accounts
Do you like a specific decade? Do you like minimal style? Find accounts that specialize in that specific inspiration…they exist. This is why people often say that style is about experiences and life in a more holistic way… to have interests and preferences is what shapes your style! So use those hobbies, interests, and loves to mine inspiration. I found many of these by looking at who some of my favorite people follow! Check the “follows” tab on Instagram… you will discover so many great accounts.
Here are some examples:
If you love minimal 90’s Style:
If you love the 60s and 70s:
If you love sexy looks:
If you love niche film:
General Inspiration:
Reverse Google Search
I want to shout this tip from the rooftops… if you see an image that you like and you aren’t sure who the photo is of, or the brand, or really anything.. you can do a reverse Google search. You simply put the photo into google images and it will give you as much info as possible. Even if it's just a screenshot!!!! If you need more info on how to do this, google “how to do a reverse image search,” and it will give you a step-by-step guide. This is really helpful because, let's say, an influencer or substacker posts a reference image that you love; you can figure out where it's from, which might lead you to even more you love! Or if you have a random screenshot and love the person's style but have no idea who it is… reverse Google search! You will find out who is in the image, and hopefully, you can find more looks that you love!
This is the question I get the most… once I gather the images, do I make a physical board? How do I keep it organized? Of course, there are a million different ways to do this, and there is really no right answer, but here is how I do it and what I find the easiest. I have a few folders on my phone. I have experimented with how detailed I get them, but what has been the most helpful is having a folder for each season. I have had a “spring outfit inspo” folder since about 2018, and I constantly add and edit it every year.
For me, this is way easier than creating a brand-new folder every single year. Because we don’t throw out our wardrobe every year and start over, so why should we do that with our inspiration? It is all about building and evolving slowly.. I think that when we feel the need to throw out what we wore and what we liked the previous season, we become incredibly reliant on trends.
I also find that having “older” photos in the mix ensures that you don’t feel like you look the same as everyone else. I get a lot of comments lamenting that “everyone looks the same,” and I think the best way to combat this is to keep evolving your own style language as opposed to just adopting someone else’s. So by having a moodboard that is constantly evolving instead of taking an “out with the old, in with the new” approach, you are building on your own personal style instead of just bending to trends.
TIP 1: IDENTIFY THE WHY
As I mentioned before, two people can like the same image for different reasons. So when you are attracted to something and feeling a pull toward it, try to get to the WHY. Why do you like it? What is it about this image that made you look twice? Sometimes, it is obvious, but other times, it takes a bit of reflection. Do you like the way that it is styled or put together? Do you like the person’s hair and makeup? Do you actually just like the composition of the image itself? Is there a specific piece that is speaking to you? Do you like how the sleeve is rolled, or the shirt is tucked?
Here is an example. Let's take the runway look below, which I screenshot from the Khaite show this season and added to my Fall/Winter moodboard. I would not wear this exact look… it doesn’t make sense with my lifestyle as someone who works from home in Los Angeles, and the skirt feels a little too serious for me. But that is not what gathering inspiration is about. It is about a mood, a feeling, and perhaps even a reminder.
In general, I like the tonal palate of this look— the taupe feels classic and fresh to me
I like the high suede slouchy boots with a longer silhouette, so no skin is showing
I like that the coat is longer than the skirt silhouette
I LOVE the light lenses on the glasses
I like that the glasses and the taupe turtleneck feel a little academic in contrast with the sexier fur
So, having this image in my moodboard folder is not necessarily telling me to copy this look; it is capturing a vibe that I like and acting as a reminder to perhaps layer my taupe knit with faux fur. Or try my taupe knit with light-colored denim and a suede boot. Or to pull out my sunglasses with light lenses in the fall and winter instead of just for the summer.
Now, let's look at this image:
within the context of my other fall/winter images, the texture and color really feel aligned. It seems like what I crave most in fall and winter are neutral colors, classic pieces, rich textures, chunky jewelry, and great glasses.
TIP 2: SHOP YOUR CLOSET
Identifying the WHY can also help you translate the image to your wardrobe. I would say that often, what attracts us to an image is the styling or the way something is put together— I think keeping an eye on that and paying attention to styling will show you that you can do a lot with what you already have. Meaning that it shouldn’t actually inspire you to shop and buy more things; it should inspire you to look at what you have in a new way. I have done a few videos on this, for example, THIS one, in which I use Jacob Elordi as inspiration. Or THIS with Jennifer Lawerence. I also use runway images as inspiration and did a video HERE using the Chloe show!
If you are stuck and feeling uninspired, choose an image from your moodboard or inspiration folder and challenge yourself to recreate it. Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact pieces; you shouldn’t. We are not trying to do a copy/paste situation here. Again, we want to ask what we like about the image and why, and then translate that to our own wardrobe. I know it might seem impossible, but I promise, using an image as a jumping-off point actually just forces you to see your closet in a new way.
For example, this image is amazing to me:
After I saw it, I thought, wait, I have never tried a super thin t-shirt under a waistcoat. I don’t have a white waistcoat, but I have a thin black tee and a black waistcoat, so I tried the two together and loved it. For some reason, I always thought I didn’t like the look of a tee under a vest/waistcoat, but I think it was because I was trying a thick t-shirt and because I was doing a white tee under a black waistcoat. This was like an a-ha for me. The thin texture gives it a sexiness, and the tonality makes it blend better for me.
I also felt really inspired by the brooch on the coat. I actually often add a brooch to blazers, but for some reason, I never considered it on outwear. I rely SO much on jewelry to make my look feel interesting, but when I go to colder climates, the jewelry doesn’t feel as impactful, so I thought DUH, a brooch on the coat is like my jewelry for when I am in NY and walking around and no one can really see my look and the jewelry detail.
PHOEBE PHILO sunglasses
ALAIA ballet flats
COS straight-leg jean
TOTEME trench coat
PERELEL conception support (Code: ALLISONB20). Perelel Conception packs have been very helpful on my fertility journey and have made it so much easier to stay consistent as all of the vitamins I need to take each day are in one single packet!!
RHODE peptide lip shape
MADEWELL button-up top
MASSIMO DUTTI midi skirt
COMME SI silk pants
LAURENCE BRAS suede bag
CHLOE earrings
AFLALO silk dress
ViBi VENEZiA flats
ZIIP facial toning device
FLAMINGO ESTATE fragrance oil
ANCIENT GREEK slippers
Oh my goodness. This is a masterclass! I need to go back and study all the tips --(but first, I had to click through to that suede bag). Love this! Thank you!
What sticks with me the most from this - and I feel will be a tremendous help going forward - is your explanation of how the sheerness and tonal match of the t-shirt under the vest was what you realized made you like the t-shirt under the vest, and how the inspiration photo helped break you from the idea you’d had that any t-shirt under a vest was something you didn’t like. I think this will help me so much, especially when I feel I have exhausted all the style options available for a particular season. It reminds me that there are endless options my brain simply isn’t “seeing” …kind of like the Rubin vase, where one person sees a vase and another sees two faces in profile. The noticing and questioning “why” helps us break from those internal style ruts.