Inspired, not Confined

If you're like me then you've seen a picture of an outfit on Pinterest, a fashion blog or a fashion magazine and said "wow, I should do that!" This reaction is usually followed by a "how in the world do I replicate this out fit, I don't own any of those things!"

My trick to share with you is this: ask yourself why you like it. Is it the sparkle, the shape of the dress, the pattern mixing, the mixture of textures? When you pinpoint this you can look to your own closet for pieces that have the same idea as the one that you like in the picture.

Example #1:
 I may not have a white dress exactly like that in my closet, but I like the outfit because of the way it's put together not necessarily the dress. To recreate this look I might pull out my plain little black dress, a cute colorful clutch and mix together different accessories like she did here.


Example #2: 
Check out this next outfit on the right. You may take a quick glance at it and think it's cute and then say that you don't have the pieces to recreate this, but think again! All this one is is a cute patterned scarf, a patterned button down and a high waist skirt - definitely all staple wardrobe pieces. The trick about this outfit is that it's all in a similar color palate! I bet that you can make this outfit out of pieces in your own closet super easily.

sidewalkready.com

Example #3: 
When I pinned this on Pinterest I wrote the tagline: "white shirt, patterned maxi and sandals." If you think of an outfit for its pieces then it's easier to be able to create your own version. And if you have a maxi dress not a skirt, maybe try putting the t-shirt over top of the top of the dress and adding the belt to define your waist. It's all about using what you've got and being inspired, not confined, by the images that you see.
 

The trick is that you need to recreate not replicate. We don't all have hundreds of dollars to spend on clothes and we don't all get free gifts from designers like magazines and bloggers do. Take the time to figure out why you like the outfit and then translate that into something that is realistic with your own life!