If you clicked on this article to discover a new, big-name influencer or some niche references to an edgy sub-culture, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Allow me to explain to you why: Sometimes, the most obvious sources of inspiration can yield some of the most experimental and original outfit formulas. Seriously.
You could argue that we are totally spoilt for choice when it comes to style inspiration these days, thanks to the platforming potential of Instagram, however, as we all know, one of the traps anyone can fall into is to end up looking like everyone else. I blame the algorithms. So recently, when I’ve been looking for new ideas, I’ve been hitting up my favourite fashion brands and have been pleasantly surprised by the styling ideas on offer.
Really, it shouldn’t surprise me, as every single look will have been meticulously planned by a professional stylist whose job it is to know what looks good with what. I find this particularly evident when it comes to high street fashion, and I think brands such as Zara are really skilled at creating ensembles that make a £30 blouse look more like £300. Now that’s something I want to be able to do. Obviously, this isn’t the case with any brand, and I’ve found that I’ve created a tick-list of sites whose styling is particularly on-point.
One of my go-to’s right now is Uterqüe, which always manages to make the simplest of pieces look unbelievably cool. Sometimes if I’m struggling with styling a particular item (say denim shirts, for example), I might even type it into the search bar and see what comes up. Seriously, try it next time you’re in a fashion rut. From Arket’s minimalist appeal to Mango’s bohemian pairings, scroll down to see the sites I always turn to for outfit inspiration.