Are You Bored with Your Clothes?

Do you have the mid-season blahs? Everyone loses interest in their wardrobe from time to time. The answer isn’t always about going out and making more purchases. Sometimes you need to invite inspiration to fill you up so you see things differently.

Are you intrigued but think you don’t have time for that? I’ll share several ways you can create opportunities to let the world around you teach you new things about color, line, and design. You’ll naturally come home and look at your closet and your home with a new, inspired vision. What you learn can influence the way you put outfits together.

Ready?

1. Explore Pinterest. If you haven’t been on Pinterest, it’s time to check it out. You will find every imaginable kind of inspiration on this site. Start by using the search function. If you need inspiration on a specific item like styling dresses, just type in Dresses. You can narrow your focus and go for specific dresses like Polka Dot Dresses or A-line Dresses. Or research an item you’ve been curious about like palazzo pants, maxi dresses, block heeled shoes or flared jeans. You can also search things like Fashion Over 40 to see how women in a specific age group are styling their outfits. You can begin with some of my boards: ‘Inspired Style’ (https://www.pinterest.com/gingerburr/inspired-style/), Elegant Monochromatic Dressing (https://www.pinterest.com/gingerburr/elegant-monochromatic-dressing/) or Vegan Fashion (https://www.pinterest.com/gingerburr/vegan-fashion/)
2. Create a Fashion Vision Map. This is a style collage that captures inspirational or aspirational images. Magazines and catalogs are great sources as well as printing out ideas from online catalogues or pinterest. Pull out images that catch your eye—without judgment. It really doesn’t matter whether that specific outfit will work on your body, lifestyle or budget. The point is to feel inspired! Choose images of colors, textures, patterns, or details that you love like Pam did.Get a large poster board and arrange the images in a way that’s pleasing to you. Put your collage where you can see it every day. You will be surprised how soon you’ll notice something or create an outfit that is a direct result of doing this exercise.
3. Get artsy. If collages aren’t your thing, but you like working with images, consider putting your torn pages into an art portfolio. Go to any local art store to purchase an art portfolio in whatever size pleases you. You can even go to your local Staples and get a 3-ring binder with clear plastic sleeves. Place your inspirational or aspirational images inside the sleeves so you can page through it anytime you want to. Let the images speak to you; they could prepare you for your next smart fashion investment.
4. Learn from your travels. Vacations and even business travel can fill you with inspiration. Are you planning a trip? Just imagine going to India and being amazed by the colors and patterns. If you were traveling to major cities in Japan you’d be enjoying the pop culture references on the streets. Go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and revel in the explosion of colors and floats and costumes in the parade. When you travel, carry a journal and a camera with you to capture the things that inspire you. When you come home you may be ready to try new combinations of color, texture, and patterns in outfit combinations because of what you’ve experienced.
5. Hit the streets. Different neighborhoods within the same city may have different vibes. Visit a new neighborhood café with a plan to people watch. Look at the creative ways people are dressing. Or if you happen to live close to a tourist area it’s easy to find out-of-towners that are making an effort to look nice on their vacation. Enjoy a latte and make notes of what you see. Or better yet, talk to strangers about their great outfits and find out what inspires them!
6. Go to a museum. The exhibits may be inspiring, but it is also a great place to people watch. You’ll often find artsy people in artsy places. Look, observe, and capture some ideas you’d like to bring home and try in your closet. And don’t forget to visit the museum gift shops. They often have great accessories. I saw the most beautiful scarves made from bamboo at the Peabody-Essex Museum gift shop—the colors were extraordinary.
7. Window shop. Lots of skill and talent goes into creating captivating store windows and in-store displays. Feast your eyes on how they’re showing current fashion.Do not expect to love it all, but use this opportunity to train your eye to see fashion in a new way. It’s a great way to explore what you love and what you don’t.
8. Listen to your friends. Perhaps they know of a new store that just opened up. You may even plan a trip to check it out with your friends. Often our friends are natural ambassadors for new resources, stores, products, sales or trunk shows. Let them pave the way to see fashion in new places. But be careful. Friends are often very well-meaning, but sometimes they can be so enthusiastic about something you try on that you buy it without truly checking in with your heart and soul to be sure you love it as much as they do.
9. Go back to nature. Nature is a constant source of inspiration. Well-manicured gardens, garden tours, local parks or even nurseries are fun to visit for a few hours. Nature’s beauty is a feast for the eyes. Let it inform you about design, colors, scale, balance and more.You might just find that you adore soft pink and deep purple together or you find yourself intrigued by the variations of greens or the myriad textures within a garden. Keep an open mind and your camera at the ready.
10. Hit the books. Fashion books are a great resource of style inspiration. Go to your favorite local or online bookstore and head to the fashion section. Browse through new books you’d like to add to your library. You could choose books on specific designers, street fashion, fashion for specific age groups, or fashion in cities around the world. It can be exciting to open up to new possibilities.

By creating opportunities to be inspired, you are training your eye to see things in a new way; you’re carving new pathways in your brain, opening up to new ideas. Just don’t forget to bring these lessons back home to your closet. No need to get bored with your clothes or get into ruts. These days you have the world at your fingertips and what better way to explore new possibilities.

Does the idea of finding new inspiration fill you with delight or feel like one more thing on your to-do list? If the latter is true, I’m here to be a resource for you. And, if you love the exploration but then don’t know how to put it into practice in your own wardrobe, I can help you with that, too. Every day I share new sources of inspiration with my clients. I can help you see the beauty in your wardrobe as well.

As Lisa says, “You deserve to know the great impact that your advice has had on me. In a nutshell, I’ve followed up on pretty much all of your advice from when we met last and the results have been awesome, as always. I continue to be very grateful that you provide such an amazing service which has been worth every penny.”

And Ann shares her experience as well, “I appreciate so much your vision and energy. I re-organized my closet, and found myself peeking in more than once, and EXCITED at all the possible fabulous choices I have at my fingertips now. I haven’t felt that way EVER, and it is bringing me a sense of peace and excitement, too. Thank you for being so important and gifted a guide, Ginger.”

Would you like to experience that inspiration for yourself? Schedule a call (https://totalimageconsultants.com/booking/) and we’ll explore the possibilities of how I can help you create a wardrobe and personal style you love! Or if you want to dive in right away, be sure to check out the 6-week class I teach regularly on Zoom. It has been incredibly popular and provides you with the tools you need to build your wardrobe and assess what you have — all with my guidance live on the calls. Create Your Personal Style in 6 Weeks