How do you use Pinterest for style inspiration? - YouLookFab Forum

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How do you use Pinterest for style inspiration?

Peri

Veteran

I'm new to Pinterest, but I was interested in it partially by all you fabs who refer to it often. Well either I'm a) doing it wrong or b) just not liking what is really in style.

I've searched style, fashion, trends, sweaters, dresses, etc, and have not found a single outfit I care to pin. I did find one beautiful pair of blue shoes and one interesting way to tie a scarf. The rest is just pictures of outfits I don't like enough to keep. Maybe that is the telling thing, because I'm having a lot of trouble shopping this season also.

Suggestions for a better search? Has Pinterest helped you any with style?

General

23 replies

Latest reply was from TraceyLiz65

Anonymous

I pin pictures that appeal to me either in terms of color or silhouette. By analyzing what types of pictures I predominantly pin I was able to decipher my style and what I really like. I also look for color combinations that I have not considered in the past but take my breath away. I pin them as reminders.

Finally, I pin items that I am planning on purchasing. The pins may not be the actual item, but a picture of an item I need (e.g., narrow, medium blue jeans). When I find the item, I delete the pin.

Hope this helps.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Hi, I'm not sure if you mean you are just searching just on Pinterest or using other sites as well. If you search, say Nordstroms, you can pin any photo you like from their site - you can do the same with most websites.

Gigi

Veteran

If you're also having trouble shopping this season, maybe you are just not liking the current trends. As Caro noted, I couldn't tell whether you were also going to non-Pinterest sites to pin pictures from them--which you can do.

I tried using Pinterest, but I couldn't figure out how to do it, so I gave up. I just drag photos to my iPhoto application on my Mac now. But I select outfits that appeal to me for whatever reason, even if they're not absolutely perfect. Are you maybe looking only for 100% perfect outfits? By selecting anything that appeals to me, even if it has some not-so-desirable qualities, I can start to see a pattern. And I think that's mainly how people use Pinterest--to discern overall pattern.

shedev

Veteran

My pinterest board contains a lot of punk and over the top steampunk type outfits and somewhat little of ordinary fashion. I don't use it as a literal, "I'd like to copy this" guide, but I did notice some similarities in the things I pin. I have a lot of tonal looks, texture, long over lean silhouette. Those are the things I'm trying to translate into my look.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I use it sporadically and I learned what to do pretty much by watching what Angie does on her various boards. If you peek at hers you will see that she has some that track her favourite looks from the runways, some that track various trends, some that track items she is hoping to add to her own wardrobe, one that documents her outfits, and so on. In other words, she categorizes her pins according to a system that helps her make sense of them.

Well, I don't have boards in all the same categories, but I have categorized them in a way that makes some sense to me for my purposes. I have "fashion inspiration" (so those would be looks I like for some reason...they might not be perfect but have something about them that I find inspiring -- colour, proportion, cut, etc.)..."items" (things I want or have already purchased)....a board of my actual outfits....a board of YLF friends' outfits that i really like...etc. And I "follow" people here on YLF (you can subscribe to their boards) and pin from their "finds." (Because I never find anything on my own, quite honestly.)

Another way to use it is for specific items you find difficult to style or that could wind up as orphans in your closet if you didn't search for inspiration. Sveta has some boards for "blush trousers" (I think that's what she called it) and maybe "slouchy trousers." When you are getting used to a new look, you can find out how other people have styled the item.

Over a period of about 6 months, I discovered some patterns in what I tended to pin the the inspiration board. This is how I figured out my style descriptor or rather, why it rang true for me when I finally heard it from Angie. So I would say that even though I feel like a bit of a klutz with Pinterest, it has been helpful to me.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

ETA: I almost never see a complete outfit that I would wear as is in every detail. Or if I do, I could never afford it!

Peri

Veteran

Thanks everyone!

Gabrielle, that's what I had in mind, I'm just not finding anything I care about to pin!

So Gigi, I'm afraid that might be the problem. The searches I do turn up nothing but skinny pants and boots looks...I know the looks I like must be out there somewhere, but current fashion isn't thrilling me.

So Shedev, how did you find those looks that might be off to the side of mainstream? Did you search "steampunk" or something like that?

And Suz and Caro, no I didn't know about that! I was only searching on Pinterest itself. So I thought I was understanding Pinterest but apparently I'm only scratching the surface. But I can tell you, I have a FAB board of cute animals to cheer me up as needed and another of many beautiful things...just not clothes!

So...better search words, anyone?

Astrid

Veteran

If I just search for some terms I don't often find anything I like either. A big chunk of the pins aren't my thing at all. I found it helpful to find one board or one pinner I liked and then I clicked myself through the suggestions of stuff you get below a picture or looked at the people that person was pinning from. Because you can bet that they at least have a slightly similar taste. It was much easier to find new people and boards to pin from that way. As for my boards: I do pin stock pictures from time to time, follow people from YLF and have maybe ten people I follow and pin from just because their stuff is interesting and they have similar style. I also browse boards I find via their pins without automatically adding these people as a consequence. I think you have to take care how much input you're getting, too much isn't helpful.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

What Suz said. I have started creating separate boards for inspiration on looks I had problem styling: slouchy trousers, wide leg trousers, midi skirts, blush pink, yellow blazer, etc. I do a search on pinterest but it does not bring much (or I just don't know how to search). However I follow people which boards I find interesting (Angie is #1 of course) and pin from there.
I do use my boards from time to time to get outfit ideas when I feel like I am stuck in a rut: usually it helps.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I did what Astrid did -- I started following the boards of lots of YLFabbers. So, I follow Astrid, for example. And Caro. (And many more). And then I checked the pins to see where those came from, and followed that person (or organization) also. That means they do the heavy lifting for me. I get a sort of "feed" like a FB feed of pins (except it's on a wall and not so linear).

I do occasionally search by a term, but not very often because it tends not to turn up a whole lot.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Nothing wrong with pinning cute baby animals

Just to get you started Here is the link to my boards & you can follow through the links if there is anything you like.

http://www.pinterest.com/49caro/boards/

qfbrenda

Veteran

I split my fashion boards into 3: my style, fall/winter style, and spring/summer style. It really helps me to have the seasons separated. Others get much more specific like Suz mentioned, have a board for one particular thing like blush pants. Do what works for you.

I do tend to pin outfits I would actually wear, or at least are close to something I would wear. One thing that helped me get started was starting to follow the boards of fashion bloggers I like. If I pin something I love, I sometimes check out the suggested, "also on" (basically "also pinned by this person") and look through their board. If I like it enough, I'll start following them.

In the reverse, any time a person I'm following starts a board I have no use for---like "nail art" or something---I quickly unfollow the board.

Another thing I've done is search for a person whose style I like, for instance Jennifer Aniston. Then I would get suggestions of others who have pinned outfits of hers, which led me to their boards.... and so it went. Now I have a pretty good collection of people to follow who like styles similar to mine.

qfbrenda

Veteran

Speaking of following other YLFers, who can find the thread where a bunch of us listed the link to our Pinterest boards? I tried to find it and failed.

deb

Veteran

I have a board for what I purchase, one for pieces that I think I want last season, and I just started a board for S/S 2014. Here is a link to my boards.

http://www.pinterest.com/djm9/boards/

Peri

Veteran

So okay wow! I didn't know this thing about following boards and pinning from someone else's board.

This rabbit hole goes so much deeper than I thought! Ah...to jump or not to jump?!

Carla

Veteran

I have a style inspiration board, which is made up of aspirational pics. I have a hair board for hairstyle pics that might work for my curly red/white hair. I have a 'copy this' board for outfits I see that I want to copy, usually because I have the items in my closet but need to think outside the box. I have a fantasy fashion board for historical costumes and steampunk outfits. There is a gardens inspiration board, and also a heroes board (good looking guys!). There is a triathlon board with cool gear and inspirational pics.

I regularly edit my boards to a max of 50 pics, and also create temporary new boards and delete them when their usefulness is over. For example I created a visual shopping list that I deleted after the big shopping trip was over.

FlorenceFearne

I think it's also important to remember that sometimes a Pin is only a reminder, or a jumping-off point. I might pin a picture of pin-striped pants with a red sweater to remind me that I should try those items together, since I already have both in my closet.

For example, take this pin: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/8233211792573846/

I recently bought a moto, (OK, maybe 2 ) so I was looking for styling ideas. I don't have the same coloring as that lady, nor do I wear gold, or wear jeans, or even like that color of shirt she has on. So what's left? Just the idea of wearing a dressy silk button-up with a moto. Putting those 2 items would never have occurred to me on my own. So the pin has value for only that one trait, even though I wouldn't wear that outfit. Maybe that helps?

Lantana

Veteran

Peri you can also simply use Google images to search outfit types eg, "full grey skirt outfits", or "black leather moto with lace skirt" etc.
I pin to my iPad via a special pin it button that I have saved to my bookmarks bar, so I can save any (public) image, even if it doesn't display the Pin it logo.
You can download this button easily onto a PC too.
I have 3secret boards that I refer to constantly. One is aspirational looks, one is for my own IRL outfits and the third is for clothes I could sew myself.
The aspirational board has pins that might sometimes have just one element, including a mood, that I want to copy. Angie's recent post on outfit inspiration encouraged me to be more adventurous with the looks I pin.
I have found that pinning has made me a much more savvy shopper. I pin prospective purchases and leave them to incubate for a day or two. I pin them onto my IRL board to see how they fit with what is actually in my closet.
9 times out of 10 I abandon the purchase because the item just doesn't make the grade all round.
It's a terrific tool and makes fashion even more fun.
Penny

Beth Ann

Veteran

Peri:

I use pinterest as a reward for finishing a project, and I give myself limited time on the site. I find it hugely useful in technology, cooking, and teaching, too. As for style, I will pin things that appeal to me in color, silhouette, texture, etc. I don't usually try to recreate outfits, but, my pins often tell me where my style direction is going --- if you look at them in aggregate, themes begin to emerge.

My "big" board:
http://www.pinterest.com/singcrazy/my-style/

Here's my much smaller "Fantasy Fashion" board. If you peruse these, you'll see that my "form with flow / energy with ease" rubric is in evidence even in the outfits I like, but don't have many places to wear.

http://www.pinterest.com/singc.....y-fashion/

Peri

Veteran

Wow Beth Ann...I saw more I wanted to pin from your two boards than I found in two weeks of just searching Pinterest.

I think I made my boards private...I don't remember. If you want to follow someone's board, do you just click that? Do you need to ask permission?

Thanks for the suggestions Lantana, FF and Runcaria!

Beth Ann

Veteran

Peri -- you can just click on the boards to follow -mine are public. I just try to remember to only pin things to them that I wouldn't mind anyone seeing. You'd be surprised to see how many very single students of mine are constantly pinning wedding gowns! Eek!

Sometimes, when I find a pin I like, I look to see the board it came from, or who pinned it. I've found different people to follow by doing that.

rachylou

Veteran

I have themes and then two giant boards (clothes & rooms) that are like crammed junk drawers of web pics.

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I pin things that I can draw inspiration from for outfit creations. I look for color combos I like that fit with pieces I already own. When I get something new like blush colored jeans I may do a search for combos to pin for later. I do one Pinterest Inspiration look weekly on my blog on Thursdays and have fun with it...