There are so many ways to consume fashion now. Instagram. TikTok. Substack. Podcasts. A steady stream of outfits, thinkpieces, hauls, and “day in my life” reels. Designers, analysts, influencers—everyone has something to say, show, or sell.
It’s easy to spend an entire day watching it all unfold. I do, sometimes. Especially on weekends, when the hours slip by in that low-effort trance, one reel after another, one saved post after another. I tell myself I’m gathering inspiration. But at some point, I have to ask—what am I gathering it for?
Fashion used to be an embodied experience. Something you did. Something you felt on your body, in your body. The weight of wool. The cool cling of silk against your thigh. You learned style by wearing clothes, not watching them. You figured it out slowly, outfit by outfit.
Now, for many of us, fashion is something we mostly consume. We scroll past hundreds of outfits a day, archiving them like we’ll metabolize them later.
But saved isn’t the same as worn. Style doesn’t live in a folder. It lives in motion. In mistakes. In mornings when you try on three shirts before settling on the one that feels right—still rumpled, slightly wrong, but yours.
There’s been a quiet shift—from wearing fashion to watching fashion. And it didn’t happen overnight. It’s shaped by commerce, by platforms, by the soft pressure of needing to keep up. The slow creep of aesthetics flattening into content. Outfits becoming posts. Looks replacing clothes. The outfit becomes something to document, not inhabit.
And I’ll admit: there’s a strange grief in that. Because personal style used to be something you grew into, the way you grow into your own handwriting. Awkward at first. Uneven. Then, gradually, more sure. Now, it can feel like we’re performing for invisible feedback. Dressing for the grid, even when we’re not posting. What gets liked becomes what gets worn.
At its worst, fashion content is marketing in disguise. Influencers post OOTDs sprinkled with affiliate links. The helpful closet edit ends with a discount code.Brands offer “education” that somehow always circles back to their latest product drop. Even the content that feels earnest often has a quiet commercial engine humming beneath it. Why do we think we need new pieces every time spring rolls around?! What’s wrong with what we wore last year?!
But at its best, it sparks something. A new way of layering. A strange yet striking silhouette. A color you’d never thought to try. A strange, brilliant gesture—like
looping a ring of keys into her belt, transforming them into a jangling accessory. (Her latest article is a must read!)
The best content doesn’t tell you what to buy. It reminds you what’s possible with what you already have.
But even then, I have to wonder: inspiration to what end?
Because there’s a limit. You can only consume so much before it starts to blur together. Before other people’s aesthetics drown out your own.
And I’m not immune to it. I’ve spent entire afternoons chasing the feeling of being “inspired” only to realize I’m still in my ratty workout clothes by dinner.
What I’ve learned is this: the only real way back to personal style is through action. Not consumption. Not perfection. Just the daily, imperfect act of getting dressed. Not for content. Not for other people. Just for myself.
So if you find yourself stuck in the loop, maybe don’t unfollow everyone. Don’t delete the apps. But pause. Step away. Touch your clothes. Wear an outfit that feels slightly strange. Start with one item and see where it leads.
Here are a few ways I’ve been trying to come back to my own style, on my own terms.
Start Small, Start Honest
Get dressed for everything, not just “important” days.
and ‘s post about loving style while still honoring your context, especially Kelly’s quote:
Not just putting on clothes so you’re clothed. Get dressed with intention for every occasion. The school drop off. The grocery run. Honor all the occasions!
I loved
I had a realization in the last year; today I’m the youngest I’m ever going to be! So date nights are a chance for me to feel sexy and appreciate my body for what it is RIGHT NOW. has great ideas for making sweatpants feel like a choice, not a surrender.
Getting dressed even for mom duty days Tidy your closet like it’s a boutique.
has a great series on spring cleaning your closet, and so did (here).
You fall in love with clothes in stores because they’re well-lit, spaced out, treated with care. Try giving your own wardrobe that kind of reverence. Hang them up neatly. Steam the wrinkled pieces. Send that bag sitting in the corner to the tailors finally! Put your favorite sweater on a hanger instead of a pile.
A wardrobe cleanse feels great! Do a personal capsule, no rules.
has been exploring this for work travel!
If your wardrobe feels overwhelming, pull out 10-15 pieces that feel like you right now. Not forever. Just this week. Don’t worry about cohesion. Just pick what you want to live in. Dress only from that for a week. See what happens when you narrow your focus.Have a wardrobe playdate.
and it’s been magic! Take a Sunday afternoon to plan out all your outfits for the week. has a whole post on how to do this well: I need to start actually trying on the outfits and taking photos!
A Sunday ritual I stole from
Even a walk can be a reason to get dressed Start from one piece and build out.
Your favorite jeans. A vintage blazer. A necklace you forgot you loved. Or maybe take out the pieces at the back of the closet that you haven’t worn in months (years?): What could you do with this? Build around that. I did this recently with my blazers.
One categry, many looks! Rewear your favorite outfit with intention.
does this best with her base outfit approach. Find your favorite outfit and tweak just one thing. A different shoe. A swapped top. Tuck instead of untuck. Add a piece? Subtract a piece? Small changes, big impact. Could you even make it a game for the week? Repeat an outfit but change just one thing each day and end up with a week of different outfits!
Irene magically ends up with such different vibes! Build your 7 outfit wardrobe for the season. Coined by
, it leans into the idea that you really don’t need that many outfits! Define your top 7 “use cases”, and then build uniforms for each of them. Resharing some from spring last year because we really don’t need a new wardrobe every season: by (here) ; (here); (here); and has a great post on finding your uniform.
Build your “emergency outfits” folder.
’s round up of some of the most stylish writers on Substack. What are your break-glass-in-case-of-crisis outfits? The ones you can throw on and still feel like yourself? Rachel and just did a fun Live on this!
Inspired byCurate your taste offline.
‘s physical lookbook approach of documenting her favorite outfits. There’s something grounding about seeing your taste take up space on paper.
Print out your favorite outfits. Rip pages from magazines. Paste them together on your wall. Physicalize your taste (is that a word?!). I love
Actually ACT on your inspiration.
That outfit you loved on Pinterest? Try recreating it with only your own wardrobe. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just close enough to feel fun. Christina Mychas and Alyssa Beltempo are awesome at this!Document your outfits.
wrote a great article about taking notes on your outfits.
Use your phone like a mirror. Take photos of your outfits and keep them for yourself. (Indyx has been a lifesaver!) I’ve learned more from my camera roll than from any saved folder, by documenting and reflecting. It’s also great inspiration when you feel like you have nothing to wear.
Play With Constraints
Constraints inspire creativity! Some ideas below, and
and have weekly wardrobe challenges if you want more inspiration.All tonal. Choose a color and wear different shades of it for a week.
Textures only. Silk with denim. Mohair with leather. Contrast the feel, not the color.
All-black but fun! Black for spring can feel fresh. Lots of ideas here!
Lean into color. Or could you lean into a color you love but rarely wear? I’ve been obsessed with red.
had a great post on introducing color into your wardrobe.‘s clockwise challenge. Work your way around your closet clockwise. You have to wear the next item in the rotation.
And If You Must Consume, Consume Like a Creator
Watch fashion content the way a painter studies light. Not to copy, but to notice. Why did that look work? What was the proportion, the tension?
Follow people who wear clothes, not just sell them. The ones who show wrinkled shirts and scuffed boots. Who wear the same coat all winter. The ones who live in their style, not just perform it.
Christina Mychas is really the master at this!
Let the inspiration end with your mirror. Not the feed.
I hope this gets you off your screen and into your wardrobe. I would love to hear your favorite ways to get inspired!
If you’re hungry for more ideas to get you started, here are some of the posts I keep coming back to:
Style Principles That Work: A Fluid Approach to Dressing
There’s a particular kind of agony to getting dressed—when the outfit should work but doesn’t, when something feels off but refuses to be named. You swap a shoe, adjust a cuff, sigh at your reflection. Still, the feeling lingers.
Yes, yes, yes to being more physical, experimental and just playful in our wardrobes. This is where the magic happens. Maybe it doesn’t really matter where we end up finding inspiration as long as we act on it, implement what we’ve learned or simply experiment, possibly fail but continue to play 🫶🏼☺️
“Actually ACT on your inspiration.” is SO important. At the end of the day, what matters most is what we do with all the inspiration. Thank you for the mention, I am so incredibly honored <3