While I wouldn’t call myself a complete newbie, but, I want to know more about the fashion industry. And that’s why I’m currently studying fashion.
Mainly to learn about different items, clothing pieces, shoes, and fabric, and how to style them all.
Lately, I have chosen to pursue the awesome world of fashion blogging, and man oh man, I am completely overwhelmed.
There are too many styles, aesthetics, department stores, online stores, and boutiques. There’s just so much out there to learn.
So instead of trying to consume all of it at once, I have certain ways I’m going to teach myself about fashion and style.
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Learn By Looking
Before you go on autopilot and just surround yourself with everything there is to know about fashion, be intentional.
Start by analyzing every outfit you come across. Doing so will help train your eye to how others are putting together pieces to make their outfit. Also, you will learn what clothing styles you like and don’t like.
When looking at an outfit, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I like the overall look of this outfit? Why?
- Do you like the colors they chose?
- Which clothing piece do you like? Why?
- Why did they put these clothing items together?
- What would I change about this outfit?
I know these seem like silly questions, but trust me, this is how I am learning about style and fashion. I am learning which overall style I like, which clothing items I adore and which ones I don’t, and how I could imitate that look myself.
Where To Look For Fashion
When it comes to fashion, it is literally everywhere. But you can’t consume just anything. You have to find the places where true style and fashion lives.
Since we live in a time where everything lives on the internet, you can find inspiration in the place you may love the most — social media.
If social media isn’t your thing, you can go to the true source and pick up a fashion magazine or fashion book.
Social Media
Everything is on social media, so why not look for fashion inspiration on the same app you are already using? You will find great stuff on apps like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.
As I won’t recommend looking at all of the apps, I want to recommend two of my favorite apps for fashion — Pinterest and Instagram.
Pinterest is the number one social media app to find fashion and style inspiration. Why?
Because it’s a place where ideas come to life. You can find millions of visual content on any topic, any style, any clothing item, shoe, jewelry, hairstyles, and more.
And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what you can find on Pinterest. When you have an idea, head over to Pinterest and search for what you want to see, and it’s there. There’s no fluff, no irrelevant content, no noise, nor hate.
You can also use Pinterest to help find your style. If you are curious about a certain fashion style like casual outfits, bohemian outfits, preppy outfits, minimalist outfits, and more.
You can also create boards to organize all your ideas. So if you have many ideas you want to explore, you should create a board for each of them.
If Pinterest isn’t your speed, Instagram is another great app to find the latest fashion looks. Unlike Pinterest where content lives on the app forever and ever, it’s hard to see the latest trends because every piece of content circulates.
But Instagram on the other hand will always show you the latest fashion trends, runway shows, celebrity updates, and more right then and there. If you care about seeing what everyone is wearing in season, Instagram will be your place to be.
Another great thing about Instagram is that people tend to post more on the app than on Pinterest. So you will see more of a variety of content.
You will see account profiles dedicated to a certain style, branded accounts, fashion influencers, and more. I mean, you can see the same on Pinterest. But it’s just more to see on Instagram.
Both are fantastic ways to start studying fashion and learning your style. If you don’t start with anything else, start with Instagram and Pinterest.
I would love to say TikTok, but the way some creators create their reels and videos is way too fast.
If you blink, you might miss something. When studying fashion, images are better than videos initially. Because you want to train your eye on what’s going on without missing something.
Fashion Magazines
Speaking of images, fashion magazines are the G.O.A.T. when it comes to studying fashion. Before there was the internet, this is how people learned about fashion and style. There are many benefits of reading fashion magazines.
For one, the images. When you are not reading about the latest style, celebrity interviews, and such, take a moment to study each picture. Look at how the brand chose to style its latest collection.
Look at what style of shoe the model is wearing with their outfit. Check out the colors of the outfit and see if it flows together. Notice how you feel while looking at the outfit. Do you like it? Or does it make your eyes squint in disguise?
Second, you can learn a lot about style by reading the articles in the magazines. There are plenty of fashion tips and advice in those articles. You just have to take the time to read them.
Third, don’t have to read the physical copies of magazines. Even though they are the best, you can start today by reading their articles online.
If you are new to fashion, don’t want to invest in quality magazines, or don’t have the money to spare, you can read some articles for free on their website.
Online Fashion Magazines To Read
Fashion Books
While I am still learning about fashion books, I have one great book to recommend I think is essential to read.
Fashionpedia — The Visual Dictionary Of Fashion Design
This book is the fashion bible hands down. I love this book because it breaks down all of the clothing from the technical terms, the style of them, and the fabrics normally used for them.
When I bought the physical copy of this book, I treated it like a golden treasure, because to me, it is. Even though some terms are a little different than what you may know, the information is spot on.
Learning about different necklines, hemlines, stitch lines, fabrics, and styles is great for learning how certain clothing items make a style.
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