One benefit we have today is just how much information we have at our fingertips. We can track the weather, listen to music, easily stay up to date with current events and contact people who live on the opposite side of the world and all with a single hand held device. And yet, while still a privilege, sometimes there’s an overwhelming overflow of information. Even with something that’s so basic as finding inspiration for your personal style.

I mean, that’s how I felt when I tried searching for my own style inspiration, at least. My first mistake was probably heading straight to Google to see what results I could find. Google did it’s job and provided me with all the answers but the problem was…it was too many answers. Too many answers that I didn’t know what to do with. So, I just closed the browser.

That was only a momentary solution to the problem of my original problem, though. I still had to find outfit ideas and styling tips if i wanted to create my style board to reference and start showing up as my future self. In order to do that, I had to search for style inspiration on platforms other than Google.

In this video, I’ve listed 7 places you can find style inspiration for your personal style. If you want to know my exact strategy on how I used each platform, keep scrolling.

The Strategy I used To Find My Style Inspiration:

1. Pinterest

• The first thing I had to do on Pinterest was figure out the keywords that classified my style. I’m a casual girl, so that part was a little easy, but I also like a tailored, edgy or lux feel to my styling as well. To get all the results, I played around with keyword combinations in a series of searches. From there, I carried on down through the rabbit hole and pinned relevant related images.

• I narrowed search results down by focusing on styling specifics. Whether it was by fabric (leather or denim), clothing types (crewneck sweatshirts, t-shirts and pointed oxfords) or color (red or all black), being specific can pull up different results than the general keywords.

2. Instagram

• Hashtags are where it’s at. Kind of. Hashtags are the easiest way to search on IG if you don’t have a person in mind. You’ll have to play around with word combinations here too (including an “s” at the end, or not, can make a difference in your search results). Start with your style type, look over the results in popular posts and tap an image that resonates with your soul. From there, check out the other hashtags that person uses because some will likely be related to her personal style.

• I used the Collection feature to save the pictures I liked from different influencers if I didn’t want to follow their entire account.

3. Fashion blogs

• I find fashion and style blogs through Instagram. It’s an easier way to find a blogger with your style than to use Google, who’s results are based on a lot of other factors that won’t really matter to you.

• I pin their images to my style board, using Pinterest.

• I use the bloggers “suggested alternatives” to find additional stores and brands that I’m not familiar with.

4. Store Websites

• I pin their photos to my style board on Pinterest.

• Some websites share how their products have been worn by customers who are tagging their brand in IG or FB.

5. Magazines

• I’m not going to lie, I don’t really read physical magazines. Instead, I go to their websites and see what tips and tricks are published there.

6. Celebrities

• I have keep a handful of celebrities in my mental library of who’s streetstyle/everyday style I personally like. They include Rihanna, Zendaya, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner. I’ll occasionally check in on their paparazzi snaps and stylists to see what they’ve been rocking lately.

7. Experimenting

• When I try something new, it’s normally something that I’ve been thinking about for a while and have decided it’s now or never and I take the plunge. So basically, I research whatever the new thing is A LOT, and then I buy it, wear it and evaluate it. Rarely have I hated the results of an experiment but probably because of all the research I do, like the different qualities available, how it might fit on my body type and can it be translated to my style specifically.

• I always check the return policy before spending any money. How many days I have to return it, what the process of returning the item is and how long I have to wait for my refund are all factors in a purchase.

And there you have it! If you watched the video, I shared the 7 places you can find personal inspiration and why they’re good sources to use. And I continued to share my tips on how I used each platform for my personal style inspiration.

Have you used any of these platforms for your personal style inspiration? Or do you look somewhere else? Share your answer in the comment section.