For Women & Co. by Alli Worthington, AlliWorthington.com
Back in "ye olden days," people regularly used to window shop when they wanted design inspiration. Browsing through catalogs was another old favorite, of course, as was flipping through colorful magazines. (Ok maybe not so long ago, but boy, have times changed!)
Fast forward to the digital age, when online destinations are bursting with a never-ending stream of creative ideas. From home decorations to hairstyles, there are fabulous sites packed with images and ideas to help you find exactly what you're looking for -- and window shopping happens right at your computer screen.
With fall just around the corner and longings for layers and scarves starting to creep in, I like to start my shopping by first gathering ideas on the Internet. Here are some of my favorite online destinations for inspiration:
1.The Sartorialist:
The gorgeous fashion photography of Scott Schuman highlights everyday (and stylish) people on the street, yet each image looks like a high-end photo shoot. The Sartorialist is credited with being a pioneer of publishing fashion photography in the blogosphere; you're certain to find inspiration here.
2.Pinterest:
Fashion boards abound on Pinterest! In this latest social media craze, images of baubles, hairstyles, clothing, shoes, shoes and more shoes -- pretty much anything you can think of -- get "pinned" to digital boards in some beautiful collections curated by everyone from high-end brands to middle-of-the-country moms with fabulous taste you'll want to follow. Want to look at fashion accessories only in shades of coral, for example? There's a board (or dozens of boards) just for that.
3.Flickr:
Flickr isn't just for photo storage of family photos to share with Grandma. It's actually a fabulous image resource; there are Flickr groups for even the most specific topic. A quick search on the site for what you are looking for is sure to provide hits.
4.LookBook: Draw inspiration from "street style" fashion photos uploaded by its members. Like and save outfits for future reference, or showcase your own "look" (outfit) -- you'll find out how the community receives it.
5.Polyvore:
Polyvore is a dynamic site that allows you to learn about -- and participate in -- creating hot new fashion trends. On Polyvore, you can "clip" fashion items from around the Internet. Like a jacket? Necklace? Skirt? Pair of shoes? Save them to your Polyvore account. Then, on the Polyvore website, organize these items into sets that represent complete outfits. Voila! You're ready to share your fashion sense with the world. You can see what others on Polyvore are creating, and watch trends emerge.
So just for nostalgia, go ahead and burn a few calories window shopping in your town, and enjoy those catalogs. But to stay really true to the times, go online and check out these sites to find some fall fashion inspiration tailored specifically to you.
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