fashion inspiration

i sometimes get asked where i come up with my outfits. it's kind of a funny thing to think about. i think that a lot of us [myself included] like to think that we are just so fashion forward that we magically dream up our outfits in fabulous ways, but really i think most of us have tons of subconscious images in our heads from magazines, movies, pinterest, etc. i personally gain a lot of inspiration from a lot of different places. usually i see an image or color swatch or real life person and, rather than copying their outfit exactly, i try to figure out what about the outfit i like. is it the texture, color, shape, accents or just simply the emotion that it evokes? [yes, fashion can be emotional in some senses!] what i mean is, all growing up, from childhood on to adulthood, i loved to stand in front of a mirror and put on all sorts of different outfits. i would then pick out what my "story" would be in each one. for example:

i'm wearing a floral, knee-length skirt paired with a short sleeved, white sweater and sandals. it's early spring and i'm having a picnic deep in a field surrounded by unknown woods. i am inexplicably motivated to trudge right into these deep dark woods and end up on some crazy adventure. i am missing for weeks, but when i finally find my way back i am still wearing the outfit, slightly dirtied, and my cheeks are flushed from all the hiking. from that day on, it is my favorite outfit because it reminds me of that wonderful time in the forest. 

that story really is from my childhood imagination. it's something i made up while trying on that outfit in a dressing room when i was probably 8 years old. i still do this today! not quite as involved now. it's usually just a general theme. like a "breezy parisian afternoon" or something like that. you can ask my husband. i usually test my theme on him to see if he can feel it. anyways, i know it sounds funny, but i've just always been this way. i have a vivid imagination. its a blessing and a curse.

whatever method i use for inspiration, i always try to put my own personal spin on the outfit i am wearing. i hate to be just another copycat. when i flip through a j.crew catalogue, i don't go buy the exact pieces in the outfit, i go to my closet and put together my version. and when i have some extra spending money, i may go buy one piece of an outfit i see and pair totally different things with it than they did at j.crew. my versions don't always turn out better necessarily, but they are always me. i think if you're someone who likes to follow the trends, its important to remember to be true to what you actually like and to make each trend your own. otherwise you don't really have personal style, you're kind of just a fashion robot.

so there you have it! these are the things i think about as i get dressed. 

<3 jojy

[all images found on pinterest...not a source in sight. if anyone knows the original sources for these images, please share. i believe in credit where its due.]