I signed up for a Pinterest membership a few weeks ago and have been going crazy on the site - bookmarking (excuse me, "pinning") ideas I came across for home decor and organization as well as crafts that looked cute.
Of course, me being me, I also started pinning favorite style ideas - some of which I sourced from original websites, and some I simply ran across by exploring other users' Pinterest boards.
I'm finding it incredibly useful to keep a virtual scrapbook of looks that I love, or that I'm longing to try myself. (You can view my style inspiration board here if you're interested.) My visual inspirations are helping me nail down my style evolution in a more objective way than when I'm struggling in front of the mirror in the mornings, or assessing collections of outfits that I've already worn. A few style observations that probably won't come as a surprise to any of you: I am by no means "over" pussycat bow blouses - or scarves, for that matter. I love long columns of color and contrasting textures. I'm still really into jewel tones. I still love silhouettes that contain waist-defining structure - but I'm also willing to experiment with softer layers. And maybe I need to keep my eye out for a wide cognac belt!
Separating my inspirations also helps me nail down colors that I like in general, vs. colors that I like on me. For example, my preferences for home decor colors are a bit brighter and bolder than what I'd wear on my body. I loooove turquoise with white, and small coral or chartreuse accents, and while my apartment may not look as organized or chic as my inspiration board does, those colors are pretty obvious when you step into my dining/living room. I think that part of the reason I love bright colors in my home is because of where I live; most of the year, the Pacific Northwest tends to be overcast and gray, so there is very little bright natural light indoors. Yet I like darker, richer jewel tones on my body to sort of echo the burgundy-red undertones of my hair - eye-popping bright shades, such as the gorgeous blue sheath dress Angie wore on her 40th birthday, look decent enough on me but not quite as sharp as the darker, closer-to-teal shade I wore during the Dress the Decade challenge in 2011.
I linked to some of my favorite outfits that Angie has featured on YouLookFab as well, and I started searching to see what other users had linked to from YLF. Imagine my surprise to find some of *my* outfits from YLF forum posts included, as well as a great deal of familiar faces from the forum. I guess it really hits home to me that what is posted on the forum is posted in the public light!*
Some of you I already know are using Pinterest because you've mentioned it here, or because we've already ran across each other on the site. For those of you who are using it, what are you learning?
(*I know some forum members are very hesitant about having their images available in public, so not everyone would be pleased by this. However, my personal reaction is surprise and flattery that someone would consider something I posted while sharing my trials & errors to be inspirational. While I don't reveal my full name on forum and only recently started telling family/friends that I'd been posting on the site for years, I'm actually not concerned if someone I know in real life stumbles across my name or image here; I'm careful not to do or say something that would be problematic/compromising if my real life and online identify were connected. Also, the principle behind Pinterest is that it's supposed to be a forum to share inspirations/items that you like; I'd have a very different reaction if I came across my image on a site that was bashing my style or body instead.)
By the way: I've been even more terrible about replying to comments on my blog posts than usual, and I apologize for that. Two weeks ago, I took a spill on my driveway after a chance encounter with some black ice and I've been nursing a sprained wrist ever since. While I can type just fine from my ergonomic work computer, my desk at home is at a fixed height and typing makes me very sore.
