A closet full of clothes and nothing to wear? We all have those days when nothing seems to work. But, there are plenty of go-to places to get new outfit ideas which might just have you falling back in love with the pieces in your closet again.
It may be that you actually have all of the pieces you need to make an outfit, or that actively searching for inspiration could also help you to figure out what you may be missing from your closet.
Here are the best sources of inspiration for those times when you feel totally uninspired when you open your wardrobe doors.
Outfit ideas on Pinterest
Pinterest may fall below other social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube when it comes to the number of users. But, it’s one of the best places on social media for fashion inspiration.
There are more than four billion fashion related pins, so you should definitely find something you like. You can “pin” the images you find which inspire you – kind of like a virtual scrapbook, so you can keep everything in one place to refer to.
However, because there is such a wealth of content, it can be overwhelming. A great first port of call is the 40+ Style Pinterest board, where you’ll find all the images from the 40+ style articles as well as pins we have found inspirational.
@workinglook
It goes without saying that the behemoth of social media can be both a source of inspiration and a sounding board when it comes to fashion choices.
Members of the 40+ Style Club have a dedicated, completely private Facebook group to take part in training, interact and to try out new ideas.
Meanwhile, there is also the 40+ Style Community Facebook where you can see posts from stylish 40+ women. How they put together their outfits could give you some ideas of your own.
Plus, when you do put an outfit together, you can post your own photos, and get helpful, constructive feedback from other members. Go on, be brave and post a photo of your own, if you haven’t already.
@jennysuemakeup
Fashion bloggers
It can be easy to think that style is something that is harder for women over 40 to achieve.
And, while I would agree that younger women may be more likely to wear fashion trends, I firmly believe that women in their 40s and beyond can definitely have more style.
We have more life experience, we know who we are, we can be more comfortable in our own skins, and all of that makes us better able to create, define and refine our own styles.
You’ll find a list of favorite 40+ bloggers here. Some of the best to follow include the Accidental Icon Lyn Slater and Judith Boyd, aka the Style Crone.
@iconaccidental
@stylecrone
Interviews with 40+ women
Sometimes, rather than just looking at photos, finding out more about why a woman has a particular style, how it has evolved over the years, how it suits her lifestyle and her personality, can really help not just to understand more about why she dresses the way she does, but to take a new look at your own style.
You’ll find plenty of fantastic style interviews here, where each interviewee addresses questions about important components of their style, what inspires their own outfit choices, favorite brands and how their style has changed after 40.
@_stylishparadox@notdeadyetstyle
The stylish women of Instagram
Of course, because it is such a visual medium, Instagram can be a great place to find beautiful images of stylish women who you may relate to.
To help you find the best women to follow, here is the 40+ Style round-up of 100 fabulously stylish Instagrammers, who are in the middle stages of their lives.
You will find women with all sorts of styles, including those who dress casually, formally, who are work-ready, classic, bohemian and eclectic.
Perhaps if you are struggling with your own outfit choices, you may just find one of these women wearing an outfit which you want to emulate in your own way.
@beatrixost @fashiononthe4thfloor
Stylish 40+ celebrities
I’m thrilled that older women seem to be getting the recognition they deserve recently.
For example, actresses including Isabella Rossellini and Monica Bellucci walked the Spring 2019 catwalk for Dolce and Gabbana, while Cher has shot back into the limelight with her role in Mamma Mia! Here we go again, Glenn Close is winning critical acclaim with The Wife, and Helen Mirren is starring in HBO’s Catherine the Great.
Whether you identify with a girl-next-door casual style such as that of Jennifer Aniston, or you like the eclectic style of Sarah Jessica Parker, you will find plenty of ideas by looking at what your favorite style icons wear.
Here is a round-up of articles showing how to dress like your favorite celebrity.
Monica Bellucci
Victoria Beckham
Image source: Vogue
Diana Vreeland
Linda Fargo
Christine Lagarde
Jennifer Aniston
Image Source: Vogue
Sarah Jessica Parker
Lauren Hutton
Image source: Vogue
The Duchess of Cambridge
Image source: Vogue
Emmanuelle Alt
Diane von Furstenberg
Ines de La Fressagne
Yasmin Sewell
Carine Roitfeld
From the people around you
How much do the people around you – whether your friends, family or colleagues – influence your style?
While what suits your hourglass friend may not look as good on you if you are a rectangle, or what looks great on your redhead sister may make you look washed out, there’s no reason not to take inspiration from the people you see or meet.
It’s natural to see a stylish woman and to want to look just as good. It may be that you take just one element of their style to elevate your own, such as wearing a statement necklace, or wearing bright shoes with a neutral outfit.
For more food for thought, take a look at this piece on how much you adapt your style to the people around you.
@va_fashionista
@jtouchofstyle
Want help with your style?
Great style doesn’t happen by accident. Why else would just about every celebrity employ a stylist; at least for their red carpet events.
A stylist can help you to really think about your own style, whether you are 100% happy with it, what works for you and your lifestyle, and what doesn’t, and what suits both your personality and your body shape.
And, while a stylist can definitely help to give you focus, you can be your own stylist! In our style course 21 Steps to a More Stylish You, you will learn everything you need to know to style yourself and always have something great to wear. You will have your own personal stylist too throughout the course!
Where do you get your style inspiration from? How do you come up with outfit ideas? Let me know in the comments below.
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