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Like…comment…favourite! I am of course referring to the wonderful world of social media. In an age where we are routinely techno savvy, it comes as no surprise that millions of users take to this to update each other on their daily lives. Alongside this of course comes the lucrative exposure, which can be gained for brands to further maximise sales and influence its followers.
Instagram is the ultimate app for escapism and opulence, as image after image of lavish products and clothes can be viewed. Undoubtedly this is a great way to accrue an avid following and have them buy into your vision of fashion, and to take your brand to the next level. 6 months ago I set up an Instagram account and quickly abandoned it, fast forward to the present date and I can’t take myself away from it. It has made me wonder, is it possible to ‘like’ your way into the spotlight?
Well in Cara Delavigne’s case the sure fire answer is yes. From opening catwalks to heading up campaigns, this girl is hot property and it’s all a direct result of social media exposure. Sitting parallel to this is the rise of stylist Darren Kennedy. Well noted for being the feature stylist on ITV’s ‘This Morning’, he further cements his apparent love for fashion with some of his social media updates. This is great for ensuring the consumer in all of us is aware of trends and forecast, but it is also an invaluable tool to further promote himself and his personal style.
I often find inspiration for my own styling through the obvious medium of fashion publications or sites such as style.com, but I am also very susceptible to the ‘stars’ of Instagram. Their thousands of followers are testament to the fact that they are doing something right in the style stakes. This in turn inspires my own looks and sometimes where I shop. Now the cynics out there may see this as following a crowd, but I am far from that. You wouldn’t catch me strolling down the high street looking like a hipster throwback from the 90s, but it is important to gain inspiration from various sources. This is where I feel social media helps by employing the basic idea of styling for men and women alike.
Fashion is generally not the passion of your stereotypical man’s man, but this has evolved immensely over the course of a few years, due in no small part to what they are subjected to daily by Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (well in-between the candy crush requests and pokes). I think it’s great that more and more men have become interested in fashion and no outfit in my eyes is a bad outfit, it’s about practice makes perfect. As I’ve said time and time again, fashion is about expression and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. We don’t all need to be walking around in the same outfit head to toe, that would just be boring.
A few accounts I follow daily and look forward to posts from are: PANTONE (for their beautiful colour forecasts and imagery), URBANOUTFITTERS (for the stunning eclectic mix of photography subjects and fashion stills), as well as many more.
The most important message of all is to remain open minded and to allow yourself, to evolve in a sense of personal style through exposing yourself to as many sources of inspiration as possible. Use social media to your advantage and share your looks, which in turn will culminate in a great sense of trend swapping. Your photos may be the catalyst for another user’s new look, and that, may I add, is a pretty awesome thing.
