The FJ team tried recreating Pinterest looks for a day

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, after all.

Looking at an overflowing wardrobe and feeling like you have nothing to wear is a feeling I know all too well. Often the frustration is born from feeling overwhelmed at the thought of having to put together another work outfit. Other times, it’s just a lack of inspiration.

In these moments, the urge to start from scratch and buy an entirely new wardrobe is tempting. And while treating yourself to something new on occasion can give your wardrobe a new lease on your life, it’s usually only a Band-Aid fix. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised the key is to get creative with what I already own.

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For a while, my prime source of inspiration came from scrolling on TikTok. When I liked someone’s outfit, I’d save it for later. But the trouble there is when I’m bookmarking outfit photos, hair tutorials and Wicked think pieces, my saved folder gets a little messy. Instead, I’ve converted to Pinterest for my style inspiration, creating dozens of boards and grouping them into distinct categories (the Virgo in me was screaming with joy when I dedicated a night to organising this).

It’s helped me to look at my clothes in a new light. I’ve had the same pair of pants for ages and felt like I milked every possible outfit combination with them, until I tried layering them under a dress. To keep the momentum going, I enlisted the Fashion Journal team to recreate (or reinterpret) their favourite Pinterest looks.

Georgina Woolcock, Fashion Journal’s Branded Content and Production Executive

I’m a pretty avid Pinterest user, so recently I’ve been making a conscious effort to use the app to find new ways to style what’s already in my wardrobe. There are so many ways to style basic staples like a striped shirt, which I’d never come up with myself. This outfit is so basic but what appealed to me were all of the details – the oversized cut, rolling the cuffs and the colour-blocking black pants and shoes.

Molly Griffin, Fashion Journal’s Advertising and Partnerships Manager

Pinterest has a chokehold over me at the moment. I love being able to see how other people style things, it always gives me the best ideas for new outfits without having to buy something new. I saw this picture and thought it was such an effortlessly stylish look, plus I had similar pieces I could work with.

I re-created this look with a long white linen maxi dress, my favourite Henne jumper and red LMS flats. I love a monochrome look, especially with a red pop so I liked putting my own little twist on it having matching red shoes rather than black.

Daisy Henry, Fashion Journal’s Assistant Editor

I think I just about nailed this one? I’m not usually one for bright colours in my wardrobe but I love this pink striped Tekla shirt and have surprised myself with how much I wear it. I usually pair it with black trousers for work or jeans on the weekend, but something about these colours together stood out to me. To recreate this look, I paired the shirt with a cream pair of Deiji Studio trousers.

Though I’ve only recently discovered how useful Pinterest is for outfit inspiration, I’m a total convert now. Even if I don’t have the exact pieces in my wardrobe, it’s a helpful jumping off point when you wake up with zero inspiration.

Lara Daly, Fashion Journal’s Features Editor

I’ve been looking for ways to wear my tall boots in summer, so I approached this challenge with an idea in mind. This Pinterest look is called “Summer fit with Adidas shorts and knee-high black boots” and I happened to own all of those things. This is not a normal outfit I’d wear and to be honest, I felt like a bit of a Pinterest fashion victim today.

I’ve never used Pinterest for anything other than collecting makeup references, so this was quite fun – I’ll definitely use it again for inspiration when there’s something specific I want to wear and I’m not sure how.

Giulia Brugliera, Fashion Journal’s Managing Editor

Obviously, I didn’t attempt to recreate this pic but instead used it as a springboard to dress myself this morning. I felt inspired by the overall feel of the image, then made styling alterations to better suit my body, wardrobe and mood. This specific shirt looks much better tucked and I was in a pants-wearing mood today. Digging through my wardrobe for strappy shoes this morning, I was time-poor, so instead, I grabbed my trusty Essen flats.

Jewellery is a big part of this look, so I took out some chunky pieces I’ve collected over the years from my family. The pants are early E Nolan and the shirt is Country Road, and both have been in heavy rotation for years. I really don’t have a lot of clothes in my wardrobe (I’ve only bought two items this year, a pair of sneakers to replace some that were worn out and sunglasses), so I’ve learnt the power of investing in quality pieces and styling effectively.

For more on personal style inspiration, head here.