We’ve all been through those “I have nothing to wear” or “I can’t find anything” phases before an upcoming plan. I mean, how stressful is it?

Everyone’s got to that stage where our thumbs physically ache from the endless scrolling through online shopping looking for blazers, crop tops, trousers, accessories and god knows what else. From being a fashion fanatic, looking for outfits is my speciality, so I’d love to share my tips and tricks to avoid hours of searching for your perfect outfit.  

FIND INSPIRATION ON SOCIALS

The first place I start to look for inspiration is social media. This is a personal preference of mine, as I love getting ideas from influencers and am an active user of Instagram, the main hotspot for fast fashion! (Although some days I totally wish I could live without it).

I’ll have a stalk a few of my favourite influencers and then when I feel as though I have a vague vision of certain items I’d like to transform into a look, I do it. But the Instagram scene isn’t for everyone, right? An alternative to this first step is YouTube. Clothes hauls are amazing and informing as they give an honest review (most of the time) and it is easy to gather an idea as to what certain items look like on. Pinterest is the next best place to find inspiration. Not just outfits – everything! 

RELIABLE FASHION RETAILERS

The second step I would suggest is to pick reliable fashion retailers you know you can trust. There is nothing worse than it being a couple days untill a night out or a nice meal and the last-minute top you ordered is poor quality, or the trousers you ordered in your usual size are too small. There is a lot of trial and error in this, to figure out what brands work best for you. Everyone will have a personal favourite, I tend to stick to PrettyLittleThing or Missguided as I know these websites are true to my size, their delivery is reliable, and the refund system is incredibly easy.  

TRENDS

Another great place to start is by researching current fashion trends. What I like to do is to pick a recent trend and shop around this – a lot of online fashion retailers have categories on their websites for this. For example, if I knew I wanted a ‘milkmaid’ style dress or top after seeing their popularity on Instagram, I would go on their separate heading under “trends” and I could see everything that is in that style.  It makes shopping and outfit planning super easy! 

WISH LISTS

Everyone loves saving time, right? Have you ever found something that you weren’t too sure on yet and then when you go back to find it because you’ve finally made your mind up, it can take ages… Instead of this, just add it to a wish list! These are great as whilst you build them up, you can then look back next time, which can give you loads of inspiration. My PrettyLittleThing wish list is endless! But this means that if your constantly sat around waiting for your next payday like I am, all the items you liked from a few weeks ago are still there. 

I hope in a way this breaks down tips to make finding an outfit less stressful, even though I don’t think it will ever be completely stress free… Happy shopping!