Sick of not being able to decide what to wear? Selecting the right outfit can be a really difficult task for everyone! You need to be able to dress suitably for each situation, according to the weather, and be able to style each look with the right accessories. This is why so many brands have begun to introduce lookbooks to their platforms – a selection of photos showing the potential buyers what they could pair a certain garment with. Whether that be via Instagram or on their website, usually further linking customers to more of their products – the perfect marketing tool!
It could be argued that the lookbooks trend originated from the late 18th century, with the reign of Marie Antoinette, well known for her interest in fashion and the arts. The general public aspired to her and her appearance, and her dressmaker, Rose Bertin carried around dolls adorned with the latest fashions. “Fashion plates” as they were later known became more popular with the introductions of such magazines as Vogue in 1916 and Harper’s Bazaar in 1867, although the trends still were heavily inspired by France. Even to this day, these publications still heavily influence fashion and trends.
The lookbook trend of the twenty first century has to be accredited to fashion bloggers, showing normal people like me and you how they dress, where they got each piece from and providing style advice. I used to want to dress like the people I saw online, and I knew exactly where I could get the same things! Even nowadays, I look to other peoples’ styles for inspiration, usually via Instagram and fashion accounts I follow on Twitter. I often save images to a Pinterest board so I can later search for similar items (and I always do this sustainably via Depop!), and divide up depending on seasons.
Taken from TopShop’s Instagram
As mentioned, Vogue is still a great source of style inspiration, with endless look books and wishlists on how to achieve this season’s top trends. Even through videos, looking into a celebrity’s wardrobe can be a type of look book to provide you with style inspiration (and helps you to be nosey!), check out their 73 questions series. Most brands also utilise their Instagram platform as a look book of sorts, directly linking the customer to the exact items shown in the photos, and often taken from “normal” people / influencer’s accounts to make the viewer resonate with them and their style.
If you feel stuck on how to dress for the day, try to create your own look book with what you already own – think Cher from Clueless. Preparing outfit ideas to help in every situation means you will never be stuck again! It also helps when searching for the perfect new and timeless piece to add to your wardrobe! There are several apps out there that can help you with this, simply allowing you to swipe through your options and categorise what you own.
We have created a small look book to give you inspiration to kickstart your 2021 look, for every occasion! Take a look at some of our brands below…
– Written by Amelia Butler