Making Pinterest a Reality: The Art of Utilizing Inspiration While Maintaining Originality

Written by Clare Bodine

The term “doom scrolling” describes one getting sucked into their social media feeds for hours on end. While this can happen pretty easily on TikTok or Instagram, a more unique, “doom scroll” I find myself a victim of is Pinterest. 

A feed filled with my current wants and interests makes my imagination run wild, and I find myself plotting how to reinvent my entire life in the middle of the night. On Pinterest, my personal profile features boards filled with outfits for every possible occasion.

While I love crafting my own boards and searching to find unique pieces, it is often difficult to make these visions a reality. How can we utilize social media and inspirational pictures to meet our goals?

First, what is it that makes certain pictures or aesthetics so appealing when scrolling? What makes one save something or spend more time analyzing it?  It could be attention to detail or how well the outfits fit into recent trends. Maybe the photos feature a style so unique you can’t help but pin it to your board hoping to recreate in the future. Understanding why we are drawn to specific looks can help us narrow down our search while shopping online or in person and get out of the “doom scroll.”

Pinterest has a “shop the look” feature, making it easy for people to recreate looks without even leaving the app. This is perfect for those who want a quick and simple start to elevating their style giving them inspiration at the palm of their hands.

While this method is reliable, it could lack authenticity or a personal flair. Thrifting offers an exciting alternative. Constantly growing in popularity among Gen Z, thrifting is all about creating a vision and making it a reality. It also has environmental benefits such as reducing carbon emissions and providing an alternative to fast fashion. At the thrift store, many items on the rack look questionable at first, but can be effectively styled or accessorized. 

It can be difficult to thrift when looking for particular items, because you never know what you are going to find. While utilizing inspiration pictures, it is smart to go in with an idea but not get set on finding an exact piece. Going into it with a loose idea of what you want leaves room for unique pieces, accessories included. By finding something similar and styling it on your own, it can add a personal twist to an popularized outfit that has been frequently seen on social media.

A craft many often forget is the idea of shopping your own closet. Dig out that sweater you’ve never worn but were hesitant to get rid of, or that skirt that once seemed out of style but now is coming back. Easily enough, you can list items you no longer wear and make a profit. The possibilities are endless and you will be surprised at what you can find and what you can repurpose.

Using Pinterest and other social media as a form of fashion inspiration can easily walk a line of imitation. Are we really embracing our true style if so many of our choices precisely reflect what we see online? I would argue yes. Pinterest offers a personalized curation of all the pictures we choose to interact with and organize into boards. It is up to us how we combine and individualize the variety of media we intake.  

Edited by Claudia Rothberg, Ava Palmieri, Isabella Zapata and Polly Drebin