When You Need Outfit Inspiration, Look to Instagram

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Lost in Translation (2003)(Film still) via @haylondonofficial

These four Instagram accounts are experts in the art of style inspiration

We know by now that you can buy vintage clothes on Instagram in a matter of minutes. But what about the times when you simply require some sartorial inspiration? Taking centre stage today for our Follow Friday instalment are four accounts going above and beyond your average street style or #ootd feeds. Delving into fashion archives for their ultra-chic content, the following artfully curated profiles act as evidence that what goes around most certainly comes around.

@haylondonofficial

Hay London is the brainchild of AnOther’s very own photographic editor Holly Hay. She harbours “a complete obsession with finding the perfect jersey basics,” and that led to her designing some herself – pieces which are “uncomplicated wardrobe classics”. She takes a timeless approach when it comes to the brand’s Instagram too; @haylondonofficial’s feed is made up of achingly cool images of jersey-wearers both modern and vintage.

Jersey inspiration comes by way of Kevin Bacon in Footloose, Kim Kardashian reclining on a sofa, Anjelica Huston shot by Annie Leibovitz, and many more. Hay takes a thematic approach when posting, choosing six images to illustrate a jersey moment; “things like celebs wearing jersey, slogans on jersey, sexy jersey”, found after “a hell of a lot of googling,” she says. But what is it about jersey that Hay so loves? “It’s actually comfortable, so the person wearing it is comfortable, and that’s always cool.”

@shoesinart

@shoesinart is a seemingly endless stream of exquisite footwear, with each example taken from paintings of centuries gone by. If you’re worrying that the pieces in these paintings might not resonate in 2017, then think again; there are gladiator sandals that could very well have come straight off the Chanel Cruise 2018 runway, a pair of ornate and elegant mid-heels that have a touch of Simone Rocha about them, and some mules finished with a silky bow that would look just as at home in The Row’s lookbook as they do on canvas. Proof that however eye-wateringly expensive they may be, shoes really are a timeless investment.  

@shewearsthetrousers

We love to see women wearing the trousers, literally and figuratively, so scrolling through @shewearsthetrousers is a treat. Not only does this account offer styling and shopping inspiration – we’d like to recreate 18-year-old Françoise Sagan’s white trouser, black mule, gingham shirt and v-neck look ASAP – but also a reminder of some very cool and influential women from history. Sagan is a case in point, alongside Tove Jansson painting a fresco in culottes, or Sara Berman radiating effortless chic in a white suit and tartan tie (it works). Summer may be fast approaching, but you’ll find us wearing trousers exclusively for the foreseeable future.

@the_art_of_dress

Cassidy Zachary is the fashion historian behind @the_art_of_dress. The charm of this account is twofold: the featured images depict outstanding and beautiful ensembles and pieces in a true showcase of dressing as an art form, and you’ll feel like a semi-bonafide fashion historian thanks to the fascinating information-laden captions. Images are sourced mainly from the 1910s and cover photography, illustration, paintings and actual garments from storied institutions like New York’s Metropolitan Museum.