Be in Style - Fashion and Beauty

Confessions of a Style Stalker

The next time you are staring at your closet thinking that you have nothing to wear or wondering how you can drastically change your appearance from schlump to cool kid, do a little exploring to see what you think looks good on other people. Don’t bother with what fashion spreads, popular culture, and designers are trying to force feed you. What looks good on an airbrushed body of perfect proportions usually doesn’t translate well into the real world.

Among my favorite places to go for style ideas are style stalker sites (aka: street fashion ported to the internet). Even if it’s a bunch of stuff I would never wear, it’s always reassuring to know that other people are taking creative risks so I can safely live vicariously through them. On the other hand, you might get inspired to try something new and fun with your daily wardrobe. Take these girls above. Call me crazy, but I like their outfit. I would never think to wear a combination like that and even if I did, I wouldn’t have the guts to go out in public like that. That said, I am now secretly debating when I should wear my black cropped leggings and a striped smock to work.

For your handy reference, I’ve compiled a list of my top 3 stalk-worthy fashion sites:

1. Vogue UK’s Street Chic: Photographers hunt down interesting and well dressed people from the streets of England and profile them. Each person provides their name and profession, provides a couple sentences about designers they like, their overall style, and where they like to shop. They pick specific items on their body to talk about, usually things that are unique or have a story attached to them.. The section is organized by the names of areas and streets in England.
2. Japanese Street Style: This site features outfits every week from five districts in Tokyo (Shibuya, Harajuku, Ginza, Omotesando, Daikanyama). I love the wackiness and flair. It’s quirky but not too over the top either. There’s a good balance of different styles represented.
3. Hel Looks: From the streets of Helsinki. This is an awesome hobby site that has a nice clean layout, is well-designed and easy to browse. Big, clear, artistic photographs, and no advertising.

Have fun stalking!

Sherry Feng
Researcher