How to use Pinterest to find fashion inspiration
I'm sure you're all well aware of Pinterest, but I'm constantly surprised at the number of people I meet who know about Pinterest and don't use it. (Whaaaaat?! How could that be?!) For some, online pinboards aren't really their cup of tea--and that's cool! But I've also realized that for those who are into it, Pinterest can be overwhelming if you're just starting to use it and aren't aware of how to find useful pins. There's a lot of junk you probably sort through just to find a few good pins you like--I know this because it happens to me. So, here are a few tips I've learned to make Pinterest work for me and to minimize the time I spend scrolling for that one pin.
Search using specific terms. Have a clothing item that you're having a hard time styling? Want some general inspiration but don't want to deal with lots of irrelevant pins? Try searching with relatively specific terms, i.e. "Navy blazer outfit" or "White denim for spring". The results will show pins with those terms in the caption (not necessarily in the exact order, but in some form) and will likely be much more in line with what you're looking for. Pinterest tends to show the pins with the most repins near the top of the search results, but you won't be scrolling for nearly as long as you would on the general "Women's Fashion" category.
When you find a pin you like, scroll down to see the related pins. Often times these pins have minimal wording and don't show up in search results as easily, so it's easy to miss them, but I've found some gems! Also, you can get caught down a rabbit hole by looking at the related pins, clicking on one of those and then looking at those related pins. It's fun to check out related pins when you're just looking to browse. (The image above shows the related pins under the "White, grey, and blush look" pin on my "Style: spring / summer" board.)
Check out the pinboards that have the same pins you like. Find a pin you like? In addition to pinning it to your own board, check out the board it came from! You may have found someone new to follow. Also, just above the "Related Pins" section, there is a section called "Also on these boards"--clicking on those boards may lead you to discover someone new that shares the same style as you! :) (Don't forget that you don't have to follow every board a pinner has; if you're just into their style, follow only the style boards so your feed isn't too crazy.) Want more? Check out who your favorite pinners follow!
I hope these tips help if you've found yourself overwhelmed with Pinterest but want to get into it. It's super fun and can easily take hours of time if you let it, haha. Let me know if you have any more tips in the comments, and if you'd like, you can follow me here! xo