Looking through Ruby Stocktons Instagram could be likened to finding a cheat code on how to be chic. Professional photoshoots mingle with candids, landscapes find themselves next to fruits, and earth-tones mesh with bright pops of color. It is clear that Ruby is no stranger to her personal aesthetic—she is majoring in branding after all.
The Savannah College of Art and Design student is currently spending her semester abroad- this time it’s southern France. Surrounded by history, art and love languages there is no shortage of ideas.
Her effortless chic wasn’t always effortless, Ruby can pinpoint the second she started becoming invested in compiling her own sense of style. “I think I started to find my style when I started watching nineties television. I remember standing waiting for my carpool at 7:30 am before eighth grade one morning and deciding to watch Friends on my iPhone 7+,” Ruby laughed, “I loved Monica and Rachel’s washed Levi’s 501s, pleated trousers, stolen button-downs, chunky knit sweaters, penny loafers, and silly graphic baby tees.”
Her wardrobe didn’t change overnight immediately after that moment, but she realized she had to the power to change it. Ruby explained that though she was seeking out inspiration for years –through shows like Sex and the City and Scandinavian influencer Matilda Djerf— but she only found the push to actually start dressing like her inspo last year.
“I find incredible amounts of inspiration and spend egregious amounts of time stalking art, design, clothes, bags, future homeware, travel,” Ruby said, “I love Pinterest, but I also have a strategy of looking at Instagram instead and creating folders. I have folders from every month from when you could create folders in, I think 2019, and they encapsulate every month’s inspiration.”
A striped blue and white linen long-sleeved shirt, straight-leg white jeans, and a classic white loafer. None of these pieces particularly stand out alone, and if not utilized correctly could ruin an outfit. Yet they are harmonious to Ruby and the aesthetics she has blended has her own.
In today’s fast fashion discourse, there are millions of different ways someone could find inspiration. With social media booming and more and more influencers joining daily, it can get overwhelming trying to find your personal style.
But it’s not just an outfit on TikTok or Instagram. “I think we forget that clothing inspiration comes from more than just textiles,” she says, “I am constantly finding inspiration for what to wear in nature, food design, interior decoration, graphic design, architecture.”
She shows me Pinterest board among Pinterest board of beautiful homes, jewelry, nature, and any other knick-knack she deems worthy. You can tell a lot about a person about their Pinterest board—or so it’s been explained.Â
With an oversaturation of brands, websites, and social media shops, it seems there are so many places to get clothes. Ruby admits that she treats herself to a brand name clothes, but she also has mastered the art of thrifting. “I think that there is so much joy in finding unique pieces, as well as finding items that are handmade or have a story. It’s also super affordable, which is important to me as someone on a college budget,” she says.
Though there is a completely new army of fashion-lovers that utilize thrifting, Ruby explains that the best fashion doesn’t come from just one source. She scrolls through pages she follows on Instagram and students at SCAD and how their styles have impacted her thought process behind pairing clothes.
When asked about what advice she would give to those starting their personal fashion journey she kept it simple, “Wear what is true to you, but stay influenced and stay inspired.”
She looked around (probably scanning the room for more inspiration) and gave some parting words:
“May be cheesy, but be yourself, and wear your clothes with intention. The difference between a good outfit and an okay one is the confidence of the person wearing it.”