Inspiration vs. Imitation

3/3/2015

Click image to see source photo.

I'm taking a style break to write a post featuring my opinion. *gasp* o_O O_o I'm anticipating a lot of people getting butt hurt over this. If the opinions in this post hurt your butt, stop reading immediately and seek medical attention. If you're a follower of my blog and this post hurts your butt, you can unfollow me. It's OK. I hereby release you, so you don't have to feel conflicted or whatevs. OK. Let's get to it.

Click image to see source photo.

Over the years, I have received comments from people who have said things like, "Oh, I love this. Totally going to steal it!" or "I hope you don't mind if I try this look." My typical response is, "Steal away!" I'm super flattered that someone liked my outfit so much that she wanted to wear the same thing. ^_^

However, what if I went to such person's blog and saw my style photo and then right beside that photo was this other person wearing the exact same outfit as me with the tag line: "Outfit inspired by Anna of Melodic, Thrifty & Chic"? By exact outfit, I mean, down to the choice of garments and color. Same color jacket, same color jeans, same color hat. Everything. Can this person really say that the outfit she created was the result of inspiration? My answer to this is 'No.' If you see an outfit you like and then go in your closet and find the same or similar pieces and put those on, you did not create an outfit inspired by another outfit. Instead, you *imitated* an outfit that you saw and liked. Does this make sense? I mean, I think if one or two things are the same, that's not bad. However, if it's the whole outfit?

Click image to see source photo.

In my view, when you are inspired by something, you receive a sudden bout of creative energy. You then take that creative energy and put it to work to build something new and exciting. So, I'm not saying you can't look at a fashion photo and receive inspiration. Much of my inspiration comes from seeing what other fashionistas are doing! Some of my inspiration also comes from lyrics to songs, colors naturally occurring in nature, city lights, etc. Inspiration can come from just about anywhere.

What I'm saying is, whatever your inspiration happens to be, the end result should be something fresh; something new; something that has *your* signature on it. If someone can take one look at what you created and say, 'Oh, you know that reminds me of something this other person wore," then you failed. I'm sorry. I gotta be blunt here. You failed to be unique. That's what makes this whole thing so difficult! It's hard to take something you saw and create something new based on that. So, inspiration outfits can be crazy hard. Not so with re-creations. One simply takes more creativity and thought than the other.

Click image to see source photo.

So, while I would be flattered to see a post featuring one of my styles as "inspiration," I would be offended at the same time, because this person is basically saying she created an original look using mine as inspiration. That's not what the person did, though. She just copied the look. So, it comes down to semantics, really. I've seen other bloggers do similar inspiration posts and I just want to throw out a word of caution. If your outfit looks extremely similar to the one you were "inspired" by, then it's *not* an inspiration look. Also, you would do your blog a disservice by calling it that, because people who see that post could mistakenly think that you lack imagination. You would unintentionally set yourself back.

Click image to see source photo.

In the photos above, I try to demonstrate the difference between inspiration and imitation. In one photo, you will see the outfit that inspired me. In the other photo, you will see the result of that inspiration. You might be able to immediately pick out the parts that inspired me or you might not. Sometimes, the things that get my creative juices flowing are very subtle. Anyway, I want you to see that the outfits I created are not the *exact same* as the ones from which I drew inspiration. This is my point.

Click image to see source page.

Are you a bad person for doing a re-creation? No! If you want to do a f*cking re-creation outfit, knock yourself out! There is nothing wrong with that. :D People read fashion magazines, see a celebrity look and naturally want to look like that celebrity by wearing the exact same thing. Fashion blogs routinely show pictures of fashionistas with collages of clothing you can buy in order to achieve the same look.

Re-creations happen all the time and they are even encouraged by retailers. No big deal! I'm just asking for people to be aware of what they are doing and how those actions can be perceived. If you're doing a re-creation on your blog, say so! If you say your look is the result of inspiration from some other source, then I think you should be very careful. Make sure the end result is sufficiently unique. If you find yourself saying, "I want to incorporate those elements into my outfit," then also ask, "but how can I do that without creating the exact same look?" Therein lies the test of creativity born of inspiration!

Thank you for reading and I hope your butt is not injured. :P Comments are welcome! <3

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♫ Thank you so much for your comments! Though I may not respond to each one, I read and appreciate all of them! ♫

24 Comments

KizzyDoll link

3/3/2015 03:14:12 am

I completely get what your saying and i completely agree with it 100%!! It's exactly what I try saying, there is a difference between inspiration and copying!! xx

Charlotte link

3/3/2015 04:42:17 am

My butt definitely does not hurt! It's so refreshing to hear an honest bloggers true opinions. You go girl!!

captaincharghley.blogspot.com

Suzanne link

3/3/2015 04:55:51 am

I also find this when looking at "retro inspired" clothing. Often they simply take a piece of clothing that is retro and recreate the exact piece of clothing using cheaper fabrics with less detail and dubious craftsmanship. That is why I prefer real vintage or retro if I can get it.

Inspiration and recreation are most certainly not the same thing.

bisous
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com

Kristian link

3/6/2015 01:35:49 pm

That is something I hadn't really considered if reproduction clothing items are inherently copying things. (though I do remember reading a rather interesting post from a blogger who wears mostly repo stuff about knock offs of designers and she used the example of a sweater from Von Tease....) I always figured that most were inspired by the styles and prints but never considered if they were actually remaking old designs. Interesting to consider.

Or do you mean bloggers/people who wear vintage/reproduction items?

Suzanne link

3/3/2015 04:58:10 am

That should have read imitation rather than recreation ; )

bisous
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com

Anabela C link

3/3/2015 05:53:00 am

Non taken!
I totally get your point. And how you re-create your style is how I try to create mine.
Come on people, don't you know the difference?
Love your style! Keep it up girl
xoxox

Karolina link

3/3/2015 06:05:37 am

yes, that totally does make sense to me. Totally agree!

JackalopeJackalope link

3/3/2015 06:13:22 am

Ohhhh this was an interesting read! What words you use is so important when it comes to things like sources and intellectual property. It's like the difference between DisneyBound and Cosplay--both require skill and are great, but there's a discernible difference (sorry to use such a geeky reference).

Denise link

3/3/2015 06:30:35 am

Hi, dear Anna! I love your style, you know that! I tried to buy the denim hooded coat, I told you and did buy the mittens' coat, as I call it :) It's a cape with mittens as pockets. I would never immitate or copy a whole look, and I am not offended, definitely not, I totally understand you - but now when I wear the cape I will be afraid to copy your look! Cause a cape is pretty much about it, not about what is underneath! I promise I will do all I can in order to look different, but as I said, a cape is about a cape, the piece that is outstanding. I really hope you don't mind! I normally never buy what other friends wear, but that cape was saying "buy me, buy me!" I really loved it! Other than that, I totally understand you. Another blogger friend told me one of these days that someone without any shame copied her outfits more than once, and as for me, not my outfits, but other things were copied as well. And I felt like you said "Oh, please, can't you think by yourself?" But what could I do, I wouldn't talk to the person, because the person would dismiss me saying she didn't do anything - a very hard-headed person, very proud and full of herself. So, I left the subject and for a while it got better :) I hope no one copies you anymore! It's being the way we all are that makes us special people, everyone in this world! Hope you have a beautiful day and I loved your post!
DenisesPlanet.com

Anna

3/4/2015 10:02:01 am

Omgosh! Don't even worry about things like that! I really don't mind if someone wears the same outfit as me or if it's strikingly similar. I would just take issue with such a person saying that it was an original outfit inspired by another source or if the person didn't even say she was inspired and just passed it off as something she though of herself. That would be disingenuous, IMO.

Your style is very unique, Denise! I don't think you'd run the risk of copying me if you wore that denim coat. I'd love to see the ways in which you wear it! :D <3

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Effie link

3/3/2015 06:32:20 am

I totally agree! Inspiration drives for the new creation, not
imitation! Amen!

Rebecca link

3/3/2015 06:05:31 pm

This is an amazing and thought provoking post! :D I absolutely 100% agree with you, so you're preaching to the choir here.

I love all of the looks above and the inspired looks that you created. It's awesome to get a bit more insight about your fashion thinking and as I think you are an incredible and often inspiring blogger, it's great to see what inspires YOU! :D

-Rebecca
Idealism never goes out of fashion
http://mn2nz.wordpress.com

Anna

3/4/2015 10:10:32 am

Hush! <3

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Danika Maia link

3/3/2015 06:56:40 pm

It's amazing how you can recreate these looks so perfectly and still keep your unique vibe in there! Also amazing that you are fluent in Japanese wow. Do you still live there?

http://www.danikamaia.com

Anna

3/4/2015 10:06:41 am

That's the trick! Hehe. Sometimes it takes a god awful amount of thinking and other times the pieces I decide to throw together just come to me. It's all about that thought process, though, which I believe is absent from a mere imitation outfit.

Oh, I lived there many years ago. I'm back in the states! Also, I'm nowhere near fluent! My goodness. Heh. I would say I'm proficient. I can talk about most things in Japanese, but once the topics get into the areas of religion and politics, I feel like I'm babbling like a child. Haha. Japanese news and other television programs are still hard for me to follow. My vocabulary just isn't up to that level. I practice whenever I can, though!

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skye link

3/4/2015 01:30:16 am

I think it's worth noting that different people may have very different ideas of what inspiration entails. What one person may see as a complete copy, someone else might see as merely a nod, because they're focused on different things and noticing more minute differences. I'm reminded of the typical straight dude thinking all his partner's dresses look the same - he would probably think I'm imitating the same outfit day after day, but I see more subtle differences.

I guess what I'm saying is to remember that no two people will see an outfit the same way. :)

Anna

3/4/2015 10:15:29 am

That's true. Hence the saying, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." As long as the person (a) knows that this is what she is doing (i.e. that she is wearing an imitation) and (b) doesn't try to pass off the outfit as the result of original thought, there's no problem.

I think that some bloggers might misapprehend the difference between imitation and inspiration and unintentionally garner negativity as a result. I just want to make sure that they're aware of how their actions may be perceived, even when they have the best of intentions.

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Keit link

3/4/2015 05:37:57 am

Oh my, you're sharing your opinion, noooooooo, take it back! :-D Enough with politically correct bloggers, sometimes it's good to have a break from all the lovey dovey tone.
I think people do a lot of those things subconsciously. I don't remember if I ever copied someone's outfit idea, but I bet it must have happened for my 3 years of blogging :-D I try to find my own identity through clothing and my own style though, so I intentionally steer away from getting too inspired and stealing something :-D

Anna

3/4/2015 10:21:06 am

Yeah, dude. I mean, I'm sure a lot of this stuff happens unconsciously. It's possible that I've worn the exact same thing as some other blogger half way across the world in the exact same week. Hehe. Was I trying to copy her? No, of course not. So, yeah. You bring up a good point, which is that sometimes people think alike and that can lead to very similar looking outfits.

However, if you post an outfit featuring someone else's style and say you were inspired by it and then produce the result of your inspiration and the style you came up with is strikingly similar, there's a problem. That goes beyond just mere coincidence and it shows a possible misunderstanding of what it means to be inspired. So, that's really the crux of the post.

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Kreyola

3/6/2015 11:19:00 am

Shoot...now I need to double check to see if I ever did this. I think I did an outfit post about that, but I use that one inspire me because that what I honstly thought people use to show they copy that look from a fellow blogger.

I do know this...the outfit I did was inspirited by the fellow blogger, but I did make it my own, so the outfit look different and did not look like hers as you describe as your example.

Your outfits on the other hands look NOTHING like the outfit that inspired your creation. So for now...I'm just going to just put clothes on and mix colors, because I really don't have much time to worry about if someone did a similar outfit or not lol. Great post...I really enjoyed reading it.

http://www.kreyolasjourneys.com/

Anna

3/7/2015 12:43:52 am

Haha. I got a kick out of that last paragraph. <3 You really shouldn't worry! I mean we all do certain things unconsciously and we can't help that. I just wanted to raise awareness about what I think is a fine line between outfits created from ingenuity and outfits that are nothing more than a carbon copy of the original.

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Kristian link

3/6/2015 01:44:12 pm

Anna, such an interesting post not the least because it is interesting to see how your outfits have been inspired and seeing the difference.

One of the thing occurred to me when you brought up the magazine's "Steal the Look" series that are so common. I've always found they way you approach dressing as the mindset of an artist (one of the reasons I love to read your blog) and therefore what you wear it a creation. Yet, the magazines' "Steal the Look" (and many other things) show that many others approach it with a very different view. I wonder if that influences what some would feel was recreation vs. inspiration and also if it influences how much they are even aware of a difference in that.

Don't mean to ramble, but, a very thoughtful post; thanks for sharing it!

Anna

3/7/2015 01:00:05 am

Hehe. Nah, man. You're not rambling. I see what you're trying say and I respect the potential difference in view points on this subject. I wouldn't say that there is anything morally wrong with imitation outfits. Sometimes, for me, it takes a lot of thinking to figure out how to put together something clever and then to try to do that every single day is exhausting. Unless you're naturally gifted at that sort of thing (I think many, many people are), it's not something that busy people will prioritize. So, having a style guru or fashionista basically tell you, 'hey, this is a style that works and you can get this look immediately,' is extremely appealing. It saves time and I'm all for that!

The only thing that would annoy me is a situation where someone copied a ready-made outfit and then expressed the belief that s/he created an original outfit from inspiration. I think that this crosses a line and it's unfair to the ones who actually gave it a real try (e.g. they thought about it, experimented with new things, and stayed true to their personal aesthetic). As you know, I like transparency and my hope is that there would be more of that from bloggers, in this instance. That's all. ^_^

I appreciate the things you said about me, too. Thank you! <3

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Hannah link

3/14/2015 06:48:38 am

I just want to say, my butt feels fine, and I think this is a really good point to bring up. And your photo comparisons are not only perfect evidence to your point, I'm now thinking about how I do this and aspire to do more of it in my own dressing. I can see how you pulled ideas from your inspiration photos, and your outfits have a sort of paired aesthetic, but they're yours and totally yours. I like how deliberate you are. And THAT's something I'd like to steal, rather than any exact outfits you've created.

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Hi! I'm Anna <3

I'm fond of artistic fashion, esoteric music, retro games (the older the platform, the better), delectable noms, good libations, my Maine Coon, Bonaparte, and my Tabby, Winsome.

Also, I attended university in Hyogo Prefecture and I am proficient in Japanese.

もし、あなたは日本語が話せる、あたしに日本語で話て下さい！練習が必要だ！*^_^*

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