The internet has proven over the years to be a veritable grab-bag for the the stylistically inclined. On one hand, consumers have access to products, advice, etiquette tips and countless other useful items to further their fashion arsenal and knowledge. But, the web has also given us people making fashion statements such as this guy:
The Perez Hiltons of the world notwithstanding, the internet has also allowed any idiot (like me) to share their thoughts and impart their style wisdom to anyone lending their computer screen and cable connection. Some of it has proven to be dramatic and iconic, such as Wikipedia providing history of fashion and designers and materials at the snap of a finger; while others we could have certainly done without, such as thefashionpolice.net, who, in their opinion, point out the obvious and not-so-obvious fashion mistakes of the rich and sometimes not-so-rich and famous. Like when they told us all that something called a “Witch Dress” does not look terribly desirable. Um, you didn’t a website to convince me of that.
But look long enough, and you will certainly find the gems that exist in cyberspace; the sites that can benefit the savvy shopper and provide guidance through your fashion faux pas. A lot of what I have gleaned has been through a computer – and recently, I have been introduced to just a little bit more.
Here are three recommended sites for those curious about all things tyle:
The Sartorialist is a celebration of style blog written by Scott Schuman, also of GQ. There is nothing terribly ground-breaking about the premise of this blog, but its simplicity and thoughtfulness is what makes it so unique. Have you ever wondered about the best real-life fashion that cities like Paris, New York and Milan have to offer? Schuman will take you to those places armed with nothing more than a digital camera and his brief thoughts on the subject. Taking pictures of regular people on the street that he admires for their boldness and creativity in style, Schuman documents them on his website, and will sometimes write a word or two, but many times just let commenters tell the story of the subject and make notes on their style. Often the comments for one photo will be in the hundreds.
His latest round of photographs are from Australia and include this gentleman, with the photo entitled “The Tailor of Chapel Street:”
Photo property of Schott Schuman - www.thesatorialist.com
Another website I was turned on to lately is Shop Style. If you are a little bit OCD, like me, you love lists and organization. With style, especially online style, it is hard to manage and keep it compartmentalized. What do I like? What is new? What’s on sale? It never ends.
But, with Shop Style, in the mold of an Amazon Wish List or something similar, all you need to do is create an account and then you can search the tens of thousands of products and labels and deals they have, which draw from all over the web, to find your favorites. All that is required is that you scroll over the item you prefer and it will prompt you to buy or to add to your favorites or your wish list. I first looked at sunglasses as an example. Currently, there are 81 pages with 12 pairs of sunglasses per page at which to look. And that’s just the beginning.
Browsers can search through clothes, bags, accessories, outerwear, big & tall, or anything that meets your fancy. All of it is fully customizable by price range, brand, color, size, on sale, etc. It is one of the most convenient and comprehensive resources I have found for shopping and browsing. The wish list serves as a perfect place for something looking for a gift who does not want to ask or pry. The favorites section lets you create looks and outfits and styles that match your own preferences. You can see how items look together before purchasing.
Many may wonder, “is it just cheap stuff, or maybe it’s just the ultra-expensive items?” I can assure you the range is quite broad. Just looking under the pants section shows that there is a range of pants from $12 to over $1700 – with about 2500 to choose from.
Last week, I get an email from my wife inviting me to join something called Shop It To Me. After a filling out the requisite info, taking less than two minutes, I was up and running on a site that sends you emails as often as you choose about items that are on sale online in your size and from your favorite brands.
You see, when you sign up, you are asked to fill in all of your sizes for shirts, shoes, pants, etc. as well as at least 10 of your favorite brands/designers. You are then asked your preference on how often you would like to receive emails (I selected Mondays and Thursdays) and you immediately get your first round of on-sale items emailed to you.
After signing up, you can easily go back and change sizes, select additional brands, add women’s clothes (if you are looking for a gift or something), and browse deals. Essentially, you are telling the site to send you all the sale items from your favorite retailers instead of searching through each site individually, undoubtedly taking up more time.
Here is a sample screen grab for what you will receive – sorry, women is the only sample they have:
As you can see, they offer brands that are considered luxury as well as brands that are imminently affordable. Whenever I end up buying something through the site, I will update with my experience and how it went.
Happy surfing!
