I Tried 3 Personal Styling Apps–Here’s What Happened
I want to start off by saying I am very passionate about fashion, and absolutely love getting dressed in the morning!
But, there comes a time when I get stumped on what to wear or how to style a piece of clothing. And, I'm not alone. Even the most stylish celebrities have confessed to having the fashion version of a writer's block.
(Photo Credit: Angela Waye via Shutterstock)
Luckily for me and anyone else who's ever struggled with getting dressed for school, picking out a dress for prom, or figuring out what to wear on a date, there are a slew of personal styling apps that offer personal, at-home styling with the touch of a finger. I decided to try out three that had the best reviews: Tipster, StyleIt and Snap + Style. I'd like to note that I used these only on my iPhone, not on a computer, so the website experience might differ from the app experience. I created profiles for each app, explored the different features, and of course, gave them each the same two pieces to style. Here are my findings.
1. Tipster
– Not free
– Fast advice
– OK styling suggestions
Tipster was the first app I tried out. Signing up was simple and easy–you can choose to make a profile or skip right ahead to styling. I made a profile, which lead me through a series of questions about my style, brands, fashion icons and…my height and weight, which I thought was unique and would be helpful to the stylist, but I sort of didn't want to input such highly classified info into an app. But oh well. I haven't seen anything leaked on the internet about my height and weight so, all good. ????
Tipster is free to download, but if you want any styling advice, you have to cough up some cash. They offer "Instant Advice," which costs $1.99 for 10 minutes, and you can ask the stylist as many questions as you want within the time frame; and, a "Consultation" with a huge range in prices. I went with the Instant Advice, and I managed to squeeze in about 10 questions and got advice from digital stylist Abbey.
I'd like to note that when I first tried to get Instant Advice, it said that no stylists were available. So, I tried again a few minutes later and stylist Abbey popped up, but she was the only one. As a user who is paying for a service, I would have liked to have a choice between several stylists so I could have the option of picking someone who's style I identified with.
The kicker came at the end: I couldn't figure out how to stop the service because there isn't an "end" button. I went into a slight state of panic, already having visions of a huge Tipster bill because I forgot to end my Instant Advice session. Turns out it ends automatically so don't get worried!
Let's talk styling. Since this app isn't inspiration based, I took a screen shot of our whole convo for you to read.
(via Tipster)
Challenge A: The Orange Dress
I wanted to give them something challenging, so I went with a high-neck, orange, trapeze dress.
Abbey got the major color tones right. Pink is a nice compliment to orange, as is teal. I liked her direction to add a nude heel with a pink bag, because the dress is knee length and a leg-lengthening nude shoe is a great suggestion for my height. Also, given the bag and shoe options I sent her, she selected the best combination: a bright blue clutch and white heels. I also like that she asked for the type of event I was going to.
Challenge B: The Hawaiian Print Shirt
Sure, this is kind of whacky, and most people probably don't have a vintage Hawaiian shirt hanging in their closet. But, it's still a printed shirt at the end of the day, and selfishly, I've been puzzled on styling this piece, so I was curious to see what she came up with.
The styling Abbey gave me above is a bit wonky. Abbey suggested I style my Hawaiian shirt with shorts in "any of the colors in the shirt (orange, green or a purple color even.)" I love a monochromatic moment, but I'm not wearing orange or green shorts ever–sorry–and definitely not with this top! She also suggested I tie the Hawaiian shirt around my waist which would be an interesting idea if the shirt actually had long enough arms…
2. StyleIt
– Free
– Fast
– Inspirational
This one is free, and the easiest to set up. In fact, you don't even need to make a style profile. StyleIt is inspiration based, and there is never a real, live person talking to you. I was skeptical. The whole app is intended to give you outfit inspo, and I liked scrolling through the trending feed, where beautiful photos are categorized by hashtags like #spring, along with clothing categories. It's almost like Instagram in a way. You can also shop on this app which I thought was pretty cool. When it came to styling advice, all I had to do is take a picture of my clothing item, and instantly StyleIt gave me 3-7 outfit ideas. Okay, so let's get to the challenges.
Challenge A: The Orange Dress
Outfit 1:
Outfit 2:
Outfit 3:
Outfit 4:
(via StyleIt)
They didn't have the best suggestions for the orange dress. I don't live for the mismatched neutral accessories or the black thigh highs (way too Halloween-y for me), but I did think the navy dressed up look was a nice suggestion. Overall, my least favorite styling.
Challenge B: The Hawaiian Print Shirt
Outfit 1:
Outfit 2:
Outfit 3:
Outfit 4:
(via StyleIt)
I absolutely loved their suggestions for the Hawaiian print shirt. The first look was edgy, with black leather pants and a denim vest. The second was quirky, and I enjoy the idea of pairing this top with another funky print, like a floral shoe. They gave me five options total, and I honestly think they are all good suggestions. Funny enough, I think all of these options were some of the strongest ideas I received.
3. Snap + Style
– Free
– Great styling ideas
– Not as fast
Snap + Style was the third and final app that I tried out. Like Tipster, Snap + Style has you create a style profile that also asked for my height and weight. Snap + Style is a mix of the first two apps, it has inspiration, but also has real stylists giving me feedback. I loaded both clothing items, the dress and the shirt, into the app to get styled. The first thing I noticed is that it was not nearly as fast or instant as the first two. In fact, it took my first stylist Michelle more than 15 minutes to give me my outfit for my Hawaiian shirt, and stylist Brittany well over 30 minutes for my orange dress look. This is definitely not the app to use if you are in a time crunch before school, work or a date. However, I think overall, Snap + Style gave the most stylish advice, and I love that they explain why they chose what they did. Also, if I was unhappy with the outfits, Snap + Style has the options "Needs Work" or "Not My Style" for the stylist to try again. My notes below!
Challenge A: The Orange Dress
(via Snap + Style)
Besides taking forever in comparison to the two prior apps, I was very happy with the outfit Brittany put together. She chose neutral wedges, a white bag, and a pair of great tassel earrings. I liked that she gave me hair and makeup suggestions, too, to bring the whole look to life.
Challenge B: The Hawaiian Shirt
(via Snap + Style)
Seriously, how cute are these two looks? I think Michelle is totally on point with the denim skirt, wood sandal moment, and I really enjoy the mix print idea with the striped skirt and sneakers!
Overall – Snap + Style gets my all around best styling app award, but if I'm in a time crunch and need advice fast, I'll use StyleIt. I wouldn't use Tipster again because why pay for something when you can get the same service for free, right?
Now that we have the styling taken care of, check out THESE five self-help apps that will keep you smiling all day long!