Hey Chat, How Do You Style…?
Picture this: you’re getting ready for the day, feeling like a million bucks after you nail your hair and makeup routine. Look at you. You look great.
You’re ready to conquer the day, except there’s one thing missing—your outfit.
It’s as if the fashion gods have conspired against you, casting a curse upon your closet. Suddenly, everything inside seems ugly, drab, and utterly uninspiring. Panic sets in as the clock ticks mercilessly, leaving you teetering on the edge of a crisis.
You’re in a state of fashion paralysis. It’s a scenario that strikes fear into the hearts of many, a cruel reality that unfolds more often than we’d care to admit. Are you feeling the sting of truth yet?
Ah, the agony of indecision. The countless times I’ve been late and had to use the sorry excuse that “I had nothing to wear,” even though we both know I have enough clothing to last me a lifetime.
But fear not, dear reader, for there may yet be a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of mismatched ensembles and last-minute outfit changes.
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Your fashion fairy godmother is on her way. You open your computer and type the magic spell: “Hey Chat, can you style me an outfit for….”
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Growing up in the era of Y2K, I was raised on tacky fashion and gaudy patterns. Whether Y2K is cute or not is a debate for another time (spoiler: it’s hot). All I’m saying is that I worshipped the Y2K era and strived to dress like the models.
And you know what was so great about Y2K fashion as depicted in the television shows I would watch? All these girls with magic closets and personal stylists.
Come on—every girl my age dreamed of Hannah Montana’s amazing rotating closet. And you’re lying if you say you weren’t jealous of Alex from Wizards of Waverly Place and her magic closet which helped pick out her outfit.
Oh, how I dreamed of having a magic closet. I was so desperate I would have even settled for a simple personal stylist. Turns out my hopes are closer than they seemed.
Now, with the introduction of AI, the possibilities are endless for how one could use it. From communications to business plans to writing papers to creating algorithms—are you as bored as I am?
Let’s get to the good stuff: how AI can be integrated into the fashion industry.
Right now, the nascent technology of generative AI remains largely unexplored. But, chances are, as the technology gets more established, business will boom. Some reports project that generative AI could add a $150–275 billion profit to fashion and related industries.
As highlighted by McKinsey & Company, generative AI offers a massive capacity to make the fashion business model more effective and productive. Sure, it’s great for streamlining marketing strategies and boosting productivity, but let’s get real: what’s it doing for the actual fashion and innovation front?
Designers have begun using AI to help develop and design new products. For example, Revolve is an “AI-centric” fashion agency which has already created collections designed by generative AI. As this field develops, I’m sure we’re going to be seeing some tantalizing AI-related runway looks.
But I’ve saved the best feature for last: AI has the power to be a personal stylist.
That’s right, AI algorithms can analyze trends and help suggest outfits which fit into your desired aesthetic.
The pros are obvious here: no more having no idea what to wear and no more of that panic-inducing scenario I described earlier.
Fashion ruts are common. You can’t expect to have inspiration 24/7, and that’s okay. But what do you do when inspiration runs dry? You turn to someone—or something—who can offer a little help.
This is where generative AI comes in.
Of course, there are some cons to this. When AI generates an outfit for you, it circumvents the creative process of styling an outfit. Though styling an outfit can sometimes be the most aggravating experience, it’s mostly enjoyable.
Flexing your fashion muscle now becomes unnecessary and, as using AI for personal styling is still an evolving technology, it likely hasn’t reached the peak of what it can do.
But, you may be asking, “How helpful can AI really be for styling an outfit?” Well—you’ve come to the right place.
ChatGPT
I’m going to be honest: as a woman of the digital age, I’m a ChatGPT lover (even if it never admits that it loves me back).
So, I decided to put ChatGPT to the ultimate test as my personal stylist. Verdict? It’s the real deal.
ChatGPT is an AI-driven chatbot which is free to use. I have been using ChatGPT for a while now but had never thought about using it as a stylist
until undergoing my search for a fashion fairy godmother. It turns out that ChatGPT is good for something other than writing professional-sounding emails.
A conversation I had with Chat GPT about what to wear that day.
ChatGPT serves up a plethora of styling ideas and boasts a wealth of fashion know-how. But here’s the catch: if you’re all about the visuals, you might find this method a tad lacking. However, ChatGPT comes from a large database and can analyze a variety of trends.
Want to wear an outfit that fits the aesthetic of ’90s vampire soft girl? Chat will describe a variety of outfits and how to wear each piece and accessorize. It offers a few ways to style an outfit, including how to style your hair and do your makeup. After receiving this guidance, I took that inspiration and tried to find pieces in my closet that go with the description (disclaimer: you might need a large wardrobe to do this—sorry).
Want to style a chunky green sweater vest that’s been sitting in the back of your closet? Chat’s got you.
ChatGPT is great because it can explain ways of styling outfits in ways you never thought. Not only does it serve up styling tips that slay, but it’s also a master at helping you nail those elusive aesthetics.
How Chat GPT styled my green vest for a 90s inspired vibe.
ChatGPT is great because it can explain ways of styling outfits in ways you never thought. Not only does it serve up styling tips that slay, but it’s also a master at helping you nail those elusive aesthetics.
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Ever had the urge to channel your inner coastal cowgirl but found yourself drawing a blank? Fear not, because Chat is here to save the day with outfit inspo that’ll have you saying “yee-haw” in no time.
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Style DNA
Meet Style DNA, the ultimate AI styling sidekick.
Brimming with features to elevate your fashion game, this gem offers everything from colour analysis to ensure you’re always rocking flattering hues, to a chic outfit generator that works its magic with pieces you already own. It’s like having your own personal stylist right at your fingertips!
I found this app most useful when I have some idea of what I want to wear but am unsure of how to realize the vision. I can simply upload an image of a clothing item to the app, and it will offer a variety of styling options. This application is great for visual people, as it provides images of outfit suggestions.
One morning, I decided to wear whatever dark-academia-coded outfit Style DNA gave me (can you tell I’m an aesthetics girlie through and through?)
The homepage of Style DNA.
I honestly quite liked the outfit it styled for me. It showed me a certain layout of an outfit that fit this theme and I reproduced it with pieces from my closet. The best part: this took nearly no thought and I still looked put together.
Style DNA is free but offers a paid monthly subscription for additional features. These premium features help you when online shopping as they create an online personalized shopping experience with recommendations. If you’re like me and just looking for simple styling tips, I would pass on this option.
I tried a few other AI styling applications, and Style DNA definitely ended up on top. It has every feature a fashionista could want, including a messenger where you can chat with a generative AI bot. This allows you to ask fashion-related questions so that no inquiry goes unanswered.
Stylebook
Stylebook is an app that uses various algorithms to build outfits in your closet to match particular occasions.
This app requires you to input the items in your closet, which it will then use to coordinate an outfit. Unfortunately, if you have a big closet, inputting all the items of clothing you have takes—to put it lightly—a lot of time. Honestly, I felt that it wasn’t worth the hassle for me to do this.
I also found that the app was slightly less user-friendly and aesthetic-based compared to Style DNA. Maybe that’s a petty complaint, but I’m a girl who’s all about aesthetics!
I spent a week learning all about AI in fashion so you don’t have to. Here’s the bottom line.
Is AI a great option if you’re in a time crunch struggling to style an outfit and need some inspo? Absolutely.
AI styling is also great for fashion newcomers. Perhaps I wouldn’t have committed so many faux pas early in my fashion journey if I’d had something to explain trends and styling tips.
But I didn’t, and a less dedicated woman may have given up after struggling the way I did. With generative AI, fashion and style can become more accessible to those unfamiliar with the fashion world and in turn create some unique and fun aesthetics that can work for everyone’s style.
While my fashion education might have found its roots on the Disney Channel, the emergence of generative AI styling tools introduces a new avenue for acquiring insights into the nuances of the industry.
I do love the idea of having a personal stylist at my fingertips, but now that I’ve had one to some degree, I feel like it’s not everything it was cracked up to be.
I would hate for personal style, uniqueness, and individuality to be replaced by something uniform and homogeneous. But that’s the beauty of fashion—some people wear clothing just because they have to, while for others, fashion is a very profound sense of self-expression.
In the end, I think AI styling is something I will keep in my fashion toolbelt but won’t be making everyday use of. I like styling outfits and coming up with new combinations and don’t need AI to help me do so.
Hey Chat, you may be my fashion fairy godmother, but I can find my own glass slippers.
Ella is a passionate English and Liberal Studies student in her fourth year. She enjoys fashion and Lana del Rey, and spends her free time reading, writing, and thrifting.
