When I was a lowly subcontractor intern learning how to work in an office, I remember a meeting my boss attended. She asked for advice from all her vice presidents beforehand, and they unanimously agreed, telling her to go with the yellow shirt, because it was very "CEO-looking." It must have worked, because she got the contract and I continued working!
Our neighbor Meg Howe in Edmonton, Canada invites those of you who are fashionistas (and those of you who need help in putting your outfits together) to FashionMash.com, the world's first mashup for your outfits online. It's a great service for women who, like me, enjoy and appreciate lots of ideas when it comes to finishing my "signature" look.
Meg tells us she started FashionMash.com because "My husband complained that I was always asking him about my outfits & said I should be asking my friends. And out of that Fashion Mash was born!"
The idea is an innovative use of social networking: it involves sharing the contents of your wardrobe and getting feedback from your circle of friends. Don't worry, it's all online: you keep that little black top you love and those smart leather boots. Meg explains, "People take pictures of their clothes, upload and trim them, and then arrange them into outfits. They can also upload graphics to use as backdrops or decorative elements. Users can comment on each other's outfits and even experiment with other users' clothing." It's like raiding someone else's closet and helping them out with your creative ideas on how to create a "put-together" look.
Meg suggests that for even more feedback, you share your outfit with other blogs or sites. FashionMash.com is planning to implement designer accounts so designers may link to their stores and have featured outfits, similar to the work that American Apparel is doing in Second Life but with even more customization (American Apparel opened up a store selling real-life clothing in this virtual-reality world.)
FashionMash.com is currently in beta-testing. Here's a tutorial on what to expect: http://fashionmash.com/blog/20070922/getting-started-tutorial/.
If you're interested in registering, contact Meg through the site for a login and password. You'll have the opportunity to preview the technology and get a better feel for what features would benefit the community in terms of creating different outfits. You'll also be able to give valuable feedback to the web team on what features would make this application better.
Check out some versions of other users' outfits here: http://fashionmash.com/search/outfits/
Are you in the mood to dress up your guy in the "Entrepreneur Uniform?" Is it a "Windy Wednesday" for you? Perhaps you'll get some moneymaking ideas from the "Lucky Coin Dance" outfit. Mix and mash at the new site FashionMash.com!
