Going to the mall with friends was a staple activity of our teen years, but as our schedules get busier and our lives get increasingly digital, we tend to shop online more and more. While there are definitely a lot of perks to online shopping, we miss the inherently social aspect of hitting boutiques with friends. The newly launched social shopping website, Boutine, aims to bring the personal connection to online shopping. Whether you’re an aspiring stylist, tastemaker, or just really into exploring the latest fashions with friends, Boutine is sure to hit the spot.
Boutine can first and foremost be used as a simple online shopping website: Explore and purchase pieces from both established and up-and-coming designers. You have to create an account, but it’s easy to sign up through Facebook… Yay! If you’re looking for a more social experience, which is where this site really shines, just start showing off your favorite pieces. You can put together collections based on your personal style to share with your friends and followers. These collections can be spruced up with backgrounds, text, and other embellishments.
After you’ve created a collection that you love, share it! You’re encouraged to share through Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and any other social networks you’re on. You can also interact with people directly on the Boutine website, by following them or asking questions on their collections.
As an extra incentive to create and share super awesome collections, you can earn a 10% commission every time an item is bought from your “store.”
Because most of you are already combining your tech- and fashion-savvy on sites like Polyvore and Pinterest (which we love), we want to point out the ways that Boutine is different. Instead of linking to other shopping sites, Boutine is itself an online store, meaning that all the information you need about the products is right there and you can purchase in a snap. And in additional to all the warm-fuzzies you get by sharing your awesome style with your friends, you earn real rewards. Still in beta, this site definitely has a great premise and a lot of promise. We’d love to see them keep adding products from different designers to increase the variety and vitality of the shopping experience.
What do you think about the possibility of social online shopping? Have you tried Boutine or do you plan on trying it? Do you have an awesome collection we should see? Talk to us in the comments below or over on Twitter.
