20 Innovative Companies That Combine Fashion and Tech
Tech has majorly transformed the way we do everything. Shopping included. These 20 industry-changing companies have the power to upgrade your style by saving you time, money and even giving you access to top brands and personal stylists you may not be able to shop otherwise. Just don’t be surprised the next time your phone helps you determine your bra size, alerts you to a sale for those shoes you’ve been eyeing or guides you to a must-try section of a store you’re in R
1. Reissued: Trends are cyclical, so even though it seems like kimonos are a brand new style for your closet, they’re totally recycled. Why not snag a vintage kimono worn by one of your trend-setting ancestors? This app makes it possible, by connecting shoppers to vintage items across the country. No more digging in thrift store bins!
2. Le Tote: Easily bored with what you see in your closet? Le Tote will send you a new batch of clothes, jewelry and accessories expertly selected by a personal stylist each month. Keep what you love (for 20% less than retail!) and return the rest. When you ship your tote back, they’ll send you another one! Top designers, breezy returns and the ability to wear the clothes as much or as little as you want before shipping back make Le Tote a real standout.
3. Net-a-Porter: If you really want to keep an eye on trends, shop this luxury retailer that gives a minute-by-minute feed of what other online shoppers are buying. Plus, you can shop directly from the pages of their online mag, The Edit.
4. BeachMint: This list would not be complete without the company that led the way in bringing tech and fashion together with the sites ShoeMint, JewelMint, IntiMint and StyleMint. For clothing and accessories, the sites bring a curated marketplace of top designer wares to anyone in the world online. Their celebrity endorsements mean you pay monthly to get exclusive picks from fashion icons.
5. ThirdLove: This futuristic app has to be one of the most incredible ways technology has and will change the way we shop. Snap a few selfies and this app not only tells you your correct bra size, but it also lets you shop for perfect-fitting undergarments online.
6. Stitch Fix: Based on your answers to a quick style quiz, this site sends you five hand-picked pieces. Keep what you love (at an average of $55 per piece), send the rest back and eagerly await your next five. The best part about this service is that the stylists on the other end get to know your fashion sense over the time, making the boxes better and better.
7. Style Lend: This site radically changes shopping for special events. Instead of renting from the runway, it lets you shop in the closets of fashionistas near you. This means you can find a killer piece of Alexander McQueen or Yves Saint Laurent for a fraction of the price, and you don’t even have to worry about getting it dry cleaned.
8. Les Nouvelles: If you have a tendency to second-guess your style picks, Les Nouvelles should do the trick. The curated collections are very small, but you’ll always look unique in the expertly-selected pieces.
9. Poshmark: Shop in crazy-stylish closets across the country, and even sell from your own, all in the same place. Unlike any other online marketplace for secondhand merchandise, this site features top picks consistently selling for about 70% off retail. If we haven’t convinced you already, the app will connect to Ringly!
10. The RealReal: Not just another consignment site, this one offers deep discounts on brands like Chanel, Prada, Gucci and more. Best part? They add about 40,000 new items every month so you’ll never get bored.
11. Popbasic: We get it, you’re busy. But what if one company could help you cover all the basics in your wardrobe so your time could be free to shop for the statement pieces? Popbasic sends you immaculately made basics in expertly curated collections so you can build your wardrobe from a strong, stylish foundation. (via Popbasic)
12. Tzukuri: Sunglasses that send you coupons to the products you’re shopping right that second? Sign us up! These glasses are embedded with iBeacon technology, so they will have you shopping in a totally futuristic (and money-saving) way.
13. Keep: This shopping platform rules above all the rest, as it lets you shop from any online store but check out just once. The universal cart has changed the online marketplace so much, you may even say it’s the only shopping app you’ll ever need. Look for the similar system Two Tap to make a splash soon, too.
14. Shop It to Me: Once you start using this service, you’ll never go back to your regular shopping ways. Finding the product you adore is your job, while this site finds it in your perfect size and on sale. Cha-ching!
15. Opening Ceremony: If you’re looking for unconventional, look no further than Opening Ceremony. The quirky luxury store not only stocks off-the-wall pieces, but it shows you how to wear them, too. You’ll keep going back again and again for the limited edition things you won’t find anywhere else.
16. RocksBox: This cool subscription site is like Netflix for jewelry. You’ll be sent three stylish pieces that you keep and wear for 30 days. If you’re totally in love at any point, you can buy the piece for 20% off retail. Once you send your three back, you’ll get a new set in the mail. This is way better than DVDs.
17. J.Crew: You may feel like this online retailer is old news, but the site gives an entirely different experience than shopping in the store, complete with exclusive collections, access to their discount duds even if you’re nowhere near a factory outlet locale and chat-ready stylists.
18. Fitting Room Social: As much as online shopping has changed fashion for the better, it also has its down sides. This app is a favorite because it fixes a major online shopping negative by helping you learn about how different brands fit so you won’t have to return something you love just because the sizing is strange.
19. True + Co: We’re huge fans of this site that wants to help you find true bra-mance, with a genuinely perfect fit. Take their two-minute fit quiz (no measuring tape required) and pick from a selection of suggested bras. The company sends you five to try on for a fully-refundable deposit of $45, and you get to keep the ones that work. Which just might be all of them #fairwarning!
20. Rent the Runway: This tried-and-true platform allows fashion lovers to rent hot pieces from more than 170 top designers. The company recently acquired Go Try It On, a social network for styling, kicking it up a notch and showing users new ideas for all those fresh fashions.
Do you use technology to make yourself more fashionable? We’d love to hear about how you do it in the comments below!