Clothes shopping 2.0

As the passion for mash-ups and social networking goes mainstream, it was inevitable that shopping for clothes online would start to get more interesting. A number of shopping sites are popping up that let you do more than shop at one brand or one store, but let you put together outfits from components and accessories being sold across many different stores. And it would not be 2.0 if the opportunity for consumers to share ideas, experiences, and recommendations were not also part of the mix.

One site that is creating a buzz right now is FashMatch. FashMatch is a social networking site where visitors can put together various combinations of clothing from different designers, and exchange their combinations and recommendations with other shoppers online. And it has a very user-friendly visual format.



Shoppers can search in a number of different ways (say by price or by style), and can then look for “matches” to see what other shoppers have combined with the item that they are considering. In effect, you get to see what other people are wearing, or at least what they think looks good. A voting system lets visitors express their opinions of other people's outfits -- possibly a introducing a whole new level in peer pressure.



When you have put together the outfit you want, FashMatch helps you buy it from the various designer stores from which you have chosen the items.