App Review: Stylebook

I can't count the number of times I've thrown my hands up in frustration because I couldn't put together an outfit I liked. Lately I came to the conclusion that it's not because I don't have enough clothes, but because I'm terrible at mixing and matching. I decided I needed to learn and practice.

I knew the first step was to systematize my closet a little bit. There are a few aspects of my life that I can get obsessive-compulsive about. I guess clothes are one of them. Last year, I downloaded a closet organization app in an early attempt to inject some kind of system into my wardrobe, but I didn't find it useful enough. Basically, it created a photo catalog of my clothes, and not much else. Recently, I came across a far superior app: Stylebook. Ever since I discovered it, it's been so helpful in my quest for a more organized closet.

Its website says:

"Stylebook is designed to help you carefully curate your wardrobe so you can look effortlessly chic everyday. We want you to get the most out of what you already have in your closet and to choose new pieces that will integrate well into your wardrobe as a whole.

A little organization can go a long way when it comes to getting dressed. Mixing and matching what you own, comparing new purchases to what you have in your closet, planning the outfits you'll wear on vacation, and saving all you favorite style inspirations in one place will all help you develop your personal style. This was the basic idea behind the original version of Stylebook, which has now evolved to include over 90 features."

Its most basic feature is the "Closet." Essentially, it works like any other similar app. It has a built-in camera that lets you take photos of your clothes (although you can also import existing photos, which is what I do) and organize them into custom folders such as tops, bottoms, outerwear, and accessories. This allows you to keep track of what you already have. You can then catalog the items according to color, size, brand, season, fabric, etcetera.

But the feature that sets Stylebook apart from other apps is its background removal tool. It's an extremely useful tool because it will allow you to layer your clothes later on when you're creating outfits, or what the app calls "Looks." It's hard to use at first but it's worth investing time in because it will make creating outfits a BREEZE.

Next is "Looks." This feature lets you create outfits from the items in your virtual closet. You add the items one by one, then drag, resize, and layer them until you achieve your desired layout. Think Polyvore, but featuring your own clothes. It's the perfect opportunity to channel your inner fashion magazine editor.

Stylebook has many other great features, but the Calendar feature has got to be one of my favorites. What it does is it allows you to calendar the looks you've created. It lets you designate one or more outfits to a particular date, and then it logs these looks to provide outfit history. You can't get more efficient than that.

And that's a rundown of some of the things you can do with Stylebook. Thanks to this app, I think I am well on my way to becoming a more organized dresser. Now if only I could be as organized in some other areas of my life.