I tend to have some trouble picking out my outfits in the morning, which leads to me being late or looking like a mixture between hipster and wannabe emo. Pureple is an app that aims to fix this very problem. By uploading pictures of your wardrobe and picking out what pieces (pants, jeans, tops, etc.) you want for your outfit, the app puts together various outfits which you can swipe through, sort of like Tinder. So to challenge myself, I decided to let the app pick my outfits for a week.
To begin, I added 24 shirts, 7 pairs of jeans, 2 joggers, 2 skirts, 2 overalls, 8 pairs of shoes, 6 jackets, 6 dresses, and one cap. Additionally, I took the liberty of picking out socks and jewelry myself and wore the outfits for the majority of my day but changed as needed (gym, night out, date, etc.)
Rules of the game:
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I have to wear the first outfit the app suggests. (I can’t swipe and choose a new one)
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I can’t change any part of the outfit.
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The jackets don’t have to be worn at all times but must be taken as part of the outfit; same goes for the cap.
Day One
On day one, I planned to go to the beach, so I told the app to choose a dress, an accessory (the cap), and shoes. I ended up with an outfit that consisted of a black jersey dress, a pink cap, and pink high-top Vans. I paired this with ice cream socks and some jewelry. In terms of the outfit in general, it wasn’t bad at all. It was actually something I would’ve put together myself, so I was pretty content with it.
Day Two
Day two arrived, and the app puts me in black leggings, Doc Martens platform boots, a t-shirt, and a sweater/cardigan. This outfit was definitely less nice than the first one. For one thing it was very warm, and the leggings just didn’t look very good with the huge boots.
Day Three
Day three came in a comfortable mess. It dressed me in loose black joggers, a t-shirt, yellow and black Vans, and a green suede jacket. The app, unfortunately, mixed a completely casual outfit with a “going out” jacket which sort-of derailed everything. I was not that bothered, though, since it was comfortable and it wasn’t too hot.
Day Four
At this point, I’m not entirely sure how the app is putting these outfits together. Based on today’s attire, I think it may be completely random. It dressed me in grey jeans, a red flannel, a black letterman jacket, and some black sliders. Now, I was fine with the whole thing up until the sliders. It seemed like an odd choice since it wasn’t a super casual outfit like the last one. But all in all, I think my only complaint would be the mismatching of the shoes.
Day Five
Today was, by far the most uncomfortable and unflattering outfit yet. I was dressed in skinny jeans, a super tight, striped crop-top, a cargo vest, and floral vans. Now, mixing mid-rise jeans and a tight crop-top that rides up is never a good idea, but mix that in with a heavy cargo vest and you’re definitely in for a bad day. I’m not gonna blame the app for this one since I was the one who put in the clothes, after all, but pairing it together was its to blame.
Day Six
Day six was very comfortable and looked like something I would actually wear. I wore the same jersey dress as day one with sandals and a green jacket. Comparing this outfit to that of day five, I think the app did much better and was able to match the colors and the styles with less difficulty.
Day Seven
On the final day of using the app, I was going to a concert. I wore a green, button-up crop-top, jeans, sneakers, and a grey cardigan. I was originally supposed to wear a particular pair of jeans, but at the time they were not clean, so I opted for a similar pair. All in all, I was pretty happy with this outfit, and I thought it was a fitting way to end the week.
Throughout this week I think I have learned a few things about myself, about my sense of style, and about the quality of fashion apps in general. In terms of the app itself, there were many different “outfit suggesting” apps on the market, and considering the functionality, Pureple was by far the simplest and most efficient one, even though the outfits it picked weren’t always flattering and/or comfortable. Considering how the app picked the actual outfits, I think it was mainly based on color coordination. For example, on day one, I think it picked a neutral base (the black dress) and matched it up with a pink cap and pink shoes.
Something else I learned during this week was that even though I don’t seem care about what I wear, I realized that I do. Actually, I do a lot. Not being able to pick my clothes was a constant bother. I would plan out an outfit the night before only to realize I wouldn’t be able to wear it, since an app was going to pick it out.
At the end of the week, I found myself relieved because I’ve gained my freedom for wearing whatever I desire. I’m not saying it wasn’t fun, but it was kind of a russian roulette. Not knowing what the app was going to make me wear was worrying and, despite my not caring about people’s opinions of me, I was constantly concerned that I was gonna have wear some sort of bizarre outfit or something I just wouldn’t be comfortable in; an example being a pair of low rise jeans with a super short crop-top or something.
I hope this can give someone to inspiration to try this out, mix up the rules, and try the different outfits the app suggests. So all I have to say now is, I’m glad it’s finally over and I hope this can inspire someone to try this out, add a little mystery to their sense of style, and most of all, trust your fashion instincts and wear what you want and what makes you feel comfortable.