Recently the e-commerce world has become inundated with shopping websites that promise to deliver personalized content. These websites ask that you join (usually free of charge), enter your email address, take a personal style quiz and then voila, your own personally styled online shopping experience appears. Is this a brilliant way to save time and always look put together or do these new websites take the fun out of browsing online?
The LA based social commerce company BeachMint seems to have cornered the online stylist market with their popular celebrity endorsed websites. BeachMint launched their first shopping website, Jewelmint.com, in October 2010 which according to the Beachmint website, “uses the eclectic tastes of style icon Kate Bosworth, and celebrity stylist, Cher Coulter” to deliver a “personalized shopping experience.” The jewelry website charges their members no fee for joining and makes each piece on the website available for just $29.99.
Screenshot from BeachMint.com
To join and see the pieces you must first take a style quiz. Based on your results the website will update your “showroom” monthly with pieces they think will fit your style. BeachMint launched their second shopping website, Stylemint.com, in October 2011. StyleMint was launched in partnership with the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. StyleMint functions slightly differently from JewelMint in that the style quiz you take when you sign up is used to determined how the pieces will be styled when you see them not what pieces you will see.
Following the success of their two shopping websites, BeachMint launched BeautyMint with Jessica Simpson and skin care expert Nerida Joy in Ocotober 2011 and plans to launch ShoeMint, with Rachel Bilson, her celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez and footwear designer Steve Madden, during the 2011 Holiday season. Much like their jewelry and t-shirt counterparts, BeautyMint will offer exclusive personalized skincare products while ShoeMint will offer a personalized selection of footwear.
Screenshot from StyleMint.com
All of the BeachMint websites not only feature recognizable celebrity endorsements but they also offer exclusive content at an affordable price point. Other websites like Shoedazzle.com and JustFab.com function in a similar way.
All of these sites can be fun to browse but do we really want the internet telling us what to wear? Senior environmental science and policy major Joanna Luu has mixed feelings. “I like the idea of it, I thought these kinds of sites would save time cause I’m kind of lazy and don’t have a lot of time but Shoedazzle suggested things for me and I didn’t like any of it,” Luu said. “I tried but it wasn’t helpful.”
Though these sites certainly save time, some people who regularly shop online enjoy browsing and feel that they don’t need help from the Internet to decide what they like. “ I don’t really pay attention to those sites,” said junior psychology major Meredith Prescott. “I know what I like so they don’t really help me. I’d rather see everything on a site instead of just a few things.”
Screenshot from BeautyMint.com
For the true fashion enthusiast, the BeachMint sites may not be the best idea. A lot of times we don’t want to be told what we should like or what our style is; we want to explore and find out for ourselves. “ I tried it once and it wasn’t even close to anything I would wear on a daily basis,” said junior broadcast journalism major Su Hong. “I feel like it’s good for certain people who aren’t exactly sure of their style or what they like.”
On the other hand, not everyone is interested in fashion or feels like spending time browsing through endless online shopping sites. If you’re looking for cute affordable items but don’t have the time to browse online or at the mall, the BeachMint sites could be your saving grace. Depending on whether you’re fashion-savvy, or fashion-fearful, or just plain old pressed for time, these sites are worth a try.
You can use them to help style your entire wardrobe or you can consult them every now and then. Whether you want to overhaul your wardrobe or simply make life a little easier, these online stylists have a little something for everyone.