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Polyvore: How to Become a Trend-Setter

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter.
Recently, my roommate put on her Facebook that she did her first ‘Polyvore’. I have heard about the website, but became more interested as I saw her mash-up of her ideal outfit. If you are unaware of what Polyvore is, look no further because as of yesterday I was clueless as well. I am no longer a newbie as of today, due to the fact I have already created four collages– I am already addicted to this ‘online shopping guide’.

In short, this website allows you to create a collage of your favorite accessories, apparel, combined with a creative edge of backgrounds and texts. It gives you a database of clothing to choose from. So, let’s say you are interested in finding a purple top. First you click tops, and then choose the hue of purple you want from the database of colors. Once you find the one you like, you simply drag it to the area provided and can rotate it any way you want. 

What is really neat about it is that it provides the brand name and price of the piece that you clicked on. Therefore, if you were interested in finding that particular piece, you know where it comes from. What is also neat is that you can follow other people’s collages. It’s a great way to see other people’s ideas as well as finding what looks together without having to try things on in stores!

This was my first piece. I titled it ‘Rosy Nights’.  I chose a template for this background to add a little more flair. With templates it gives you specified areas to put the photos. The dress, shoes, cuff, purse, hairstyle, and blush were all the items I looked up and put together for this particular piece.

 

 
 
Now let’s take a look at my second piece. This one I called ‘Girls Night’ because I wanted to base the outfit on a night out with my friends. This one is a little different than the first because I didn’t use a template. I positioned the pieces myself. Another great feature of Polyvore is that you can overlap and choose the piece that you would rather bring forward (or be on top of the other).  See how the heels are ‘on top’ of the purple top? I also used a basic border to help finish the collage.
 

 
 
Here’s my third piece. In this one I used two different fonts and also included ‘effects & textures’.
 

 
 
Other features of Polyvore you can use to include in your collage are magazine articles, people & print, backgrounds, & pattern overlays. This website definitely allows you to get creative!
 
If you have never gone to Polyvore, I encourage you all to check it out! It truly is a great way to see new styles, have an appreciation towards others creativity, and see your sense of style come to life! 
 
HCXO,
 
Brittany Cole
 
Sources:
 
http://www.polyvore.com/day_out_shopping/set?id=45066980
 
http://www.polyvore.com/girls_night/set?id=45064577
 
http://www.polyvore.com/rosy_night/set?id=45035147

Leta is a senior at Purdue University studying Retail Management with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Leta is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and is obsessed with her sisters. An avid shopper and fashionista, Leta spends her time working as an Assistant Manager at Twenty Ten Boutique on Purdue's campus while managing their social media campaigns. Leta started writing for Her Campus Purdue in April of 2011. It was because of her extreme enthusiasm and passion for Her Campus that she was promoted to Purdue University's Campus Correspondent in January of 2012.