It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that you can access the entire fashion industry from the palm of your hand. From shopping trends to mining inspiration to hobnobbing with influencers and beyond, you don’t even need to leave your couch for first-class access to the fashion department. That is, as long as you download the following innovative fashion apps.
We’ve culled a curated list of fashion gaming, rental platforms, and networking apps that put all corners of the industry directly at your disposal. Whether you’re looking to overhaul your wardrobe, build a business from the ground up, or just have a little fun, scroll through and download the must-have fashion apps below.
Apps are meant to ease the experience of finding items in jiffy. But, oftentimes, getting your purchases in a timely manner is still a problem. This is where FastAF comes in. The recently launched app, as its name clearly suggests, has partnered with a slew of the biggest companies and up-and-coming labels in the fashion, beauty, food, health, and tech realms—including Nike, Byredo, Copper Cow Coffee, Oribe, Billie, Aesop, and Sonos—to ensure that products get delivered in two hours or less (yes, you’re reading that correctly) in the metropolises of New York and Los Angeles. It will also offer exclusives and early access to unique collaborations, serving as portal for emerging brands in disparate industries.
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You’ve never been much of the video game type—until now. Finally, there’s an interactive gaming app for the fashion set. Drest, founded by former Porter editor Lucy Yeomans, is like the Dollz computer games you played when you were a kid, just all grown up. You can dress your own photo-realistic avatar, and then buy the pieces directly via Farfetch. Talk about the best of both worlds. A bunch of your favorite luxury fashion brands—Burberry, Stella McCartney, Gucci, Bottega Veneta—have signed on, helping to make your dream wardrobe a (virtual) reality.
Shopping online is meant to be hassle free, but with all the payment and shipping details needed at checkout, the process can be a little tiresome. Enter nate, a recently launched app that collects all that data from the onset and, according to a release, facilitates the checkout experience “at any online retailer anywhere on behalf of a customer.” Also nate allows you to save products on an in-app list that it can share on its social media channels. Moreover, there is a feature that enables you to send a fellow nate user a gift simply by inputting their phone number.
Ever wonder how to dress professionally during a downpour? Are you constantly going through your closet, figuring out the best outfit to wear in between seasons? Latitude is here to help. Founded by former fashion editor Anne Slowey and stylist Anne Christensen, the new app takes out the guesswork of what to wear in certain climates. It curates a selection of ensembles, taking into account the trends of the moment, based on the weather on a given day. “We wanted to take the fear factor out of fashion and de-weaponize it to make it a realistic app,” Slowey told WWD. “It’s a one-stop shop, not just about what to wear in the morning, but how to make your relationship with your closet less stressful.”
A hit with Gen Zers, Depop started out as a British social network and turned into a global marketplace, which allows users to buy and sell clothing and accessories. From vintage stores to burgeoning labels, the app is filled with unique finds.
So you already love Depop, you’ve made bank on Poshmark, and you know Etsy like the back of your hand. But what about Object Limited? One of the best-kept secondhand shopping secrets, it features vintage sellers, cool tastemakers, and creatives from all over. Use the app to find your next pair of dreamy vintage boots, ’70s trousers, or designer trench. Good deals are aplenty, and the curation is cute and vintage heavy.
If you call yourself a fashion collector (like we do), chances are you have quite a few pieces collecting dust in your closet. Why not monetize them? Wardrobe, the largest luxury and vintage rental platform, lets users rent your clothes for a per-day fee decided by you. That means you, too, can rent from other Wardrobes (read: sustainable). Though its founders are working on expanding, the app is available only in New York City, with the company offering free rentals to women interviewing for new gigs (recently unemployed, upcoming graduates, those advancing their careers, etc.).
Until our cult-favorite photo app is completely shoppable, Like to Know It is making it possible to track down the chicest pieces on Instagram. Once you sign in with your email on the app, any Instagram you then like with a shopping link will automatically email the ready-to-shop product link to you directly. It’s not totally seamless, but it is an easy way to turn your favorite blogger’s Insta feed into a shoppable wish list.
Dying to know where that fashion blogger got the outfit she’s wearing on Instagram? If you’ve ever seen a picture of an outfit you love but don’t know where to purchase it, this app allows users to post “hunts” for clothing, accessories, shoes, and more. Community members help each other hunt down where to buy certain products by posting the direct shopping links, as well as chic shopping alternatives. The app also allows users to follow trending hunts and shop trending products.
Pose provides your daily weather forecast, while also offering outfit inspiration based on what the sky is doing that day. To further filter your search, you can browse outfit pictures based on the occasion you’re dressing for: dinner party, bridal shower, day at the office, you get the picture.
Like a stylist in your pocket, Wishi offers premium styling services that are highly personalized. You take a survey, get matched with a stylist, and then buy what you love. Turns out your makeover really can be that easy. Plus, Wishi was launched by Karla Welch, who styles Megan Rapinoe, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Elisabeth Moss, so you’re sure to get the celebrity treatment.
Getting a fashion business of your own off the ground? Catered specifically to female entrepreneurs, HerHeadquarters makes building your empire faster, more efficient, and more rewarding. It’s essentially a networking app that connects you to other highly vetted female entrepreneurs in a safe space where ideas, strategies, and partnerships are shared.
The best way to shop sustainably is to shop secondhand. And The RealReal makes it almost too easy to sort through pages upon pages of great-condition luxury items—often at steep discounts. Create feeds of brands you love, favorite items for later, and even start the consignment process to begin selling your own pieces. Finally, you can justify that Gucci or Balenciaga you’ve been eyeing.
We get it. Sometimes you wish someone else would just do the shopping for you. Stitch Fix has garnered quite the widespread reputation for its idea of hand-selecting gems just for its clients, scheduling when they want them, and delivering them straight to their doorsteps. Sign up, and you to keep and buy what you love, and send back what you don’t. Plus, the brand offers Fixes for men and kids, so there’s something for the entire family—not to mention an extensive size range and collaborations with stylish influencers like Katie Sturino.
We’re living in uncertain times, so Afterpay, which lets you pay for your purchases in installments over the course of six weeks, is here for you. You also get easy access to all the brands that use Afterpay; those participating can be easily searched within the app, so go ahead and get shopping.
Alyssa Coscarelli
Alyssa Coscarelli is a freelance fashion writer, style influencer, and creative consultant in New York City. When she’s not sharing her daily outfits and travels or collaborating with brands on social media, she’s writing for online style publications and helping small, up-and-coming designers in New York City cultivate their voice and community on and offline through copywriting, event planning, partnerships, and beyond. She doesn’t watch much TV, and prefers to spend her time vintage hunting.
Barry Samaha
Barry Samaha is the former style commerce editor at Esquire, where he covered all things fashion and grooming. Previously, he was an editor at Harper’s Bazaar, Surface, and WWD, along with overseeing editorial content at Tod’s Group. He has also written for The Daily Beast, Coveteur, Departures, Paper, Bustle Group, Forbes, and many more. He is based in New York City and can’t seem to find enough closet space for all his shoes.
