I Let An AI Stylist Choose My Outfits, Here’s How It Went
Most of us are locked in a true love/hate relationship with our algorithm—one minute it’s serving up ads that tap into insecurities we didn’t even know we had, the next it’s dragging us down a rabbit hole of endless shark videos we never asked for. But every so often, the algorithm gets it right. Really right. That’s exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago, when a fashion girlie landed on my feed and casually dropped a game-changing wardrobe hack.
The AI stylist
For context, a few weeks ago, I came across a video from @sidneyootds, where she talks about the new app she’s been using, called ALTA Daily. Disclosure: I’m unsure if the creator was paid for the post, but regardless, I was suitably intrigued.
The best way to explain it is: think Cher’s digital closet in Clueless. Now imagine it as an app. In the video, she shows herself uploading images of various clothing items and accessories to the app, which then serves as a virtual closet. Once uploaded, the items are then generated into different outfits, which can be plotted into the calendar – cool, huh?
I’d only ever used AI for things like emails and research, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Still, I found myself genuinely curious – could an AI stylist actually bring something new to my life? The app is free to download and use, so I figured I’d give it a go – here’s how it went.
Think Cher’s digital closet in Clueless. Now imagine it as an app.
How to use it
It’s actually very simple to upload items to the app, it just takes time. The more items of clothing and accessories that you add, the more value you’re going to get out of it.
I got into a rhythm of uploading one night and found it actually really relaxing, uploading 50 items in one sitting. I started by taking pictures of some of my most versatile pieces, to give it the best chance of delivering helpful results, uploaded them to the app along with brand info, and then it started suggesting outfits for me.
If you want a laugh, you can also choose to swap the outfit ideas from flat-lay collages, into an AI generation of your own avatar, which, looks less like me every time I generate a picture request, but is still a bit of fun.
To make your virtual closet look cleaner, you can also remove the background from your pictures. In some instances, it can even search the internet for the brand’s own imagery (note: this only really works if the item is relatively new/from a more mainstream brand).
The virtual closet
If you want a laugh, you can also choose to swap the outfit ideas from flat-lay collages, into an AI generation of your own avatar
The flat lay
The avatar
The results
There was a really mixed bag of outfit recommendations. The app tended to favour certain items over others, especially more versatile pieces. As with any stylist, it learns from what you like and dislike, giving you the option to ‘favourite’ certain outfits, which then saves them to your lookbook. You can also ‘thumbs down’ an outfit you don’t like and explain why, so it learns not to recommend looks like that in the future. For example, I told it I don’t tend to style brown and black together, or wear chunky black shoes with light and bright evening dresses.
After referring to it for a few days, I quickly learnt that I liked elements of looks it suggested, but I might swap out the bag or shoes for something that felt more ‘me’, or suitable for the day I had lined up.
Outfit 1
I loved this outfit, so I wore it exactly as the app suggested – can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before.
Outfit 2
I liked this top and skirt combo, but decided to go for sandals to make the look feel less toddler-esque, and a woven brown bag to add some more colour to the look.
I quickly learnt that I liked elements of looks it suggested, but I might swap out the bag or shoes for something that felt more ‘me’
Outfit 3
I swapped the bag for something smaller and went for a pair of flats but went for similar colour palette.
The outfits that didn’t make the cut…
Why is this so… brown?
This definitely feels a bit ‘old’ for me.
The verdict
I was admittedly sceptical about using AI for something as creative as styling. But once I got into the rhythm of uploading my wardrobe and letting it suggest outfits – especially with pieces I love but rarely wear – I was genuinely surprised by the results.
AI still has a way to go when it comes to ‘taste’ (some of its outfit ideas were honestly hilarious), but its real strength was cutting through my usual habits and pairing items I’d never have considered. It pushed me to think differently about what I own and reminded me of pieces I’d forgotten, nudging me to actually wear them.
AI still has a way to go when it comes to ‘taste’… but its real strength was cutting through my usual habits and pairing items I’d never have considered.
Apps like this won’t replace the fun of choosing my own outfits, as that’s half the joy for me, but on days when inspiration is running low or I want to see an old favourite in a new light, it’s a surprisingly useful tool.
Want to learn more and try the app for yourself? Head to www.altadaily.com.
