Code & Clothes

Can AI actually help us dress better? If so, who is going to prove it?

Welcome to Styled by Code, where we explore how AI is reshaping the way we shop for fashion, organize our closets, and decide what to wear. I started digging into this topic in early 2023, convinced there’s massive untapped potential in this space. It’s anyone’s game to harness technology in a way that genuinely helps us dress better—and I’m here to share what I uncover along the way.

While it’s likely that the great monopolizers—Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon—have their eyes on the fashion space, I don’t think they’re putting in the right resources—or enough of them—to solve the root problem. Where’s our Clueless closet already?

Photo cred: Tanya and Zhenya Posternak

Tech Giants vs. the Reality of Dressing

Here’s the thing: Getting dressed and buying clothes isn’t just about logistics; it’s a deeply personal & social science. Tech companies tend to miss the mark here. Do we really want our fashion needs treated like our grocery lists or appliance purchases?

Take Google, for example—they’re pretty consistently rolling out shopping filters & new features, but will their AI (hello, Gemini) ever truly crack personal style? If they can do it right, and make the experience sleek and inspiring, it might work.

Then there’s the shiny lure of AR, VR, and gamified fashion worlds like Roblox, which have seen brands from Gucci to Gap making virtual moves. There is definitely something to the gamification of dressing, but does it solve our day-to-day wardrobe dilemmas? Not yet.

Outfit planning with the StyleBook app. Photo credit

The Big Gap in Fashion Tech

Here’s where it gets interesting: there’s no true equivalent of ChatGPT for getting dressed (yet). But every day, new contenders are popping up, tackling the problem from different angles.

Ecommerce has become our go-to way to shop, but the tools haven’t caught up to the way we want to shop for fashion. Platforms like Locker are speeding up online browsing and organizing, while Shop Pay helps consolidate purchases and recommend products. These tools are helpful but lack the unifying element to truly become our go-to fashion hubs.

What’s Next for Styled by Code

This newsletter is my space to dive into the apps, platforms, and tools connecting AI with fashion styling. I’ll share my findings, including a growing database of companies working in this space—and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Who do you think is doing it well? What features would you want from an AI-powered closet? Or do you think human input still beats the algorithm?

This isn’t just another newsletter cluttering your inbox—I want Styled by Code to be a space that’s interactive, entertaining, and genuinely helpful. So, let’s make it a conversation. Reply with your ideas, feedback, or any companies I should know about.

Looking forward to exploring the future of getting dressed with you.

— Caro