TECHNOLOGY

From browsing and buying clothes and shoes, to accessing online racks and the expertise of fashion stylists, dressing up involves myriad virtual possibilities, as these five apps prove, writes Panna Munyal

ORANGE HARP

This app prides itself on its “buy less, choose better” policy, and offers products from designers and brands committed to the sustainability of cra speople and the planet. Some of the names and causes to check out include: Aplat reusable bags; toothbrushes from Bogobrush, which are made using compostable materials; Chilean brand Bureo, which designs skateboards from discarded fishing nets; Etkie bracelets made by Native American women; and Mitscoots, which employs the homeless to make its stylish socks. Products range from bags and jewellery to gymwear, swimwear and shoes. The app informs you exactly to whom or what cause your money is going, and also has a gi ing option.

FAD – THE ULTIMATE FASHION DICTIONARY

If you want to know the difference between accordion, honeycomb and knife pleats, or aren’t exactly sure what a leg-of-mutton sleeve or trompe l’oeil technique entails, this is the app for you. As the name suggests, Fad provides an alphabetised list of the terminology used by brands and designers, as well as paragraph-long descriptions of the labels and creatives – from Anna Wintour and Alexander McQueen to YSL and Zegna – that have made it big on the international fashion circuit. Regional references are few and far between, but include Lebanese couturiers Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad. Important periods in fashion, such as the Haute Couture Era and the American Look, are also part of the listing.

STYLECT

This platform promises to find you the shoe of your dreams. Once you have created an account or logged in using Facebook, you can begin browsing footwear, across categories such as heels, flats, boots and trainers, based on a swipele , swipe-right interface. The app offers tens of thousands of pairs, ranging from brands such as Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo to Nike, and also keeps tabs on the pairs you like. You can purchase the shoes via Stylect or keep them on hold for a limited period of time. The app will notify you should a pair become available in your size or at a discounted rate, as well as offering recommendations based on your previously registered likes and dislikes.

CAYENNE CLOTHING

One day this app may offer a bracelet from Dutch label Pig and Hen; the next, a pair of chinos from Los Angeles’s Neo Blue Jeans. This easy-touse men’s shopping portal posts a single curated item at a heavily discounted rate every day, and swaps it when the stock runs out. The stylists comb through online shopping sites, pick up the coolest new designer brands (and some established ones) that are going for a bargain, and then present them with an easy-to-follow description, styling and size suggestions, the original and discounted prices, and the time it will remain available (typically no longer than 24 hours). You can track what you have ordered in the past through the My Closet tab, and get notifications the instant a new item is posted.

STYLEBOOK

The problem with our everexpanding wardrobes is that organising and finding outfits can prove to be a challenge. Enter StyleBook, an app that virtually arranges your closet a er you upload images of your clothes . You can them emulate the arrangement, by colour, style or garment type. The app also styles your wardrobe by suggesting chic pairings that will ensure you have a different ensemble option for each day and occasion. This also helps to plan outfits in advance, keep track of what you wore when, as well as to create packing lists for when you travel. Just remember to upload images of individual items of clothing by placing them against a different-coloured, plain background.