Have you ever heard of decision fatigue? It boils down to the more decisions you make throughout the day, the worse they become because we only come with a finite amount of good decisions. It’s why Steve Jobs has a work uniform (the famous black turtleneck sweater) so he doesn’t need to decide what to wear every morning. 

When I embarked on my fashion journey, I found it overwhelming to mix and match items (it also didn’t help that my closet used to be filled with trendy pieces instead of staples) which resulted in me wearing very similar outfits multiple times. And since I felt I had nothing to wear, I always felt this inclination to shop.

One day, I learned about this app called Stylebook, an app that helps manage your closet and outfits, and was very disappointed to learn that it was not available for Android users. A few weeks passed and I couldn’t get the idea of Stylebook out of my head because I felt I really needed the help with my closet. So I embarked on searching for the Android equivalent of Stylebook. 

Enter Acloset, the Android (and iOS) version of Stylebook, with Artificial Intelligence (AI). They call it a smart wardrobe.

Now, I’m not claiming to be the next Steve Jobs but I like being told what to do so it takes the guesswork out of me. It’s why I thrive with on-demand workouts and fitness classes as opposed to working out on my own.

I’ve been using Acloset for the past two years and it has been a game changer for me. I would be devastated if this app ever vanished! 

What is Acloset?

As mentioned above, Acloset is a smart wardrobe app. It helps manage your closet, gives you outfit inspiration and ideas, logs your outfit, and helps sell your closet to other Acloset users. For my data lovers, it also gives you data on item utilization, cost per wear, and colour analysis. 

Getting started with Acloset

On the main screen of the app, you’re greeted with your closet(s). As you can see, I only have one, but you may have two or three separate closets.

Next, you have the Outfit tab which includes outfit ideas, outfit of the day, and outfit suggestions. To fully utilize these functions, you need to manually add pieces to your digital closet… so yes, it can be time-consuming if you have a big wardrobe, so I suggest doing a closet clean out before embarking on this journey. When I first started, I didn’t add my shoes, bags, jackets, or accessories but I soon realized to better utilize the app and AI, I started to include my shoes and bags. The only items I do not add are jewelry and clothes that I would never wear to work or social events (eg. pjs, old graphic tees, etc.). 

All I do is hang my clothes and take photos of them, and for any new items, I take a screenshot of the product or do a quick Google image search; the app has a built-in capture button. For basic or well-known items, you can do a Google image search instead of taking photos to speed up the process. There’s no need to fuss over laying your clothes on a pretty background; the app will clean up the photo for you by removing the background to the best of its ability!

If you’re like me and looking into Acloset because you want to be told what to wear, this is it! After painstakingly logging all your items, AI will start spitting out outfit ideas and suggestions based on how you classify your clothes and the weather. For example, I choose “smart casual” for workwear.

If you’re in the mood to wear a specific piece of clothing, you can click on the item and the AI will generate outfit ideas. Of course, if you do not like what it suggests, you can easily refresh it. It also allows you to edit a suggestion.

Once you’ve decided on your outfit, you can easily capture it on the calendar. I found this feature super fun because you can go through what you’ve worn previously and see how your style has evolved. 

Why I love Acloset

Not only does it help me get dressed, it pushes me out of my comfort zone to experiment with my clothes. There are so many outfits that Acloset suggested that I ended up re-wearing them a few months later, and I honestly don’t think I could’ve thought of them together. I love not having to think about what I should wear.

The app also allows me to manage my wardrobe better – long gone are the days when I feel my closet is overwhelming. I can easily see how many jeans or sweaters I have, and even how many times I’ve worn them. For newer items, I started to put in the purchase price so I also know the cost per wear! In essence, Acloset is helping me save money because it helps create outfits based on all my clothes which reduces the feeling that I have “nothing” to wear.

The cost

Unfortunately, Acloset recently switched from being completely free to offering subscription plans. Although it sucks to pay, I wholeheartedly agree with their decision to offer paid plans. They’ve grown so big that they could not sustain their growth without revenue. They still offer a free plan but it’s heavy on the ads. Their yearly plan starts at CAD 37.99, and I’m currently subscribed to their Basic plan.

The pros

• AI features to help you plan your outfits with the ability to edit suggestions.
• Easy to use app to create and log your outfits, and manage your closet.
  • Multiple digital closets to help manage all your clothes.
• In-app second-hand marketplace to sell your clothes easily.
• Helps you save money by assisting you in wearing all your clothes by generating outfits. 
• Detailed data analysis of your clothes, including colour breakdown, most shopped stores/brands, and cost per wear. 
• Daily outfit of the day feature and reminder.
• A community to share outfits and find inspiration.
• Free and affordable subscription plans.

The cons

• The free plan is heavy with ads, and some may not find the subscription plans all that affordable.
• A second-hand marketplace that has no buyer protection. Be wary of buying anything off the marketplace.
• AI is not perfect; some outfit suggestions are awful and there’s no way to provide feedback on AI.

Is it worth it?

I have loved this app from day one. It has helped me with my fashion journey and you can see all my outfits that were generated by AI in my fashion diaries. 

I find the subscription plans affordable, and if you’re an average person looking to get some help with daily outfits, the Basic plan is more than enough. I think it’s a great app for someone who doesn’t like planning their outfits, who struggles with outfit planning, hates wearing the same or similar outfits every day, who is looking to save money, and who hates feeling like they have nothing to wear every day. It’s also helpful for those who want to manage their closet and not feel overwhelmed by the amount of clothes they have. 

I don’t think Acloset is for someone who enjoys planning outfits as AI is one of the main features of this app. If you’re someone who is looking to just keep a daily log of their outfits, this app requires you to input your clothes so you can’t just upload photos; I would suggest just keeping an album on your phone, or a blog/IG page to document your outfits. 

Let me know if you would have AI dress you!

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*Disclaimer: this review is not sponsored by Acloset. Eleventh Avenue is not affiliated with Acloset and they do not influence this review.