Mirror, Mirror on the Web

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Being the social butterfly that I am, I’m bouncing from scene to scene, changing from outfit to outfit, sometimes without the benefit of someone else’s honest opinion about how hot (or not) my clothing choices look on me. Salespeople are working on commissions, girlfriends can’t always be trusted since they don’t want to hurt your feelings, and your boyfriend just wants the clothes off. Enter Web site howdoesitfit.com, the brainchild of Santa Barbarans Lilly Tam and Tina Mack — best friends, fashionistas, and budding entrepreneurs.

Founded with the realization that most women aren’t the six-foot tall, size-nothing models of magazines, Tam and Mack’s site allows you to upload anonymous neck-down photos of yourself in your outfits, categorized on the site by size, body shape, and articles of clothing. The site then serves as a nationwide fashion support group, with hundreds of users suggesting ways you could make your outfit more flattering. Kindhearted, honest souls rate the look, answering your queries of “Should I wear this to my reunion?” and the ubiquitous “Does this make my butt look fat?” in a forum akin to standing in the 360-degree mirror on What Not to Wear, and finally convincing you that high-waisted jeans are not for everyone — without having to leave home.

Once you’ve absorbed the virtual advice, get inspired from howdoesitfit.com’s insider’s look at drool-worthy closets, pictures of the latest “it” items (I call it “shoe porn”), and create a Style Diary to brag about your latest sale rack snag. Tam is also building relationships with boutiques like Angel and Bryan Lee, uploading photographs of the latest trends on volunteer models of all shapes and sizes, so you can see what might look best on you before you even drive down to the store.

It’s amazing that this convenient and necessary personal style guide site wasn’t created earlier, but thanks to the genius of Tam and Mack, women worldwide are now being saved, one outfit at a time.

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