Will a digital wardrobe app help me streamline getting dressed?

Curing my wardrobe burnout.

Despite countless trips to the op shop and hours spent scrolling on Depop, I can never seem to find anything to wear in my closet. If you, like me, have spent many mornings dealing with an outfit meltdown, it might be time to invest in a digital wardrobe.

Remember that iconic scene of Cher Horowitz swiping through her closet? Good news – in 2023, wardrobe-matching software is making those Clueless dreams a reality. But is it too good to be true? To find out, I tried the digital wardrobe app Whering.

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Going into it blind, I wasn’t expecting Whering to have so many great features. Beyond just being a digital wardrobe, it allows you to make notes on each garment (great for marking items in need of repair or awkward fits that might require a backless bra). It also allows you to itemise garments depending on brand, price and condition.

Filtering each garment by brand helped me to see what percentage of my wardrobe was fast fashion and where I needed to improve my spending habits. This was also one of the setbacks of the app, as the brand selection is quite limited. However, it allows you to save and suggest brands to help grow the directory.

Another great aspect of the app is the ability to see and easily navigate your wardrobe without having to rummage through drawers. This makes it easy to check on new trends to see if you already own something similar, eliminating impulsive spending habits.

It also helps to streamline your wardrobe and cut back on double-ups. For example, I realised I own a lot of dresses but was limited in bottoms, so this is something I’ll keep in mind when looking for warmer-weather pieces.

The wishlist feature was also a lot of fun. Whering gives you the ability to clip an item from your wishlist and see how well it styles with pieces you already own. Again, this was a great way to cut back on spending and ensure my purchases were worth upsetting my bank account over. Scroll on to see five days in my digital wardrobe.

Monday

Work outfits are difficult to style on the best of days. With the app’s archive feature, I found this pleated midi skirt I had stored away for winter. The bows in my hair and chunky statement loafers helped make my uniform feel uniquely me.

Tuesday

I wanted to experiment with the ‘blokette’ aesthetic. Using Whering, I was able to pinpoint items in my wardrobe that fit the brief. For this outfit, I picked a feminine top that completely mismatched the sporty vibe of the pants. I accessorised with this red beaded mini bag for added sparkle. I was really happy with the end result and no money was spent on new clothes.

Wednesday

On this day, I had a friend’s birthday celebration to attend. Though the week had been busy, I’d already pre-planned this outfit using Whering, which made getting ready super easy. Playing around with the blokette aesthetic inspired me to have fun with feminine and masculine energy. This outfit was outside of my comfort zone, but I made it feel more like me with the bows in the hair (once again).

Thursday

Switching it up completely, on Wednesday I wanted to lean into the ‘crochet skirt with a statement belt’ trend that I had seen on my Pinterest feed. Whering helped me to remember this denim jacket that had been shoved in the back of my wardrobe. It felt very Lorelai Gilmore.

Friday

My friend and I attended the NGV’s Friday Nights and naturally, I was left feeling like I had nothing to wear. I’d saved this top to my Whering app as I was finding it difficult to style. It’s completely sheer, so finding the right items to pair it with while still keeping the feel of the top was a challenge.

I played with lots of combinations on the Whering app, settling finally on an all-black ensemble. I layered this black high-neck singlet underneath as it was a similar neckline to the top and offered a level of coverage I was comfortable with. I tied it all together with my tried-and-true suit pants and leather jacket combo.

So what’s the verdict? Whering is a great organisational tool and helped me to get out of my comfort zone, styling pieces I’d previously left at the back of my wardrobe. The layout is really easy to use – the hardest part was individually hanging and photographing each garment I own. Though time-consuming, after road-testing the app, I’d say it’s worth it.

For more on digitising your wardrobe, head here.