There are hundreds, if not thousands, of fashion tech apps out there trying to solve different pain points in the shopping journey – from discovery, to optimizing fit pre-purchase, to styling inspiration post purchase. It can all be, well, overwhelming. That’s where I come in!
Introducing App Diaries. A series where I use, test, push, and interrogate different apps, so you don’t have to. By way of introduction, I’m Rolanda. I’ve spent the last ~10 years building my career as a product marketer at YouTube, Rent the Runway, and Google. Most recently, I transitioned to working as a marketing consultant, stylist, and creator. So, I’ll be analyzing the experiences not only for what I want for myself, but what would serve my clients as well.
The average American buys 68 items of clothing each year, so it’s virtually impossible to remember your entire closet. I see this constantly when working with my clients. When they are shopping in-store they turn to me and say “Do I have something similar?” “Do I have something I can wear this with?” I also work with my clients to style what they already have and understand what gaps we need to fill. And as a consumer, I know I would benefit from using a closet app. Confession #1: I’ve been putting off getting a closet app because photographing my entire closet felt like an insurmountable task. So, for the first installment of App Diaries, I’m comparing two closet apps that have been top of mind: Indyx and Alta.
My pick: Alta
Alta, launched in 2025 by Jenny Wang, dubs itself “your personal AI stylist that truly gets you.” While Alta leads with styling, building your digital closet is a core offering so the app can create outfits with items you own. Alta answered my closet cataloguing prayers. Confession #2: I practically have a mirror selfie of every outfit I’ve worn. So, I was able to upload those exact photos from my camera roll and have the app identify each item from there. I know; it’s literally magic. And for items that I didn’t have a photo of, I could search for them directly in the app and add them to my closet. Confession #3: The stylist in me stores a Rolodex of almost all of my items in my brain. If this isn’t you, I’d imagine you’d just need to be near your closet to check labels or dig through your inbox to find a brand.
Uploading proved far more difficult on Indyx, a “one-stop digital wardrobe app” that was launched in 2022 by Yidi Campbell and Devon Rule. Full length selfies didn’t translate to multiple items like they did on Alta, instead they got labeled as one – requiring manual cropping for each photo. If your item is relatively new, you can copy and paste links to your items from your browser to the app. When I stumbled up on the ability to add a mirror selfie, I thought I’d finally found what I was looking for. But the feature is intended to document outfits you’ve already pieced together in the app, not to add the items in the photo to your closet.
Maybe your camera roll isn’t overflowing with mirror selfies. In which case, receipt imports – which both apps support – might be the best path for you! Unfortunately, this approach won’t be best for second hand-heavy closets.
My pick: A tie!
Once your items are uploaded to your closet, building a moodboard to plan your outfit is straightforward. Alta’s wishlist feature allows you to add shoppable items that are not in your closet to visualize how you would style it with items you already own.
Both apps also let you virtually try on any look, which I used as a rest run for a wedding I attended over the holiday weekend. Avatar generation wasn’t 100% accurate on either app, so no definitive pick here!
My Pick: Indyx
While both apps give you a birds eye view of everything you own, true to their mission, Indyx is a gold mine for data about your closet – from the categories and colors you own, how many of your items are new vs. secondhand, most worn vs. least worn items, and total spend. As a stylist, this gives me a snapshot of my clients’ habits and any closet gaps to fill. As a consumer, I’ll know if I own too many black baggy bottoms or which of my 12 white tank tops I actually wear.
Note: Analytics is an Indyx Insider feature
My pick: Alta
Once you start following other Alta users in the app, your home feed is populated with those users’ outfits of the day. I found that this was a great way to source outfit ideas and identify gaps within my own wardrobe. Confession #4: To date, items that I wish to buy are scattered across platforms – so having an in-app wishlist is quite seamless.
While you can follow users on Indyx, the app doesn’t have a home feed where you can see what others are wearing. This would be my #2 request to the product team (behind being able to upload entire outfit photos for items).
My pick: Indyx
If you feel like you have nothing to wear but your closet is overflowing, you usually just need a fresh set of eyes. On Indyx, fellow fashionistas can create outfits for you, so new outfit combinations or that pair of pink pants that you’ve never worn can finally make it out of the house. If you want a little more professional help, you can book a virtual stylist directly in the app. Perusing through the app, the cheapest Lookbook minis (3 looks) start at $60 and Lookbooks (10 looks) start at $150.
Note: You need to be an Indyx Insider to be styled by the community
Confession #5: I’m skeptical of AI trying to replace the human touch, so I was hesitant to try Alta’s AI styling component. I prompted the app with, “I’m heading out to dinner with my girlfriends in NYC”, and was pleasantly surprised by the recommendations. As a native New Yorker, I even chuckled at the app’s distinction between looks for Brooklyn Heights and Chelsea. I like that you can choose to create looks primarily based on items in your closet –“closet mode”, or new item recommendations – “shopper mode.” Most of the time you don’t need to buy a new item.
Ironically, it seems there isn’t a definitive “winner” in the great closet app battle. As a product marketer, I think this proves our closets aren’t so black and white. Depending on your goal for digitizing your wardrobe, one app may be best for you. My read: if you love fashion with a capital F, care about deeply understanding your personal style, and want to connect with others that do too, Indyx is probably for you. If you don’t really care about the nitty gritty, just want an easy and fast way to upload your items for inspiration and recommendations on what to buy, Alta is probably best for you.
Let me know in the comments which app you download and how it’s going.
Use code ‘rolandaevelyn’ to receive $10 at sign-up on Indyx.
Have an app you’ve been eyeing and want us to test?
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