One of my favorite episodes I ever made was from March 2023, and it was about the closet from Clueless: How did Cher have this incredibly forward-thinking computer closet? And how can I get one of my own?
This year was the 30th anniversary of Clueless- and man that film still holds up! I was lucky enough to be in conversation with the director, Amy Heckerling, at Metrograph, where the film was shown in 35mm.
But what about the closet itself? In the year 2025, are we any closer to making Cher’s closet a reality? The intrepid Grace Tarducci (you might recognize her as the reporter from the episode about school uniforms), has taken it upon herself to test out the latest generation of closet apps. You can decide for yourself if we finally have found Cher’s closet.
Take it away, Grace!
The earliest punch card computers were used in looms. The sewing machine gave birth to the ready to wear. From synthetic fibers to zippers, technology has always been part of fashion. Yet nowadays, rather than incorporating new technologies into fashion design, new technologies are telling us how to design.
Like many fashion lovers before me, I have always been envious of the famous closet in Clueless - Cher’s 90s cyber assistant that identifies wardrobe malfunctions and puts the finishing touches on the looks she creates. I’m clearly not alone: over the last few years, app after app has popped up claiming to be the one to bring Cher’s closet to life. Until recently, these apps relied largely on randomized selections, more like shuffling pictures around on a table with your eyes closed than working with a stylist. But with the advent of ChatGPT, closet apps have started to make more and more informed style decisions.
I don’t use AI, or at least, I tell people that I don’t. I’m an artist and I don’t like the oversaturation of AI media that’s currently taking over the world. I don’t think AI has the depth required to provide thoughtful responses, to design, or to make art. But, unfortunately, I am only human, and when I learned about these new closet apps that could finally create cohesive outfits and present them to me on a me-shaped mannequin, I wanted to try one out.
There are a few different AI closet apps. I chose the app Alta, because, well, it’s free, and since its launch in June, it’s been something of the talk of the town. Alta has already been covered by Vogue, Elle, Business of Fashion, and Women’s Wear Daily - in no small part due to its famous donors like Karlie Kloss and Jasmine Tookes, and its notable partnerships with Poshmark and the CFDA.
The first step with all closet apps is to take pictures of every single item in your wardrobe. This was very time consuming (probably more time consuming than you may think), but I combined this task with a much needed closet clean up. I was surprised to find that taking pictures made it easier to get rid of clothes I knew I wasn’t going to wear.
Step two is to upload both a picture of your face and a full body picture. This was difficult for me, because essentially you’re allowing this app to make a deep fake version of yourself - yikes. After a short internal debate, I compromised my beliefs and uploaded my pictures, gently praying I would not spot myself in the background of an AI generated commercial any time soon. We’ll see.
Once you get past the fact that your AI mannequin looks like you mixed with Alita: Battle Angel™, you can look for your Outfit Of The Day in your feed. Today; Sunday, December 7th, 2025, in NYC. A high of 41° and low of 33°. My AI stylist gives me looks based on what it thinks I may be up to, “Art Studio,” “Brunch With Friends,” “Coffee Shop,” “Solo Exhibition,” “Photo Shoot.” AI Grace is much cooler than IRL Grace. But I don’t know if she dresses better.
For the suggested “Art Studio” look, My AI wears an oatmeal colored turtle neck, an oversized leather jacket that I thrifted with my best friend, baggy leopard print jeans, loafers, and a studded black baguette shaped purse. “Art Studio” is not offensive, but it’s perhaps just a bit too… basic? I’m not sure what makes this an “art studio” look as opposed to a “brunch with friends” or “coffee shop” look and it’s not something that I can really see myself wearing.
It feels like my AI stylist scanned the internet for elder Gen Z fashion trends, and then scanned my wardrobe and put all the trendy pieces together. Which may not be too far off, given that Alta founder Jenny Wang, when asked by Dale Arden Chong for Elle about her motivation for starting the app, explained, “I struggled to come up with new outfit ideas or apply inspiration I saw online to my own closet.” Wang certainly seems to have succeeded in the online inspiration arena.
AI mannequin images from my wardrobe
Another way to use Alta is to give it a “prompt” and it will make outfits out of your closet items… I’ve tried prompts such as:
Glamorous night at the circus
Dressing hot for my fianceé who I’ve never met in person
Alligator tour at a high fashion swamp
Etc., etc., but for the sake of this review, I’m going to use a more realistic example. The category is: “Date night in Brooklyn,” and my AI stylist has certainly gotten creative. I’m given the option “Cobble Hill Casual,” which combines a heathered gray graphic Tee that I stole from my sister, charcoal gray sweatpants paired with a matching sarong, my favorite beat up sneakers, and purple legwarmers, but the suggestion is that I wear the legwarmers on my wrists. Ok AI. This out of the box leisure-wear look is not what I would put together for a date night, but it’s at least a bit more interesting than the “art studio” look.
Using the same prompt, I switched to “shopping mode”- where the app will suggest clothes you can buy online. Here I was given the suggestion “Chic Evening,” a look that pairs the same sweatpants with platform Uggs and a black puffer coat, a teal micro purse, and two suggested items available for purchase. To complete my fit, I could buy a silk, ocean blue Dolce and Gabbana blouse, and a pair of silver Laura Lombardi hoop earrings. I don’t think there is a single person in the world who would wear this outfit.
To be fair to my AI stylist, it has in the past, proposed outfits that I did like and hadn’t thought of. For example, I thrifted a pastel-colored graphic mesh skirt by The Open Product this fall. It’s salmony pink and green and decorated with crude drawings of a dog, a seashell and a fluffy blue cat. It’s a cool piece, but not one that’s easy to style. When I tried asking Alta to put together a look around the skirt using my closet, I was surprised at what a good job it did. Alta put the skirt on my AI mannequin with a rose colored deep V jersey top I’ve had since high school, a pinstriped cropped blazer, Victorian inspired lace up heeled boots, and that studded baguette bag. I would’ve never thought to put these pieces together but for the first time, I felt that the app had begun to capture my personal style. The only caveat being that Alta hasn’t met these clothes in person. In real life my deep V top is more of a burnt orange color, and is way too tight to pair with a hip hugging skirt. The blazer’s pinstripes are an obviously clashing kelly green, and the Victorian heels are just a bit too high for a casual look. But if I was a few inches shorter, and my clothes looked and fit exactly as pictured, I would definitely rock this ensemble.
The closer my AI stylist gets to dressing me the way I dress myself, the more it scares me. I actually prefer when AI gets something ridiculously wrong, it’s like proof that the robots won’t take over, or that maybe there is something inherently magic and superior about humans. But when AI gets something right, something as deep and personal as my style, I start to question whether my style was really mine to begin with. I mean, what is my personal style, really, if not a collection of influences from people, movies, artists, and designers I admire? I suppose a robot can learn to mimic that.
But here is the part that a robot could never touch: experience. I know what looks good on me, because of trial and error. I’ve tried things on my physical body, I know my shapes, I know my colors. And the best part is, I’m still learning and trying out new things. I don’t want a rigid set of algorithmic rules - I’m not afraid to make mistakes because that’s what makes fashion fun. Despite having my entire wardrobe at its disposal, my AI stylist rarely seems to come up with something I’d actually want to wear. It’s all a little safe. It fits AI Grace nicely, but not the human me. For now, I can hold onto my personal style as something sacred; even if only for a little longer.
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