Whering vs. Indyx
Ever since the moment we all saw Cher Horowitz (of the iconic 90s film, Clueless) effortlessly scroll through her very own closet on her dinosaur of a dial-up desktop computer, the concept of a digital wardrobe has been permanently stuck in our collective consciousness.
While the technology may have seemed a distant dream back then, almost 30 years later we now have several wardrobe apps to choose from that accomplish everything that Cher’s version did - and even more!
If you feel you have nothing to wear, or that nothing you own goes together…or, if you just tend to hit that snooze button five too many times, then you need a wardrobe app. But, which one to choose?
In this article we will compare two of the top wardrobe apps: Indyx and Whering. We’ll look closely at what features they offer and each of their own merits and shortcomings so you can make the right choice for you.
What Is a Wardrobe App?
A wardrobe app is a platform that allows you to digitally organize your clothes. All wardrobe apps allow you to upload images of your clothes, usually through a DIY method but some apps also offer services to make this process easier. You can use your digital wardrobe to combine items into new outfit combinations to see how they look without having to make a mess of your closet, or pre-plan outfits ahead of time for no-stress mornings.
But, it doesn’t stop there! Most apps offer additional features beyond cataloging and outfit styling, but these features will vary from app to app. For example, Indyx offers totally custom outfits created by a personal stylist while Whering has a very Clueless-inspired feature to shuffle your clothes into new outfits. Many apps also offer simple analytics on your wardrobe data, and organizational features like packing lists to help you prepare for any upcoming trips.
Why a Wardrobe App Makes Life Easier
Most of us are all too familiar with “the clothes chair”, or “the clothes corner”, or wherever it is that you leave the clothes that accumulate throughout the week as you try on an endless amount of outfits for every occasion. For any woman with a wardrobe app, this is but a distant memory. With a wardrobe app, you can effortlessly scroll through your closet and plan your outfits while laying in bed or drinking your morning coffee.
With all these ready-made outfits, it feels easy to find an outfit you like each morning. Say goodbye to not knowing what to wear because you have “nothing to wear” and say hello to not knowing what to wear because you have too many amazing options!
And if you ever run out of your own outfit ideas, many apps can offer you new styling suggestions. This can either be done by a computer generated algorithm or better yet, by a real stylist that can give you a fresh perspective on your clothes.
Beyond simple outfit planning, the increased visibility of a wardrobe app is also key to actually using your entire wardrobe - either by reminding you of all the great pieces you already have, or by nudging you to realize what items you aren’t wearing (but that someone else might!).
Whering vs. Indyx: Compared
Summary:
Catalog your wardrobe with automatic background removal and assisted tagging, or add items from Whering’s item database
Build unlimited outfits from your own wardrobe for free, or use “Dress Me” feature for randomized outfit suggestions
Schedule outfits, curate lookbooks of items, and build packing lists
Shop new from sustainable brands and secondhand from Vestiaire Collective and other partners on a built-in marketplace
No option for professional styling or ability to resell items
Free to download, available on both iOS & Android
Whering is a UK-based wardrobe app that delivers a good user experience for anyone looking for the basics of a digital wardrobe: visualizing your clothes and building outfits.
You build your digital wardrobe by uploading photos with automatic background removal, and the app scans your photo to automatically tag it with attributes like category and color. This can make the whole process feel a little magical, but can also be quite frustrating when Whering gets it wrong…and that’s most of the time.
Once your wardrobe is digitized, you can do a lot to organize your wardrobe including creating unlimited free outfits, scheduling them in a calendar planner, or building packing lists or curated lookbooks. Whering also has a “Dress Me” feature that will show you randomized outfits - a little like playing with a paper doll, or pressing shuffle on an iPod - for a quick way to come up with new outfit ideas. All of this is available for free.
Whering encourages users to shop their built-in ‘marketplace’, which is populated with new items from a curation of “sustainable” brands and a limited selection of secondhand items from partners including Vestiaire Collective. They make it easy to style these shoppable items with your existing wardrobe to imagine how they’d fit in before checking out on the partner’s website.
Whering also provides a directory of local services like repair, alterations, and dry cleaners. However, these are only currently available in the London area, and there is no option to book directly in the app - it simply directs you to these businesses’ own websites for more information.
Our opinion on Whering:
Whering’s app feels pretty slick, but on the whole it comes off to us as only half thought through. They’ve built a very nice digital wardrobe - which is perfect if you’re just looking to scroll your wardrobe and build outfits on your own - but there isn’t much of a vision past that and it doesn't offer much more than what Cher had on her desktop computer almost 30 years ago.
Yes, the app itself is pretty seamless with a clean design, but without any styling services and a run-of-the-mill shopping platform you may find that the time investment of cataloging your wardrobe doesn’t quite pay off.
They have loads of features but few seem to really solve any problems. For example, the randomized wardrobe shuffle is as good as pulling things out of your wardrobe with your eyes closed. Their partnerships with repair and dry cleaning shops is nothing more than a list of suggestions you could find yourself on TikTok or Google.
Whering offers many features for free, but is monetizing off their shopping marketplace, meaning they earn an affiliate commission off any items you buy through their links. At the end of the day, do we really need another platform just pushing you to buy, buy, buy?
Indyx
Summary:
Catalog your wardrobe on your own with automatic background removal
Or, hire an Indyx Archivist to catalog your wardrobe for you
Build unlimited outfits and plan packing lists or other collections
Add your outfits to a calendar to automatically track cost-per-wear; track your selfies to remember how you looked and felt in those outfits
Share your wardrobe with friends and browse other Indyx users’ Open Closets for inspiration
Weekly outfit recommendations from the real stylist of your choice for $25+ a month, or get a one-off Lookbook starting at about $100
Free to download, available on both iOS & Android
Indyx’s mission is to unlock the potential of what you already own, and that is certainly made possible with this app’s impressive set of integrated features. It is the only app to combine digital cataloging and human personal styling in one place.
Indyx is a free wardrobe app that makes it easy for you to catalog on your own with the easy to use interface and automatic AI-powered background removal that makes your digital wardrobe appear very clean and neat. But, if cataloging your wardrobe sounds like a chore, a unique service called The Catalog can send a professional Archivist to your home to do all the work for you (check the app for latest pricing).
Right away, you are able to plan outfits, track cost-per-wear of your items, and create packing lists for free. A fan-favorite feature is Indyx’s calendar, which allows you to not only track your outfits but also your outfit selfies. It’s super satisfying!
If you’re feeling unsure about your style, Indyx is a great choice as there is a real focus on personal style, taking the perspective that human styling is still vastly superior to whatever ChatGPT can throw together.
Take advantage of their Style Quiz to help articulate your style, go deeper with the free Style Workshop content series, or even work 1:1 with a real, human personal stylist to style outfits and receive handpicked shopping recommendations to fill the gaps in your wardrobe.
Most unique is Indyx’s subscription service, The Feed, which gets you weekly professionally styled outfits from your own closet along with optional personalized shopping recommendations, all from a human stylist and starting at just $25 a month. You can choose what stylist you subscribe to and even message them directly.
But if you’re more interested in a one-off refresh, The Lookbook will get you 10 new outfits styled entirely from your own closet or with a few suggestions of what to add to your wardrobe mixed in.
While this next feature isn’t live quite yet, Indyx has a larger vision to incorporate resale directly into the platform. Taking photos and writing product descriptions to list on Poshmark or Depop can be a pain. But, since you already have all this information in your Indyx digital wardrobe, you’ll be able to list items on their marketplace with just a few clicks. Genius!
In general, Indyx goes above-and-beyond other options to become one of the best wardrobe apps for outfit planning and improving your personal style. Indyx is the only wardrobe app to have solved the hurdle of digitizing your closet with their professional cataloging service. They’re also the only app offering expert advice from real personal stylists on how to best wear what you already own, or a few unbiased suggestions of what to add to unlock greater versatility.
Indyx is free and available on both the App Store and Google Play.