Clueless to what you actually have in your wardrobe? Get organised with the Whering app and rediscover those forgotten items that still look great on you!
Think outfit selection in a true Cher Horowitz fashion!
Gone are the days of never having quite enough space to know what you have in your wardrobe, struggling to pair your most loved pieces together and impulse buying looks you’re never going to wear and ultimately never turn out quite right. At a time where we are surrounded by fast fashion ads popping up endlessly and shopping from the comfort of our homes with next day delivery just a click away, it’s inevitable that we have fallen into throw-away culture and binge buying. But with the conversation of sustainability ever growing, casting a dark cloud of guilt to loom over when we do panic buy an outfit for tomorrow, it’s difficult to find a balance. As consumers, we’re so used to getting things when we want with little effort, and with fast paced modern day life leaving us little time to realise what we do own already, the cycle of thoughtless buying goes on.
As the majority of us don’t have never ending wardrobes, fit with revolving rails and a floor to ceiling shoe shelf {think clueless or Blair Waldorf’s closet in Gossip Girl), it can be really difficult to find the time to constantly organise our belongings and know what we have. Resulting in the easy option… turning to a quick buy. But that’s where Whering comes in. An app to help you make the most of what you already have. Allowing you to be both style-conscious and sustainably minded at the same time - Whering is like your very own personal stylist in your pocket. Incredibly user friendly, all you need to do is download the app, take pictures of the items (or hire a Whering assistant to do this for you) and upload them in bulk. The app’s technology automatically removes the background and tags the images, making them shop-worthy quality. What’s more, the app uses an intricate style matrix and personality test in order to create the best styling environment for each user. You can then use the images to create outfits for yourself, or use the ‘dress me’ feature, where Whering’s algorithm, after a short personality and style quiz, will suggest outfit ideas for you.
The aim of the app ultimately is to allow each of us to realise what we already have in our wardrobes and how to make the most of our belongings, before turning to buying new / throw away items. As the app gets to know us individually, we can also receive styling tips and product suggestions which complement what we already own.
Bianca Rangecroft - Founder of Whering
We caught up with Bianca Rangecroft, founder of Whering to discuss the app, how she went from banker to fashion app creator and of course, sustainable fashion.
Tell us a bit about your journey getting to Whering. My background is totally unrelated to fashion – I studied History and Politics at SOAS & LSE, then moved into the business world after doing my Masters at Imperial (Economics & Management). I worked at Goldman Sachs from 2017 to 2019 in the firm's Consumer and Investment Management Division in London. I was lucky enough to work on the Stichfix IPO and began to delve deep into consumer buying patterns, how machine learning was being used to optimize shopping and above all the environmental cost of fashion. This kickstarted in me a whole introspective journey into my own contribution to this issue and how we could leverage the data found in our own closet to make the supply chain greener but crucially, to make the most of what we already have to get that newness fix and buy to fill wardrobe gaps (all optimised through AI). Before starting the company we conducted over 350 focus groups to identify key commonalities in the user journey amongst our key demographic: women in their early twenties and thirties. I felt we fundamentally had to change the way we interact with our clothes and thought the timing (by the end of my tenure) was perfect to bring to life Cher Horrowitz’ Clueless wardrobe app.
What was your original inspiration behind launching the app? Was there a direction you always saw coming or was it born from more impulsive ideas? I founded Whering in June 2020 out of a profound desire to democratise the personal styling landscape and fundamentally change the way we interact with our clothes (i.e. upend the throwaway culture). For me the system was broken; the vicious cycle of not being able to see what you own, impulse buying (never getting it quite right), and the lack of inspiration in the styling process meant only one thing, we had to take it digital and harness the power of machine learning to hyper-personalise our fashion experience. The journey from there has been mostly organic; Vogue covered our launch in eight countries, helping us secure 35K users in less than six months. We now have 80K users with downloads increasing monthly. Whilst impulse ideas helped us get where we are today, my direction and vision for the app has always been clear and I am still working hard to bring my vision to life.
The conversation around sustainable fashion is arguably louder than ever right now. Do you think there has been an apparent impact in people buying less when able to see what they already own? We are an innovative and original app. We spotted a gap in the market and a cultural shift towards climate awareness, and we have utilised this space, creating a stylish and educational hub for climate-focused fashionistas. Seeing all your clothes right before your eyes, in the palm of your hand, reminds you of those items at the back of your closet you forgot you own and encourages you to maximise the potential of all your items.
The ‘I have nothing to wear’ dilemma is a universal sensation of being trapped in indecision. In our view, part of the problem isn’t having nothing to wear, but having nothing new to wear. Fast fashion brands tempt us with affordable clothes that can be delivered to our door the next day, so we keep buying because we think that just one more item will unlock our ideal wardrobe – but how can it do so if we have no accessible inventory of what we own? This is why having a digital inventory is so key - to aid our visual memory. Not only does it allow you to ‘shop your own wardrobe’ to get that newness fix, but having an organised digital wardrobe helps you identify what you really need and what pieces can unlock a myriad of combinations. You can also easily track your wears, most worn items, decide what’s worth donating or selling, but most importantly, create different versions of your best looks from the comfort of your couch (i.e. unleashing your inner creative).
We created Whering for recovering lifestyle hypocrites like us: millennial women who are excited to take back ownership of their fashion consumption and the way they dress. Whering is not just a wardrobe organiser, it’s so much more. We’re building a one-stop-shop for all your fashion needs.
It seems like you’ve thought of everything from the visual impact, removing backgrounds, to the personal service of having a Whering assistant take the photos for you. Was that a conscious decision all along to go above and beyond with the service? We always had a vision of creating a one-stop shop for all your fashion needs. Whilst our team growing allowed us to brainstorm and consider more options of how to go about it, the idea of creating an app that does everything for you has been longstanding. Whering’s technology automatically removes the background of the picture and tags the items, creating online-shopping-worthy images. If this seems a daunting task, for a one-off fee, the user can book one of Whering’s assistants to take care of it with their White Glove Service. Not only does our background removal technology streamline the look of our users clothing allowing them to shop their own wardrobe, it encourages them to become part of the circular fashion cycle. We provide them with high quality images of their garments, removing the task of taking photos that often deters people from selling their unwanted clothes. By doing so our users are more inclined to get involved in the sustainable fashion chain rather than throwing away old items. Our services function provides easy access to Thrift, offering an alternative option so our users can give their old garments a new life!
How do you think the app impacts lower income users - people who don’t necessarily have an extensive wardrobe but want to be more environmentally conscious? The styling elements and personalised suggestions must help provide inspiration? We want our app to be an inclusive space for all our users, no matter their financial background. An extensive wardrobe has been misconstrued as a better wardrobe, when in reality having a few staple items that you are able to really utilise and get the most out of is what truly makes a great closet. Our app aims to demonstrate it is not how much you own, but rather the quality and wearability of your pieces that matter. Fast fashion is sold to us as an affordable option but the low prices of the items cause people to spend more money because they add more and more items to their baskets. The low quality of the pieces means people are more likely to have to repurchase them in the future, spending even more money. We want our users to think about the long haul and bigger picture of their wardrobe.
The styling tools allow our users to get inspiration from their own closet without having to spend more money, as our app lets you online shop your own wardrobe. Eco-conscious people without an extensive wardrobe will be shown outfit suggestions they may never have thought of, allowing them to maximise their pieces without spending more money. As for our personalised product recommendations we are careful to include items from a range of prices, catering to everyone’s financial situation. Realistically, the most sustainable and affordable fashion is what you already own, but if there is something you need that will benefit your closet and unlock more outfit options, our app has a plethora of suggestions starting at £20 to purchase and just £12 to rent!
Rental clothing is another way that our app caters to low-income users. Renting is such an affordable and ethical option; it is most definitely making a comeback as we become more aware of the impact of fast fashion on the climate. We have a variety of rental services featured on our app, making it easier than ever to serve (sustainable) looks at fancy events and nights out with your friends. Find everything you could ever want in one place, from laundry, rental, and repair services all on our app
Can you tell us a bit about the launch of the Caring Partners feature? Caring for our clothes with repair and laundry services is often overlooked when we think of sustainable fashion, but they are crucial steps in making the most of your existing wardrobe. By washing our clothes properly with quality products they are more likely to last longer and maintain their quality, reducing the need for us to buy new items. It goes without saying, but repairing our current favourite items instead of replacing them with new garments we might wear once or twice, helps us care for our clothes and the planet. Our caring partners allow our app users to further maximise the potential of their existing wardrobe by prolonging the life of their clothes through repair and sustainable laundry services. As we develop our app we are hoping to use location technology to provide personalised recommendations of sustainable laundry and repair services that are local to our users, encouraging them to support small and sustainable businesses.
How do you think the app has impacted the people using it already, and what would you say to encourage others to join too?Our app is the perfect starter pack for a newbie in the sustainable fashion world. It could not be easier to find eco friendly pieces that are compatible with your wardrobe, meaning everything you buy has the potential to become a long term staple in your closet. It’s not just the sustainability curious that love our app, those who are well into their slow fashion journey continue to benefit from our try on services that allow them to actually see how items will look before buying them, reducing the amount of returns.
Whering is all about loving who you are already, allowing yourself to grow in a way that doesn’t hurt the planet and lets you be who you want to be. We celebrate women having their own style and wearing what they love, rather than buying into short-lived trend cycles that don’t reflect their styles and throwing away clothes when new trends emerge.
We encourage new users to join us on our journey of boycotting fast fashion whilst simultaneously celebrating ourselves and our wardrobes! There is no place for fast fashion in a sustainable future, so why not use our app to ease your transition into an eco-friendly closet. Not only do we need to ensure we are buying from ethical companies, but we also need to ensure we are purchasing clothes with the intention, that are assets to our wardrobe. The technology behind our app recommends our users with personalised products that they actually need, that fill wardrobe gaps. We don’t want to tell people never to buy clothes again, we want to alter the way our users (and the general public) think about consuming. People need to start buying with intention, considering if the item is something they will use for years to come.
Where do you see Whering going in the future?Our large-scale plans have the potential to minimize the impact of fast fashion and reduce clothing waste and pollution on a global scale. Whering plans to work with partners to further tackle the fashion industry’s waste issues and prevent the 350K tons of clothing that end up in landfill each year in the UK. Users will find recommendations of where to mend, repurpose or donate their items, or, as they are already digitalised, sell or rent items through third-party API integrations. We want to work with big brands like Depop, Vinted, Selfridges, and other slow fashion figures to grow our brand and provide the best possible platform for all sustainable fashion needs.
We plan to take our app social, allowing users to view other people’s wardrobes and get inspiration from their friends and request to borrow items. Our plan is to focus on growing the number of users in the UK for the next year, before expanding our brand globally. We believe turning our app social, will result in current users becoming more active and an increase in future downloads. Social media dominates our culture and we believe we can tap into its influence and use it for positive change, demonstrating how easy and enjoyable having a sustainable wardrobe can be.
Why not try out the app for yourself? You can download Whering by clicking here.