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Is virtual fashion virtually pointless?

Posted in Media, Digital March 13th, 2007 by Nikki Preston

I can almost see the folks over at Condé Nast sighing with relief after clicking on MyStyleWindow.com when it launched last Thursday, as it is a very poor second to their new site - StyleFinder.com.

MyStyleWindow’s conniving plans to launch on the same day as the rival site severely backfired on them because instead of piggybacking on the hype surrounding the launch of StyleFinder.com in a positive way, it instead resulted in disappointing comparisons.

Although it is still not perfect, StyleFinder.com has at least fulfilled its promises – in that it offers various site functions, showcases celebrity styles and provides a catalogue of both luxury and high street items. Whereas MyStyleWindow.com solely provides links to retailers’ own shop sites. And to be honest if I want to log on to TopShop I can do it without wasting time going through a third party or even just walk down Oxford Street for the real shopping experience.

However, MyStyleFinder still has teething issues and I must stress that like most of Condé Nast’s magazines “luxury” is the key word here. When I eagerly clicked on the new site at the weekend to search for a black and white top I had seen a friend wear the night before, I found that most of the items that the site found were around the £100 plus ticket price and nothing like the top I had spotted. So unless Condé Nast ramps up its inventory and adds the inventories of more high street retailers to its website both will have sorely failed to secure me as a regular visitor to the site.