Picturing a Future #2: Re-commercing with Technology

I imagined a dream closet that can help me build my most efficient system that facilitates a more circular consumption of Fashion.

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Closetonthecloud

4 min readAug 8, 2020

[ This is a featured article in The Closet On The Cloud, a Fashion Tech Newsletter.] Check out the latest edition here!

Turn around! Your closet thinks it's Raj from DDLJ 😏

So, I imagined a dream closet that can help me build my most efficient system that facilitates a more circular…

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I want Technology to help me Recommerce.

So… neither am I a shopaholic nor am I a compulsive shopper. In fact, I’m quite prudent. I might as well be asking my 3rd+ LinkedIn connections before I make a purchase. However, I do like to surf, occasionally, my favourite brands get some basics and classics. Even then, I find myself quite agitated with the pieces in my closet that, over time, I have come to perceive as being “extra”.

Between going out of fashion, and well, out of size, I really crave an easier way to air out those shelves that are currently burdened by the weight of my many vêtements.

That’s why

I want to re-commerce.

I want to sell first-hand and buy second.

I want to rent.

I want to shop but rarely, if ever, fresh.

I want to look back at those old clothes.

I want to show them some love.

And I want to put them to use.

Basically, I’ve got to

Turn around….

A scene from the Bollywood film “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”

……Because my closet thinks its Raj from DDLJ. 😜

Don’t worry Raj, I’m turning.

And to turn,

I want Technology to help.

Imagining My Dream Closet. Walk with me?

1. Inventory Management w/ RFID-like tags

My existing and all new clothing is tagged with an RFID tag which is referenced with the Brand, Type of Clothing & Colour.

2. Usage Activity Tracking & Aid:

Every time this item is removed from the closet and worn is tracked. The combinations of clothing worn together from head to toe are registered for future suggestions (for when I have NO CLUE what to wear 🤪).
This feature can also be used to give data to sites like vinted to provide usage information for resale purposes, if applicable.
The closet uses its deep learning capabilities to derive insights on my Fashion Sense over time. It also stays connected to the weather channel and does it best to suggest suitable combinations of items to offer the best rotation and thorough usage of my closet.

Items (of that season) that have not been worn or rejected multiple times by me, must be flagged or stored in a separate folder on the interface.

3. Syncing across platforms:

|Re-commerce SHOPPING|

Every time I surf fashion e-commerce sites, my closet is part of the process. Let’s me know if I’m buying something too similar, something completely out of my usual fashion sense, something that I won’t normally pair with my existing items AND most importantly, items that are already available on re-commerce sites like RENT THE RUNWAY, VINTED.

Closet Pop-up as I surf an e-commerce website to buy a fresh item

|Re-commerce SELLING|

My closet also makes use of image recognition. With a constant eye on re-commerce websites, my closet lets me know if someone did an image search for a piece of clothing I already own (and that I would be willing to sell off based on usage tracking).
It will also tell me using keywords searched on these sites, if any of my clothes match trending searched clothing descriptions.

4. Syncing across closets:

Ladies & gents give me a clap if you’ve spent hours looking for a piece of clothing and found it 39 years later in your sister’s/brother’s closet.

I live in a family of 4 out of which 3 are women of similar sizes.

We. Need. To. Share. EFFICIENTLY.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

My closet offers the ability to have a shared section, which consists of clothing that I want to share with individuals near me.
Every time I lend a shirt, it gets registered and along with when, where and with who it went and currently is.
Every time I need an item that I don’t own, the shared feature scans the shared section of my friends and lets me know!