While communal dressing rooms are not that far from hell in my mind, there is always one incredible reward for having put on an outfit in front of a bunch of semi-naked strangers: You'll know if it works instantly. Take, for example, my last trip to Loehmann's.
"You look bigger than you are in that cut," offered one woman, gesturing a canary yellow dress that made me look like a funhouse fridge.
Later, as I pulled a fuchsia sundress over my head, another squinted at me from the corner.
"Great color," she said. "But the ruffles are weird."
I suppose I could have been offended, but truthfully, I was just thrilled for honest opinions, which probably explains why I am a little obsessed with the site Gotryiton.com, where you can get that kind of advice without ever leaving the house.
It works like this: You put on your outfit. You take a picture of your outfit. You upload it along with a brief explanation of where you are wearing it--recent examples included everything from an art opening to an after work party to a graduation dance. You name the labels if you want to-H&M dress, Sigerson Morrison flats, etc., and then people vote on whether or not you should change it, giving honest-and surprisingly constructive!-opinions on what details they like and what they don't ("Great boots but that hemline is all wrong. Try something a little above the knee.")
Admittedly, I haven't uploaded an outfit of my own yet, but I can easily see myself doing this in a pinch, especially when my fashion-challenged husband has nothing of use to tell me about whether or not my jeans look better with the flats or the heel. Still, I am loving this site for the side benefit it offers: A glimpse into what other ladies are wearing, how they are pulling it together, and what they could do to make it better.
The power of a thousand Loehmann's dressing rooms without the group nakedness? Sign me up.
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