eBay Mobile Challenge: Using the Fashion App to Shop for Holiday Party Ensembles

By Reena Jana
November 30, 2010

When I was in college, I scored a coveted internship at a fashion magazine. Looking back, while there were many memorable "Devil Wears Prada"-ish moments of glamorous chaos, the best part was watching the chic editors put together stylish outfits for photo shoots. Thee glamorous women made choosing clothes and accessories look effortless, yet the truth was that the end results were always as carefully curated as an art exhibition in a museum.

I had flashbacks recently when I turned to eBay’s Fashion App for the iPhone.

I began using the app as a way to quickly hunt down ensembles for the holiday parties that are already crowding my calendar. (I know I’m not the only one who can’t believe Thanksgiving is already behind us!) I admit, it’s much harder for me to feel as fashionable today as I did when I was a magazine intern, now that I’m a mom of a toddler and an infant with barely a moment to shop, let alone try on numerous outfits at home in front of the mirror to find the perfect look. But the eBay fashion app helped me act like an editor. Here's an overview of my experience.

The eBay fashion App allowed me to save pictures of dresses, shoes, blazers, jewelry, and accessories and then put them together onscreen, in professional-looking pages as part of a virtual “closet.” But the real advantages of using the app were the time and money saved. Yes, you can shop instantly—even using only one hand, thanks to iPhone touchscreen—and many of the designer looks are available at below retail cost. Some items are vintage or pre-owned—which helped me find unique or even rare pieces, so I don’t show up wearing the same trendy dress as someone else.

fashion vault

Others are offered as part of sales on eBay’s Fashion Vault (a section of eBay that offers limited-time discounts on new merchandise).

closet

All I had to do was drag and drop the saved photos of eBay offerings into what look like magazine layouts. Using the touch screen made this process super easy. Spreading my fingers, I could enlarge the images; if I inched my fingers together, I could shrink them. If I or spun my fingers, I could arrange the images of clothes at pleasing angles. With the touch of a button, I could silhouette hats, shirts, or sunglasses to superimpose them on pictures of myself (Yes, that’s me in a pair of Chanel sunglasses I "tried on.". And I could email the outfits to my friends to get their opinions.

Here, I’ve put together a list of my eBay keywords for my day party, office party and fancy occasion outfits, in case you want to replicate any of these looks for yourself, or just to help you navigate the app. For me, it's already made my holiday season much happier.

My first foray onto the eBay fashion app was to shop for a (relatively) affordable, pre-owned Chanel bag (for me, an investment in an accessory I know I’ll use for life and that I’d been saving for). Using the eBay fashion app, I silhouetted the bag’s shape and put it into a layout alongside a pair of Michael Kors flat boots, a Marc Jacobs turtleneck, a tweedy J.Crew blazer, and a faux-fur scarf, all while I was waiting for and then riding the cross-town Manhattan bus for a work-related meeting. By the end of the day, I had the ideal outfit for the annual holiday cookie-decorating party I go to at a family member’s TriBeCa loft each year, one often attended by a nattily dressed crowd. The bonus for me: I’ll wear many of the pieces with clothing I already own.

Cookie-Decorating Party Outfit

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My party ensemble, laid out like a magazine spread.
A classic Chanel bag is always in style. I found an affordable (relatively speaking) authentic one with an unusual design. It adds elegance to anything you're wearing, from jeans to a suit.
At the Central Park playgrounds I frequent, I've noticed the coolest moms wearing flat leather boots that look polished yet don't punish the feet.
A tweed jacket will go with a number of different looks. I can dress it down with a white tank and jeans, pair it with a pencil skirt for a pulled-together look.
Everyone needs a slim, white cashmere turtleneck. It'll be a staple this season and for many more.
A faux fur scarf is 100 percent on-trend.
Still a wardrobe staple: dark skinny jeans.

I also needed an outfit for my husband's office party, a shindig at a fancy midtown restaurant.

Outfit for My Husband's Annual Office Holiday Party

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My aim with this outfit was to be work-party appropriate, with just a little bit of sex appeal.
An eye-catching alternative to the LBD is this ombre grey dress.
Leopard, cheetah, lynx-sexy cat prints are all the rage this season. This black-and-white fitted leopard print cardigan is a fresh way to wear an animal pattern.
Classic loafers are back, with a twist. Grab a sky-high pair in a jewel tone. I adore these richly-hued, vintage, purple suede pumps from Yves St. Laurent.
Ladylike, structured handbags without obvious logos are in this season. This vintage lizard bag looks both nostalgic and of-the-moment.
I snagged this stunning wrist adornment. A pearl bracelet adds just enough flair to any outfit.

Finally, every night before bed for about a week, I opened up the app as I wound down at the end of each day. The idea was to calm my anxieties about finding a suitably festive look for a fancy evening hosted by an old friend who throws impossibly glam Christmas get-togethers, often with literary- and television-world luminaries in attendance. I know everyone will be decked out, and my tight budgets for time and funds were making me nervous about finding an elegant look that would also suit my post-baby physique. I chose a slinky yet bulge-forgiving red dress by BCBG, a super-soft sweater to keep bare shoulders toasty, and heels and earrings that will work well with a variety of clothes already in my closets (both real and virtual!).

Outfit for My Friend's Annual Christmas Fete

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I really wanted to go all out in Christmas red, but I toned it down with lots of neutral accents.
Sure, red is always a stunning color to wear during the holidays-but this year, it is the color of the season. This drapey, goddess-y red dress is both slinky and simple.
My bare shoulders won't itch when they're swathed in this Vera Wang cashmere shrug, which is short enough so as not to hide my dress.
The Stuart Weitzman python pumps add just enough pattern to my ensemble. Their classic silhouette echoes a trendlet among super-chic women (think Kate Moss, Kate Middleton): ditching the platforms and donning stilettos.
The neutral tone of this evening clutch means I can use it with a variety of richly-colored party dresses. Plus, pairing tan and red this year is very in.
These dramatic cascades of pearls will frame my face, whether I wear my hair up or down on our big nights out. Plus, I can pair these pearl earrings with the pretty pearl bracelet I bought, too.