Watch the CC Intro Video

Feedback and Bug Reports:

Visit User Feedback Forums

Contact Our Helpline:

help@closetcouture.com

Help Pages: FAQs

About Closet Couture

About Closet Couture

Getting Started on Closet Couture

Getting Started on Closet Couture
Overview of Basic Closet Couture Functions

Photo Uploading Tips

Photo Help
Taking Photos: Guidelines and Tips

Safety and Privacy Concerns

Safety and Privacy Concerns

Service & Membership Policies

Returns and Billing Questions

Sharing Your Ideas with Us

Sharing Your Ideas with Us

Using Closet Couture

Buying from Retailers
Calendar
Need More Help? / Reporting a Bug
Packing Lists
Viewing Closet Couture on the Internet
What's the CC Background Remover Do?
Working with Stylists
Your Albums
Your Closet

About Closet Couture

What is Closet Couture?

Closet Couture believes getting dressed should be fun, and to that end, we offer help from beginning to end. You can get expert personal help on Closet Couture either by hiring a stylist to pick out your outfits or asking the community what they think or having a sales clerk personally shop for you.

Who's behind it?

See the Closet Couture story, and read the bios of the fashion-forward folks here. We are spread between New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and we all look forward to meeting you on the site!

What is next for Closet Couture?

Oh my….we have a LOT on the horizon. Be sure to keep an eye on the announcements forum for updates and we will share with you everything we have as news breaks.

Can I tell you what I want next on Closet Couture?

Sure, we'd be delighted! We want you to be happy and guide what we focus on and build. After all, the site is for you! Write us in the forum, or email us feedback@closetcouture.com.

I see next to your logo and name it says BETA…. What's that?

Beta is the tech world's code name for testing. It means that Closet Couture is up and running, but that occasionally we may experience slight turbulence. There may be new developments added, some bugs in the software that we encounter or other issues. When you are in Closet Couture, and something is not working, that is a bug... please report it.

Getting Started on Closet Couture

How Do I Start Using Closet Couture?

The following are great starting points to using Closet Couture:

Friend people you know
See what they have, and create outfits for them from their own stuff - and and you can recommend new things for them!

Build your closet from clothes already on the site
As you browse friends' and retailers' closets you can copy any of their items into your own closet to save you the trouble of photographing your own items. Just click on any of their closet items and a pop-up window will appear with buttons to allow you to copy the item to your closet or add it to one of your wish lists.

Get on the forums and talk to our experts and stylists
They are available to answer quick questions and weigh in on burning issues‚ from what to wear RIGHT NOW to where to buy the best vintage jewelry to how to look cute when you see your ex-boyfriend to what is meeting appropriate in Paris, to how to pack for a weekend in Maine.

Build your wish list!
Go through the Closet Couture seasonal closet or friends and retailer‚ closets to see what we love for fall, and add everything you want to buy! Your boyfriend / husband / mother will be glad you did.

Shop from our retailers

Overview of Basic Closet Couture Functions

What is what on My Homepage?

Below is a key to helping you find what's what and what it does.

Dressing Room
Here you can dress yourself and create smashing ensembles with clothes from your closet or articles from friends!

Packing Lists
Your packing lists allow you to organize your closet items into lists that you can use to help you get your wardrobe organized for a trip, an event, or an occasion. You can create as many packing lists as you wish and you can add any item from your closet into one or more packing lists.

Wish Lists
Whether you need that final piece to complete your ensemble or have absolutely nothing to wear for your event, here you can create your
Wish List of things that will complete your look. If you see an item you like in another user's closet or a retailer's closet, just click on it and click on the "Add to Wish List" button. Once the item is added to a wish list you can even "try it on" when you're creating outfits for yourself in the dressing room.

Calendar
Your calendar shows events that you've entered and things that you've linked to certain dates like a Packing List or a closet item. Packing lists are automatically linked to a calendar date so you can easily access the items you've packed for an occasion and you can date stamp any item in your closet to make it appear on your calendar. You can date stamp your items to mark the days when you've worn the item or when you purchased the item.

Add to Closet
Click on this link to pop-up the Closet Couture Add to Closet upload window. The upload window is a special drag and drop utility that allows you to drag images from you desktop to the window and upload your images in a convenient batch. If you followed the rules for preparing your uploaded images for the CC Background Remover, you can even have the background cut out for you automatically!

My Closet
My Closet list categories of the types of clothes in your closet and how many articles are in your closet. Click on a category and it will take you to those articles under that category. From your closet categories you can edit your items, add them to packing lists, date stamp them to the calendar, or edit the image using our Image Tools.

My Albums
My Albums lists the type of albums of the outfits you have created. Create your own album or use the standard albums provided for you: My Looks, Looks for Me, Party Pictures.

Main Navigation Links

Forums: Valuable information from others of the fashion community including stylists, retailers, and people like you discussing ideas from wide range of fashion topics.

Members, Stylists, and Retailers: Click on these links and allow Closet Couture to connect you to these members of the fashion community and others who have insterest.

Link to Invite Friends: Your friends are just as much in tune with their fashion sense as you are, maybe better, or quite the opposite and they could use some fashion tips. Invite them via e-mail by clicking here and entering their email address.

FAQs: Ansers to frequently asked questions, tutorials, tips and Closet Couture company information can be found here.

Your Photo
Click on "change photo" to upload or change your current photo. The default CC user silhoutte will be used if you don't provide a photo. Your photo will appear in your profile and alongside any content you post on Closet Couture.

Mini Calendar
Dates with items or items of the current month are shown in bold. Click on those dates to view more details about that date.

Main Body of Homepage
Anything from discussion topics and latest fashion news from the Closet Couture World blog, to featured closets, and reminders can be found here.

Sidebar of Homepage
Your friend updates, the weekly CC poll, and latest user created looks are displayed here.

Photo Help

I uploaded my photos and now they look funny... what's up?

You may have uploaded photos that do not like the default settings. Delete the photos you are unhappy with and try again. This time, upload the images with NO background remover – uncheck the box that says "Remove Background" and then upload.

I uploaded my photos and left the backgrounds in, but now I want them out... what do I do?

Go into the category of the closet where your photo is, and double click on it. When the pop-up box comes up, one of the tabs is IMAGE TOOLS. Use the background remover there and / or the cropping tool.

My whites are coming out weird. Why?

White images are tough, because a) the background of the site is white and b) because if you use the background remover on it, it may have removed some of the detailing on the item like buttons and seams. You decide which way you prefer the image, with no background or with some in.

My clothes are not taking the best shape. What do I do?

The best thing to do is to follow these Photo Guidelines and Tips. Here you learn how to best position your clothes, what backgrounds to use, etc.

How does the background remover work? It looks scary and wonderful!

The background remover, AKA Sheldon's Magical Background Remover, works with contrast technology. The magical remover captures a piece of a corner of the photo, looks at what color is there, and takes away everything in a similar hue. Cool, huh?

I want to do more editing to my image - can I?

Yes, you can. Upload the image with out using the background remover. Just upload it plain and simple. Then, save it in the category of your choice, and name it, etc. Go into the My Closet section and find the item and double click on it. You will see a tab in the pop-up box that says "Image Tools". There you have a choice to crop out the background or use the background remover with more control, or both.

More advanced editing tools will be coming soon. For the time being you may want to use Flickr, Picnik, Photoshop or a graphics program outside of Closet Couture and then import the image into your closet exactly as you like it.)

Taking Photos: Guidelines and Tips

What should I keep in mind when taking photos of my clothes?

For best results when taking photos for use with the CC Background Remover, follow these guidelines:

Photograph the item against a background that is a solid & contrasting color so you can use the CC Background Remover.
- If it's a darker item, shoot it against a light colored wall or any lightly colored solid background.
- If the item has a pattern or detailing, take the photo against a background with the most contrast and then use the crop tool in the image tools to cut away most of the background then run the background remover.
- if you have a light-colored garment, shoot it against a darker floor or wall or sheet.
- If you're shooting against curtains, sheets, or other fabric, make your background as wrinkle free as possible before shooting.

Don't take your photos on carpet. There are too many irregularities in carpeted background for the background remover to work properly.
Use a flash to increase the amount of contrast between your foreground clothing item and the background. This helps the CC Background Remover work better.

Fill the frame with the garment - you want to be as close as possible to it in the photo.

Shoot straight at it - if you are at an angle or above it, the item will be harder to use.

Hang the garment on a hanger on a towel rack (plain wall behind it) or on the back of a plain door - just don't shoot the door handles or hinges if possible, or the towel rack itself - the CC Background Remover doesn't like taking out big objects like that.

If you want to make a little set, just secure a white or plain sheet to a towel rack and let it drape down onto the floor. Smooth out the wrinkles, and voila! Instant set. Put the shoes on the floor on the white sheet hanging off the towel rack, and you have a perfect setting.

And - if you have a white or plain duvet or bedspread, just lay the garment down on it and take a quick photo while you stand on the bed (watch out for wrinkles in the sheets - make it smooth!)

Then, take the picture and upload! Be sure to check off the "Remove Background" box in the Add to Upload window so that the background remover automatically strips out the background for you.

Safety and Privacy Concerns

I want to make sure I am friends with people I know... what do I do to make sure?

Whenever another user wishes to add you as a friend, you must first approve the request before you will appear as that user's friend. If you do not know who that user is, you can simply ignore the request and you will not be added to that user's friend list.

Can I share some things and not others?

Yes, you can share any combination of areas of your Closet Couture world. Go to My Account, and click on Personal Preferences to determine what you'd like to share or keep private. Sharing rules currently apply to your albums and your closet items. There are three sharing levels:

Just Me: Nobody else can see your items / images
Friends Only: Only people who are on your friends list can see your items / images (default)
Everyone: All users on the site can see your items / images

Can I be totally private?

Almost. There are some things that will be visible like your username, but you can choose to make sure that nobody can view your albums, closet items, packing lists, wish lists, and so forth. You'd be missing out on some of the best parts of Closet Couture, but we appreciate that there are shy people out there with us. Again, just go to the Privacy Settings in My Account and turn things on or off accordingly. We do hope, though, that you will consider making a few things public for us to see... after all most of us learn best by seeing what other fabulous people have and are doing. No one wants to copy, but inspiration is priceless. If you want to feel better, check out my closet – everything is public!

After I am done with getting stylist services, can I unshare my closet?

Yes, just go to Dressing Room and click on Share Closet. Click on Stop Sharing that's next to the stylist's name. This will stop the stylist from having assess to your closet.

What is your Privacy Policy?

Your privacy is important to us. You can view our full Privacy Policy here.

Returns and Billing Questions

If I buy something and I want to return it, what do I do?

Be in touch with the retailer directly. You can message the retailer through Closet Couture, and let them know what you need. Closet Couture does not handle order fulfillment or returns or anything having to do with the purchase process. That is the retailer's sole responsibility.

I see on my credit card bill the transaction reads BETTA Inc. What's that?

Betta is the parent company of Closet Couture. Our billing goes through Betta's accounts, so that is how it shows up on your bill.

If I am unhappy with my stylist service, can I get a return?

Not really. When you purchase the service, you are making an agreement between yourself and the stylist. You both have to agree on what to do. Betta has no liability for the quality of the service. That said, we make every effort to showcase high-quality stylists whose taste level and expertise we believe will be appreciated by Closet Couture members.

I bought a service from a stylist and I was unsatisfied with the first offer from them. What do I do now?

You are able to go back one (1) time and ask for another refinement on the look or other service. It can be hard to communicate taste and ideas of items from one person to another, so we ask that you, the member, be as clear as possible when talking to the stylists. That way, they can be sure to understand what you want or need from this service or refinement.

Sharing Your Ideas with Us

I would like to provide fashion ideas on your website. Can I do that?

Absolutely! There are several ways to let us know about your great fashion sense! You can become a Closet Couture Stylist and let others know about what you think about the latest trends. Participate in the Forum or Blog discussions and offer ideas to those in need. There are muliple fashion categories in the Forum to participate in.

I have some ideas that would help improve Closet Couture. How do I share them?

We'd love to hear them! There is a special section in the Forum called User Feedback dedicated to just that. Let us know what you think and how we could do something better. We're open for ideas. You can also report on bugs on the website under that section. Keep us informed and we'll do what we can to improve what we were established to do--connect people of stylish minds and provide an interactive place for them to get creative and share fashion ideas.

I'd love to let everyone know about a fashion event. Where can I do that?

At this point, the best place to let others know of the event is in the Closet Couture Events Forum.

Can I tell you what I want next on Closet Couture?

Sure, we'd be delighted! We want you to be happy and guide what we focus on and build. After all, the site is for you! Write us in the forum, or email us here.

Buying from Retailers

What can I buy on Closet Couture?

Anything the retailers are displaying in their closets. We have provided a marketplace of retailers whom we love, and think you will too. They each have a closet, under retailers, where you can look through their inventory that they have available for sale. The beauty of this is that you can add items you are interested in to your wish-list, and then try them on with your actual clothes to see how they look together…fun, right??!!

How do I buy on Closet Couture?

If you'd like to buy an item from the retailer, just double click on the item, and then click the "BUY IT" button. A new window will open up with the retailer's online store and you will be directed to buy the item there. All your payment, shipping, order status and customer service regarding your purchase will happen on the retailer's own site.

After you buy the item, make sure you go back to the retailer's closet on Closet Couture and add the item to your own closet – no need to take the photo yourself, is there?

If you don't want to buy it immediately, add it to your wishlist to keep in mind and try it on. Just remember, the inventory goes fast, so if you want it, you gotta jump!

I want to see more from a certain retailer, what do I do?

Tell them! We love to see everything on Closet Couture, so we can try it on with our own clothes before we buy it.

If I buy something and I want to return it, what do I do?

Calendar

How can I add events to my calendar?

Right now, you need to save an image of something to the calendar date. For example, if you pick out your outfit for a party on Saturday night, make the outfit in the dressing room, or take a photo of it, and then when you save or upload the outfit to your Album, check "Save to Calendar" with the appropriate date. You will be able to label your look accordingly: Party at Chris's house Saturday June 1st.

Can everyone see my calendar?

Not currently, but in a future release, you will be allowed to share out your calendar or specific events in your calendar the same way you can with your closet items.

I want to add events without making outfits, can I?

Soon…. Just bear with us a bit, as Sheldon needs a Powerbar and some Gatorade to keep programming! We will let you know when, but it's coming.

Need More Help? / Reporting a Bug

I can't seem to find the answer in your FAQs. What do I do next?

You can also try looking at the User Feedback section in the Closet Couture Forums. There you will find what others have posted on technical problems or comments on improvement. Since we are still in beta mode, your feedback is important to us. You may submit your questions to us by e-mail at help@closetcouture.com. We appreciate your feedback.

If I have questions, can I call you?

Nope, sorry. Until we have raised some more ducats, we are a pretty bare-bones shop... But you can email us, we love that. See the Contact Us page to figure out where to direct your questions, compliments, complaints and communications.

What do I do if something is not working right on the site?

Congratulations!! You have found a bug! We have been working hard for the past few weeks on finding and fixing bugs, and with your help, now we have one more. This is why we are still in Beta – we are making sure we have caught the bugs. Please go to the Forums section (main nav) and inside, look for the section that Report Bugs, and write down what you were doing when you encountered the bug (ie, creating a packing list) and then what happened and when you know you had a bug (ie, when I clicked upload and the screen turned pink!) and finally, what browser you are in (Firefox, Internet Explorer).

Packing Lists

How do I make a packing list?

Go over to the left hand BOUDOIR section and click on "packing lists". This will take you to the main page of your packing lists, where you can make new packing lists or see the ones you already have and view their contents.

How many packing lists can I make?

As many as you want, you jet-setter, you!

What can I use the packing list for?

What can’t you use it for, I say! I use mine to keep track of what is in one place or another... say, my home in LA and my mom’s house in New York. I also use it to keep track of what is at the dry cleaners. If I am checking my bags, I make sure to have a copy with my in my carry on so that if the bag gets lost / stolen / damaged, I have the exact inventory of what is in my bag for reimbursement from the airlines. Really, you can use if for so many things…. If you think of a great new way to use it, PM me, I want to hear!

Viewing Closet Couture on the Internet

I see on your homepage that you suggest using Firefox or Safari as a browser, why?

Because those are the two browsers that crash the least and that have the easiest programming interfaces for us (Sheldon) to code. Internet Explorer, especially IE6, is a big pain in the tech world…you may have noticed it is easy to crash and that lots of websites do not look good when you open them in it (e.g. Facebook in IE 6). So, go to www.firefox.com or www.safari.com and download your more awesome browser now (they are free!)

What's the CC Background Remover Do?

For images of your clothes, shoes, or accessories to work properly in the dressing room, the background needs to be made transparent. The CC Background Remover attempts to clean out the background so only your clothing item remains. It has limits though. Don't hold your breath for great results if you expect it to work with a photo of your favorite pair of shoes with your feet still in them against a background of leafy green shrubs.

Working with Stylists

How do I find a stylist on Closet Couture?

Click on the main navigation button that says Stylists, and you can look through each stylist's profile page. Every stylist fills out a series of profile questions, so you can see what they are into, what they love, and what their area of expertise is.

How does the stylist interaction work on CC?

We have made it really easy to get personal styling services anytime, no matter where you are. Here is what you do:

Once you have selected a stylist from whom you'd like to buy a service (see their menus on their profiles), select the service on their profile and click Buy.

Closet Couture will initiate an internal message exchange where you ask the stylist if they are available for this particular service in a specific time frame, being very clear about your expectations.
- Good email: Hi Cindy, I want to buy "pack me for a trip" from you. I need it to be done by Friday May 30th at 5pm EST. My trip is 15 days long, and I am going to Hilton Head.
- Bad email: Yo Cindy, whaddup. Can you pack for me asap? Thanks – going to Cali for a concert. Xoxo member # 1.

Once the stylist has agreed to the terms, she / he will reply back to you in an internal message which includes a link to BUY THE SERVICE.

Click BUY and you will be taken to the shopping cart checkout where you can enter your credit card information through the secure server and purchase the service.

Your closet will automatically be shared with this stylist and he or she can get to work.

After I am done with this stylist service, can I unshare my closet?

Yes, just go to Dressing Room and click on Share Closet. Click on Stop Sharing that's next to the stylist's name. This will stop the stylist from having assess to your closet.

If I am unhappy with my stylist service, can I get a return?

I bought a service from a stylist and I was unsatisfied with the first offer from them. What do I do now?

I love my stylist, now what?

Keep on styling, baby! You can use the same stylist all the time or shake it up and try others. That is why we offer an a-la-carte menu.

Where do I find the outfits my stylist made for me?

Look under MY ALBUMS and one of the albums you have is called LOOKS FOR ME. They are in there.

Your Albums

What are the albums for?

My Albums are photo albums every member has on their page. We give you 3 standard ones: My Looks, Looks for Me and Party Pictures.

My Looks is where you can save looks you create in the dressing room. You can also upload photos of yourself from anywhere – it is a big photo album for where you can see how you looked. Use it as an archive, use it to plan ahead, whatever you want.

Looks for Me is the album where other people who make outfits for you (stylists, friends, retailers) save those outfits. By default when someone who shares your closet makes you an outfit, it will be saved in that album…so if you are looking for an outfit your friend made you, it will be in there.

Party Pictures is…yup, you guessed it… where you can save all your fun photos from parties or anything that gets you out and about. Have your friends rate your looks, rate theirs and generally send them kudos on their rockin' look.

Can I make more albums?

Yes, we give you unlimited albums – because we know you are busy people with different interests and activities. If you look at my albums (which are all public) you can see some of my wedding pictures, a travel album and more.

How do I upload photos into My Albums?

Go to the My Albums area on your Homepage, and click on any album. Then, Click on UPLOAD IMAGE and browse for the image you'd like to upload.

How do I make a new album?

Follow the steps above, and when you get to pick which album you'd like to save your image in, choose the last option in the drop-down menu which is New Album. Then, you can name your new album what you'd like and then select that to be where your photos upload.

How does the background remover work? It looks scary and wonderful!

I want to do more editing to my image - can I?

Your Closet

I want to have my own stuff in my closet – at least my good stuff. Now what?

You can take pictures of your clothes and load them easily into your closet. See Photo Tips to get the best results in uploading pictures of your best clothes.

How can I add more clothes to my closet now that I've taken photos of them?

Look over at the Boudoir area again, and you will see ADD TO CLOSET in the list. Click it and follow the directions.

How many photos can I upload at a time?

Many. You can do one at a time, or entire categories or just a batch of images. Your preferences will be affected by how fast or slow your internet connection is and how large the images are that you are uploading. We recommend that you reduce the size of your images to 1000 x 1000 pixels or smaller before uploading, but not smaller than 500 x 500 pixels.

Where are my clothes?

In the Boudoir section over on the right! Look at My Closet and you will see categories there that we provide you with for organizing.

Do I have to take pictures of all my stuff to use Closet Couture?

No – not at all. Go to the Closet Couture Basics closet or friends and retailers closets and you can build your virtual closet. Just click on any item in another user's closet and you can copy it into your own closet... Rinse and repeat until you have a formidable wardrobe!

How do I set custom categories, brands, or colors for my closet items?

Yes, we want you to have your own personal filing system. You can create new categories, brands, or colors when you upload your photos. When you are uploading or categorizing and labeling your items, choose "New Category/Brand/Color" from the drop down menu. It should be the last item on the list. When you choose it, a special field will appear to allow you to define your own category/brand/color. Write in the new category you'd like where it says NEW VALUE. Be sure to remember to save your updates and your new value will be added to your list of available options.

Watch the CC Intro Video

Feedback and Bug Reports:

Contact Our Helpline:

Help Pages: FAQs