Help Pages: Using Closet Couture · [ main index ]
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
- 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.
- 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.
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?
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.
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:
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.)
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.
