Polyvore was one the most popular fashion app on the market until its parent company unexpectedly shut it down.
Luckily, several Polyvore alternatives have become available for those who want to continue using a similar service. These apps may not be the same, but they can do many of the same things and even more! Keep reading to find out the best alternatives to Polyvore.
But first, we provide a little introduction to Polyvore for those who did not know it or want to know what happened. Feel free to skip to the alternatives section directly if you’d like to!
What is Polyvore?
Polyvore was the most popular mood board design software catered to fashion lovers and interior decor enthusiasts alike.
Polyvore made it possible to acquire product images from any website thanks to its clipper tool, one of the features that made it so famous.
The clipper tool had the benefit of keeping track of the URL of the product so it could be linked back to the original product’s website. Thanks to URL tracking, Polyvore was an excellent tool for brands to market their products.
But the tremendous success of Polyvore was mainly due to the fans’ community around it. Fashion and style lovers found in Polyvore a place to let their creativity flow and make friends simultaneously. In May 2014, the company was receiving 20 million unique visitors per month.
The sudden shutdown of Polyvore left a void in many of its fans who have been looking for a good alternative. And for startups, this was an excellent opportunity to fill that void. But was that achieved? Of course, some alternative platforms are thriving now; meanwhile, others have been extinguished over the years.
This article explores the best platforms that emerged during the few years after the extinction of the beloved Polyvore and continue being successful today.
Why did Polyvore shut down?
The reasons why Polyvore shut down are not publicly known. We know that the Canadian company SSENSE bought Polyvore in 2018, and a few months later, it discontinued its services without much warning. Now, you might be wondering, if Polyvore was so successful and many fans were asking for its return, is Polyvore ever coming back? I guess the answer is no if it hasn’t come back after a few years.
But don’t let the nostalgia invade you, and try one of the alternatives from this list! Who knows, you might find a new favorite.
The best alternatives to Polyvore
ShopLook
Price: Free
Why we love it: The great community around it and the ability to shop from the app (and its clipper tool as well).
Shoplook is a social network for stylists and fashion lovers. The app has a beautiful design with a stylish touch, resembling Instagram in that it allows you to like posts from other users or save them as inspiration when designing your outfits.
ShopLook also allows you to shop from your favorite brands, so if you fall in love with a look you or another stylist created, you can buy it.
The canvas creator is the heart of this platform. You can create your collage-style outfits by choosing from thousands of high-quality product images. The editing features are very intuitive to use, and you can add text or stickers to your boards to personalize them even more!
It’s also possible to add your product images by uploading a picture or browsing the web (the famous clipper tool!).
SmartCloset
Available for: iOS, Android, web
Price: $3.99
Why we love it: It’s also a closet management tool, not only a mood board creation app.
The Smart Closet is a closet organizer and social media application that allows you to create a digital version of the clothes in your wardrobe. You can also find inspiration for outfits from other people with a similar style as yourself!
SmartCloset is a bit different from the other apps in this list because it focuses on helping you manage your physical wardrobe by letting you upload a digital version of it and providing you insights about what you own and what you wear.
It is an excellent alternative to take your closet and shopping habits to the next level. If you would like to try it, check out our guide, where we explore all the app’s features in detail.
Combyne
Available for: iOS, Android, web
Price: Free
Why we love it: You can create the most outstanding mood boards.
Combyne is the perfect app for any creative. You’ll love its sleek and energetic design, which makes it super easy to create mood boards!
Combyne is also inspired on Instagram, with the addition of a fabulous canvas to create outfits. You can now find out what’s new and hot in fashion right when you open up your feed.
You can either create freely or use their Swipe Combyner to mix and match the pieces of your look. There are thousands of product images you can select from, which are not limited to garments, but you can also add stickers, makeup, decor, and even food to provide a unique vibe to your mood boards.
The only downside is that combyne doesn’t seem to have a clipper tool.
Urstyle
Available for: iOS, Android, web
Price: Free
Why we love it: You can create not only for fashion but for beauty, home decor, and art.
The mood board creator canvas of Urstyle is pretty advanced, and it has all the features you need. I was impressed with the variety of products and excellent quality images! It only took me five minutes to style up an entire outfit, which felt satisfying.
Also, the Urstyle community is an excellent resource for inspiration and shopping. You can find mood boards or even buy items from other members’ creations.
It’s worth mentioning that Urstyle is not limited to fashion and beauty products. You can also create home decor mood boards just like in the old Polyvore.
Fashiers
Price: Free
Why we love it: It’s simple yet powerful.
The Fashiers app impresses with its simplicity yet powerful outfit maker tool. As well as the other apps in this list, it’s inspired by social media platforms like Instagram but somehow looks more minimalistic.
It is an excellent outfit maker with lots of quality images. I especially liked how intuitive it was to navigate through the different sections of the tool and find all the clothes I was looking for.
All in all, Fashiers has everything you need to create seriously gorgeous mood boards!
Fashmates
Available for: iOS, Android, web
Price: Free
Why we love it: It has cool canvas templates, and you can make any outfit shoppable.
Fashmates is a social network and outfit maker app that lets you create unique outfits from their vast collection of products. The best part and key differentiator of Fashmates is that all of the boards you or others make become shoppable!
I like the various design templates that make it easy to put together outfits without feeling like you’re designing from scratch. There are so many different colors and occasions to give your boards some variety.
Final thoughts
It’s been a few years since Polyvore was shut down, but in the meantime, some wonderful alternatives have emerged. All of these alternatives to Polyvore allow you to create stunning fashion mood boards and share them with the community. Have you tried any of these? Which one is your favorite? Let us know!
