I tried a free AI clothing search tool, and it makes online thrift shopping much easier

For those who’re a thrift shopper, you already know the joys of discovering the proper piece, particularly in case you weren’t in search of that particular merchandise within the first place.

Sadly, it isn’t as straightforward on-line. Your searches are virtually at all times restricted to monitoring down a particular merchandise or objects from a sure model, and with not less than half a dozen main gamers within the clothes resale market, it may be pretty time-consuming. 

That is the place Encore is available in. It is an AI-powered clothes search engine that searches dozens of platforms and reveals you precisely what you are in search of on one display screen. That’s, if you already know what you are in search of — but when you do not know what you need, it will possibly assist with that too.

Whereas I would not precisely name myself fashion-forward, I made a decision to provide Encore a attempt. 

My first few searches had been pretty simple, ones that I believed would have labored as conventional Google searches. Asking Google to seek out “classic Chicago Cubs jackets” confirmed principally eBay outcomes with a single Poshmark entry thrown in. Asking on Encore, although, confirmed a a lot wider number of outcomes from Mercari, Etsy, Depop, eBay, ThredUp, RealReal, Craigslist, and extra. 

I attempted once more with manufacturers, objects of clothes, and basic kinds, and received extremely particular outcomes every time. 

Whereas that is a greater expertise than I anticipated, it isn’t the place Encore shines.

Because the website makes use of a big language mannequin (GPT-4o Mini), your question would not should be for a single merchandise, and even for a particular form of merchandise. Once I requested Encore to indicate me “classic clothes items I may put on as a tour information” (I am a haunted historical past tour information on the weekends), it returned with a listing that ranged from an genuine Nineties wool coat priced at practically $800 and Victorian-style jackets to period-appropriate duplicate hats and vests.

Past that, Encore affords choices to “Store from the present” and discover “outfit inspo for.”  

With the previous, you possibly can monitor down particular outfits worn in your display screen. A immediate like “In Emily in Paris S4 E3, what was the gown she wore?” pulls up houndstooth sample clothes just like what the character wore. Asking Encore to “Store from the present Fits, what had been the fits Harvey wore within the first season?” showcases basic navy pinstripe fits.

Outfit inspo enables you to give a state of affairs as a search immediate, like, “outfit inspo for a man going to the US open,” or “outfit inspo for a espresso date, minimalistic, impartial,” or “outfit inspo for an evening out in NYC, give me increased finish manufacturers, kinds, and colours that go effectively.”

Briefly, you merely describe your outfit to Encore such as you would a pal, and the search engine reveals you the place you should buy it secondhand. You may also make follow-up feedback after any outcomes to alter worth, measurement, colour, and so forth.

Encore does make a small fee off every buy, however it would not permit for sponsored advertisements, so search outcomes are real.

The free model contains 2,000 each day product suggestions, a primary style mannequin constructed on high of the prevailing LLM, and the flexibility to favourite objects and think about previous searches. Upgrading to the Professional model for $4 a month or $36 a 12 months will get you limitless suggestions, twice as many suggestions per search, probably the most superior style mannequin, the flexibility to seek out objects by importing pictures, and what Encore calls “each day hidden gems.”