Trigger Warning: This article mentions eating disorders and mental health issues
Fashion is a dialect. A language crafted by subcultures with the means to communicate meanings deeper than words can articulate. Clothing is dictated by economic status, place in what we call the social ladder, jobs, personality, and what time we wake up in the morning. Should I go on? What if we could have one place where we could find others with the same garment vocabulary and further explore our inner style worlds? I am not talking Instagram or Pinterest, but a place where there is not an ounce of over-curation, brand deals, or so-called “influencers”. Well, Lakshita Kumar Ganesh has invented just that. Meet Stylistic, an app created by Computer Science and Engineering major Lakshita through Werth Innovators that aims to create a community where individuals can find and authentically share their personal style.
An Algorithm that works with you, not against
Stylistic aims to serve as a platform where users who are lost in the fashion world can learn how to authentically express themselves, and those who are fashionistas already can share it with the world. The app consists of a feed page, a profile page, and a page that directly connects with your camera and allows you to snap your outfit on the go. With an AI algorithm, once a user posts their best “fit pic”, the picture is scanned by a system that curates your feed and makes your app experience as unique as your wardrobe. Like this, each user has a unique experience on the app, free of comparisons, and with a feed of relatable people.
Lakshita recognizes that many algorithms may not necessarily have their users in their best interests. “Common algorithms are usually what’s popular, and what’s popular is usually harmful,” Lakshita says when talking about current popular social apps. Socials such as Instagram and TikTok show content based on Eurocentric beauty standards that many may not find themselves relating to. This can cause various mental health issues, such as eating disorders.
Stylistic, for a change, allows users to have feeds full of their preferred colors to wear and preferred aesthetics, all while seeing their best friends’ style journey. Think Pinterest meets BeReal. “Many of the ‘normal’ people are not posting themselves so you can’t see what normal bodies look like, so you can’t see what normal bodies look like,” the entrepreneur says. Lakshita is seeking to perfect a social that encourages you to post almost every day and see realistic beauty standards during your daily scrolls.
Why Stylistic?
Lakshita considers fashion to be the ultimate form of self-expression. “To me, fashion is finding confidence in your personality and not trying to fit in,” she says. However, she has not always had this definition, as her journey with fashion started during the COVID-19 era. Like many, with the isolation of the pandemic, to fill up the boredom, she started experimenting with her garments until she realized this might be the tool that is key to her self-confidence. With her newfound confidence, she became motivated to share the secret with others, “Fashion has helped me build my confidence so much, but I know a lot of people struggle with that too,” she said.
She also recognizes that much of this struggle stems from the unrealistic beauty standards often promoted by curated content online. Therefore, she sought to create an app that not only helped others develop their style but also see real, everyday people and stop comparing themselves to unattainable standards.
Stylistic as of today
Lakshita Kumar Ganesh has many ideas for this new platform and is not afraid to dream big. “The ultimate goal is like Instagram level,” she says. If it does become big, though, she will be holding onto it like her baby! “I will never sell stylistic,” she says.
As of now, she hopes to promote the platform around her campus and work on the app during most of her free time. The app is available on the App Store for pre-download. That way, once this husky officially launches, you will be good to go.
In the future, hopefully, more young entrepreneurs will be as ingenious as Ms. Ganesh and create platforms that seek to nurture youth culture, not feed off their insecurities.
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.