Admit it. You wouldn’t mind having a personal shopping assistant (I know I’m guilty) or maybe you have a favorite dress or shoe in your closet that cost you a tad too much that you don’t wear anymore but just can’t get yourself to give it away.  You’ve thought of selling it through a consignment store but the time it takes to find and deliver it to one is just not worth it.  So it sits in your closet year in, year out!  Or, if you’re like me, you’ve seen something online or in your favorite department store catalog that you adored, bought, only to be hugely disappointed when you got it, tried it on and realized that it just doesn’t work for your body type or skin tone and had to go through the hassle of returning it.

Well, wish no more because, yes, there are free apps for all of that!  Meet Swirl, Poshmark, and Beaucoo, three cool fashion apps mostly for the iPhone and iPad that bring a virtual personal assistant, consignment store, and shopping buddies right to you and on the go!

Swirl

When was the last time you got a call, email, or text from your favorite department store or boutique sales person telling you about an upcoming sales event or an opportunity to preview and shop the latest seasonal collection before everyone else does?  I bet it made you feel special?  I know it makes me feel good (hey, I’m easy to please)!  Well, this nifty little app wants to make you feel the same way with features that let you you track the latest trends, get access to exclusive deals from your favorite stores that you can redeem using promo codes or printable coupons, and receive style tips and daily deals through Swirl In-Store. This service improves your shopping experience by giving you personalized style recommendations and special deals as soon as you walk into a participating retail store!

Through a “clip“ feature, Swirl lets you organize, share, and shop for products that you find when you explore the latest fashion trends or over 200 stores who have partnered with the company.  It sends you alerts when items you have clipped go on sale so you never miss out on any deals from your favorite stores. You can even start your own “collections“ categorized to your liking and share with your friends and followers.  Get a glimpse of your friends’ clips and collections and comment, share on Facebook, Twitter or email, purchase the item right from the app or locate the nearest store to buy it.  Swirl shows you the number of collections featuring a product so you know its popularity or how well it’s trending.

Want to take advantage of a deal from your favorite store nearest to you? Swirl’s “Shop Nearby“ feature helps you find the store closest to you along with special deals, address, contact information, and directions.  You can choose to save, share or shop the offers right from the app.

Swirl is only available for iOS 5.0 or later and compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.  You can download the App on iTunes or from the Swirl Web site by submitting your cell phone or email address to receive a link to the download. Unfortunately, there is no Android app version.

Poshmark

When was the last time you raided your sister’s or friend’s closet? Bet it was fun! Poshmark makes it easy not only to raid (okay, buy) clothes from other women’s closets who have similar taste and style as yours, but also to make some money from the clothes and accessories that you don’t wear anymore by bringing consignment shopping to your smartphone and on the go.  Buying and selling items is broken down into an easy 3-step process.  Simply take a photo of the item you want to sell (called a CoverShot), filter it using options from the app to make it more appealing, add a description and price, and sit back and wait for it to sell.

Once it sells, Poshmark takes care of all your shipping charges with EasyShip, a service that provides you with a prepaid, pre-addressed shipping label.  All you have to do is package your sale item in a box, add the label, and drop it off at a USPS mail box or have it picked up from your home for free. Keep in mind that any package that weighs more than 2 pounds will incur extra charges. When a buyer receives and accepts the order, you can redeem your payment  (80% of the sale) either through direct deposit to your bank account or by check or choose to leave the money in your Poshmark account to buy items from other Poshmark closets.

In addition to selling your clothes, shoes, and accessories, Poshmark brings the closets of your favorite designers, fashion bloggers, boutiques, and other women who’s fashion style you might admire to your phone or tablet through “Posh Parties.”  These are fashion themed events, where fashionistas meetup within the app to shop, share, and sell clothing, shoes, and accessories, or Poshmark hosted, which you can attend virtually (allows you to add items from your closet to the party) or physically.  So if you’re an animal print lover like me, you can attend an “Animal Print Posh Party” or even host one and invite your friends and followers to it.

You can like, comment, and share your favorite closets with your followers and friends on  Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, SMS or email or even make your closet available on your blog or Web site.  Liking an item adds it to your personal shopping list so you can shop for it later.

Short on time, Poshmark makes it easy for you to quickly search through closets by category or brand.

Poshmark is only available for iOS 5.0 or later and compatible with the iPhone and iPad.  You can download the App on iTunes.  Unfortunately, it’s not available for Android or the international market.

Beaucoo

Wouldn’t it be nice to see how a dress you discovered online or in a catalog might fit on you? If your answer is yes then Beaucoo could be just what you’re looking for. Simply, this app allows you to connect with women who fit your body type or style so you can discover and buy clothes that not only work well for you, but also boost your confidence.

You have to set up your measurements (yikes!) when you create your profile so Beaucoo can be able to match you with women who are similar in shape and size. The app promises to keep your measurements confidential (phew!) and allows you to update your dimensions when you go up or down a size. Once you provide your measurements, the app feeds you with images of similarly sized women.  Many of the images are selfies (photos that women have taken of themselves in dressing rooms or at home.)  Clicking on any image gives you brand, store, and sizing information.

Find something you adore? Like, comment or create a “want“ list to organize your favorite discoveries for purchase later. You can also upload your own photos to inspire other women of your shape and size.

I love this app because it encourages women to embrace their bodies, curves, and to have a positive body image.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re a small, medium, or plus size woman!

Caveat, because this app is fairly new (launched in 2013), it’s a little buggy and can be a bit frustrating to use (froze up a few times when I was using it.)  Also, the app automatically assigns people for you to follow when you first sign up for an account, which is annoying.  This is a common feature across all three apps.

Beaucoo is available for iOS 5.0 or later and compatible with the iPhone and iPad.  You can download the App on iTunes.  It’s also available for Android.

With Fashion Week season ending this week, we thought it was only fitting to showcase three apps that make the shopping experience for women easier, more convenient, affordable, inspiring, and fun!  It doesn’t hurt that you get to make some money and clean out your closet at the same time!

Happy shopping…and selling!

Have you used any of these 3 apps?  Or maybe you know of other fashion apps that you like.  Please share and let us know what you think.