Shop Share And Compare - On Your iOS Device

It seems like Apple is considering getting in to the emerging trend of combining fashion and technology. On Thursday, the iDevice maker extraordinaire file two patents - one describing a virtual closet with social connectivity, allowing "friends to see each other's Virtual Closets, recommend outfits to one another, recommend fashion items to buy, recommend fashion items to get rid of, recommend outfits to wear at a particular event, share and borrow each other's fashion items, or can otherwise suitably provide a social networking environment through the Virtual Closet," according to the patent application.

The other is geared towards high-fashion, describing "an integrated [app] available on an electronic device [that] can provide information for promotional and invitation-only events, allow a user to browse and search through fashion items, recommend fashion items to purchase based on outfits desired by the user, check for the availability of particular fashion items, and view or providing ratings or reviews for stores or fashion items."

With Gilt Groupe popularizing the concept of invitation-only online sales, Apple could really be on to something. After all, clothes are all about social expression and with the ubiquitous nature of iDevices, these two seem like a match made in heaven! I can't wait to see what these patents turn into - in the mean time, check out NY Mag's list of Top Ten Fashion Apps here.

Apple Developing Social Fashion Shopping Technology - Information Week