When it comes to dressing the man, let the man and not the style be the guide.
So says Angela Lynn, the founder of Engineered Style, an Alpha Lab company creating mobile tools to help the fashion-challenged male.
“The demographic I’m going for is your average guy who won’t pay someone to help him with his style,” explains Lynn. “The app teaches men what they need to know to look good, to help them feel empowered. It makes the process less painful.”
Lynn has stellar qualifications in this department. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon, she worked in the fashion industry in New York and went on to establish herself as a personal style coach. She also dabbled in costume work, working with Ann Roth and dressing celebrities like Kate Winslet for the HBO mini series Mildred Pierce.
“What I learned is the difference between fashion and style,” she explains. “You’re not dressing the actor, but the psychology of the character. That’s the basis of my system. I bring out people’s personalities and help it match their lifestyle. What is reflected on the inside is what is reflected on the outside.”
The Fashion Field Guide takes skin tones and body types as its cue in helping men to establish a professional, finished look for any season. Users create a profile and proceed through several exercises to determine fit, which is crucial, she says.
“The most common mistake guys make is wearing clothes two or three sizes up to hide the gut,” she says. “Once we get them in the right size, we begin to educate them (on styles and where to buy them).”
Engineered Style is in the process of building its team. The company hopes to launch its first app, focusing on casual wear, in beta in March. The larger goal is to eventually license the technology to major retailers who can engage with customers on their own websites.
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Angela Lynn, Engineered Style