4 ms·

Show HN: I give you the most suitable outfit to wear depending on weather

26 points by crcht 7y ago

crcht 7y ago
How do you decide what to wear when you wake up, or when you're planning to go on a romantic weekend getaway? I made an app for that called Fashion Frog, who gives you the most suitable outfit to wear depending on the current weather condition and the time of the day relevant to you. I learned a lot while coding this little side project app on Android and iOS, like using the OpenWeather API. I created the algorithms to propose the suitable outfit for the day anywhere in the world. It took some time to assembly and think about the looks and the illustrations. But I want to talk to you about my biggest pain: the timezone module. It was very difficult to get the app working on every timezone of the world. Indeed, I wanted to give weather from morning to night but I needed to know what time was at every town of the world (to display only 4 simple informations : morning, afternoon, evening, night). At fist, I wanted to use the Google Timezone API but it was very expensive. My first solution was to use Kevin Robert module called city-timezone, it covered 80% of the users requests. Sometimes the city is not found, in this case I choose a timezone list from the web that I parsed, then I used another list for the towns of the world with a timezone indication code inside. So I was able to match the town with the timezone when a user select a town. And finally, if the timezone of the town is still not found, I use timezonedb API (link below) who let me cover at the end almost all the town of the world. I also set things to not call too much the weather API (like if you want to get the weather 8 mins later at the same position, I didn’t call again the API, I save it for 10 mins inside the app). The app is still in progress, because I want to add an Inspiration section and to create a more complex outfit proposition algorithm (I like it so far, but I think it can be improved). I already got design feedback by a UX/UI designer that helped me to think about the future experience inside this little app. I also used the Humaaans illustration base and recreated clothes on top, it was very creative and fun to do. Fun fact: I wanted to create this app at the beginning only for Men living in Paris, France because it was my actual pain: what outfit I should prepare to look my best throughout the full day? And now, my biggest users this month (51%) are Women living in US and UK. It took me a huge amount of time to create english speaker and Women version of the app, but it was a great idea to offer the app to as many people as possible from the beginning, because my target users revealed itself. LINKS : - Weather API: https://openweathermap.org https://openweathermap.org - Timezone module: https://github.com/kevinroberts/city-timezones https://github.com/kevinroberts/city-timezones - Timezone last chance API: http://timezonedb.com http://timezonedb.com - Humaans illustration library: https://www.humaaans.com/ https://www.humaaans.com/ - Google Timezone API: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/timezone/intro https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/timezone/in...
- mc32 7y ago
  I’m naive here since I have not tried your app, but I’ll ask. Does it take people’s fashion sense into account? Or does it allow for an inventory of one’s wardrobe to recommend item types (not particularly every single item, but rather, do you have a raincoat or umbrella, etc).
  - crcht 7y ago
    Hi @mc32, thank you for your question! The final idea is to take the people's fashion sense, but for now the proposals only give you an idea of a type of clothing to wear, which really leaves room for your creativity! I ask people inside my app of what brand they prefer, and I think everything will make sense when the people will be able to express their fashion sense inside the Inspiration section. And btw, I also think about a Closet section, where you put your clothings. So when then app display the weather, the propositions matches with your clothes of your wardrobe.
    - GGfpc 7y ago
      For simplicity you could have people select categories of items they have (bomber jacket, trench-coat, t-shirt, sweater) and qualifiers for each (warm, waterproof), that way you can create outfits based on the qualifiers and the item type.
      - crcht 7y ago
        Hi @GGfpc for this idea, I think it's really great! In the idea of the Closet section, it thought about something like that. Its important that this section fits with the little algorithm inside the app to advice outfit with weather condition, but yes, I should do something simple like you propose, it could be a great integration for sure! I try to think about a MVP integration of this section, and I think I will integrate a login inside the app to save this closet. Also, I think if you miss for exemple a trench-coat for hot temperature, I can tell the user that it's something missing in his/her closet. And also if the user have too many t-shirt entered in the app for exemple, I can tell this user that it's too much and letting a word about it to help him/her organized in a better way their closets.
madethisaccount 7y ago
I am sure it might be a great effort, but what was the thought behind the app only approach? Was giving a web-end that much of a herculean task?
harshalizee 7y ago
Why does it have to be yet another app I need to install? This can easily and better done on a website
- arman_ashrafian 7y ago
  I think most people use their phone before putting on their outfit, not their computers. Generally I agree that more things should be mobile-friendly websites, but in this case I think an app is a good idea.
  - crcht 7y ago
    Hey @arman_ashrafian, thanks for your message! I share that thought with you. Btw, I made this app in a PWA way, so if one day I see that a lot of people prefer to use it on web, it's still possible.
- crcht 7y ago
  Hey @harshalizee, thanks for the comment ! I agree with you that more things should be mobile-friendly websites. And I create this app because it fits better with the use in the morning as @arman_ashrafian said well. But I did it in a PWA way, so if one day I want to push a website, it's working! I didn't do it yet because I wanted to focus on mobile users, but I will definitely take your comment in note.
michelinman 7y ago
Great idea chap but a word of caution - don't spend any money advertising in the UK. The weather here is generally hot, sunny, raining - mild chance of thunderstorm, hail and snow with a 50% chance of wind. Good luck.
- crcht 7y ago
  Hi @michelinman, thanks for the advice! It's funny because I have a lot of people from UK but I totally get your point ahah
vcoelho 7y ago
Cool, but I tried to find my city (Santa Maria, BR) and didn't work. Probably it was hidden past the current list limitation (5, I guess). P.S: There's two cities with this name in Brazil.
- crcht 7y ago
  Hi @vcoelho! Thanks for your message. Yes I put a limitation to 5 for now because my search box is really an MVP one, really sorry for that issue. In the next version of the app, I should be able to do a better filter method! Best. Théo.

26 points by crcht 7y ago

How do you decide what to wear when you wake up, or when you're planning to go on a romantic weekend getaway? I made an app for that called Fashion Frog, who gives you the most suitable outfit to wear depending on the current weather condition and the time of the day relevant to you. I learned a lot while coding this little side project app on Android and iOS, like using the OpenWeather API. I created the algorithms to propose the suitable outfit for the day anywhere in the world. It took some time to assembly and think about the looks and the illustrations. But I want to talk to you about my biggest pain: the timezone module. It was very difficult to get the app working on every timezone of the world. Indeed, I wanted to give weather from morning to night but I needed to know what time was at every town of the world (to display only 4 simple informations : morning, afternoon, evening, night). At fist, I wanted to use the Google Timezone API but it was very expensive. My first solution was to use Kevin Robert module called city-timezone, it covered 80% of the users requests. Sometimes the city is not found, in this case I choose a timezone list from the web that I parsed, then I used another list for the towns of the world with a timezone indication code inside. So I was able to match the town with the timezone when a user select a town. And finally, if the timezone of the town is still not found, I use timezonedb API (link below) who let me cover at the end almost all the town of the world. I also set things to not call too much the weather API (like if you want to get the weather 8 mins later at the same position, I didn’t call again the API, I save it for 10 mins inside the app). The app is still in progress, because I want to add an Inspiration section and to create a more complex outfit proposition algorithm (I like it so far, but I think it can be improved). I already got design feedback by a UX/UI designer that helped me to think about the future experience inside this little app. I also used the Humaaans illustration base and recreated clothes on top, it was very creative and fun to do. Fun fact: I wanted to create this app at the beginning only for Men living in Paris, France because it was my actual pain: what outfit I should prepare to look my best throughout the full day? And now, my biggest users this month (51%) are Women living in US and UK. It took me a huge amount of time to create english speaker and Women version of the app, but it was a great idea to offer the app to as many people as possible from the beginning, because my target users revealed itself. LINKS : - Weather API: https://openweathermap.org https://openweathermap.org - Timezone module: https://github.com/kevinroberts/city-timezones https://github.com/kevinroberts/city-timezones - Timezone last chance API: http://timezonedb.com http://timezonedb.com - Humaans illustration library: https://www.humaaans.com/ https://www.humaaans.com/ - Google Timezone API: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/timezone/intro https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/timezone/in...

mc32 7y ago
I’m naive here since I have not tried your app, but I’ll ask. Does it take people’s fashion sense into account? Or does it allow for an inventory of one’s wardrobe to recommend item types (not particularly every single item, but rather, do you have a raincoat or umbrella, etc).
- crcht 7y ago
  Hi @mc32, thank you for your question! The final idea is to take the people's fashion sense, but for now the proposals only give you an idea of a type of clothing to wear, which really leaves room for your creativity! I ask people inside my app of what brand they prefer, and I think everything will make sense when the people will be able to express their fashion sense inside the Inspiration section. And btw, I also think about a Closet section, where you put your clothings. So when then app display the weather, the propositions matches with your clothes of your wardrobe.
  - GGfpc 7y ago
    For simplicity you could have people select categories of items they have (bomber jacket, trench-coat, t-shirt, sweater) and qualifiers for each (warm, waterproof), that way you can create outfits based on the qualifiers and the item type.
    - crcht 7y ago
      Hi @GGfpc for this idea, I think it's really great! In the idea of the Closet section, it thought about something like that. Its important that this section fits with the little algorithm inside the app to advice outfit with weather condition, but yes, I should do something simple like you propose, it could be a great integration for sure! I try to think about a MVP integration of this section, and I think I will integrate a login inside the app to save this closet. Also, I think if you miss for exemple a trench-coat for hot temperature, I can tell the user that it's something missing in his/her closet. And also if the user have too many t-shirt entered in the app for exemple, I can tell this user that it's too much and letting a word about it to help him/her organized in a better way their closets.

madethisaccount 7y ago

I am sure it might be a great effort, but what was the thought behind the app only approach? Was giving a web-end that much of a herculean task?

harshalizee 7y ago

Why does it have to be yet another app I need to install? This can easily and better done on a website

arman_ashrafian 7y ago
I think most people use their phone before putting on their outfit, not their computers. Generally I agree that more things should be mobile-friendly websites, but in this case I think an app is a good idea.
- crcht 7y ago
  Hey @arman_ashrafian, thanks for your message! I share that thought with you. Btw, I made this app in a PWA way, so if one day I see that a lot of people prefer to use it on web, it's still possible.
crcht 7y ago
Hey @harshalizee, thanks for the comment ! I agree with you that more things should be mobile-friendly websites. And I create this app because it fits better with the use in the morning as @arman_ashrafian said well. But I did it in a PWA way, so if one day I want to push a website, it's working! I didn't do it yet because I wanted to focus on mobile users, but I will definitely take your comment in note.

michelinman 7y ago

Great idea chap but a word of caution - don't spend any money advertising in the UK. The weather here is generally hot, sunny, raining - mild chance of thunderstorm, hail and snow with a 50% chance of wind. Good luck.

crcht 7y ago
Hi @michelinman, thanks for the advice! It's funny because I have a lot of people from UK but I totally get your point ahah

vcoelho 7y ago

Cool, but I tried to find my city (Santa Maria, BR) and didn't work. Probably it was hidden past the current list limitation (5, I guess). P.S: There's two cities with this name in Brazil.

crcht 7y ago
Hi @vcoelho! Thanks for your message. Yes I put a limitation to 5 for now because my search box is really an MVP one, really sorry for that issue. In the next version of the app, I should be able to do a better filter method! Best. Théo.