SUSTAINABLE STYLE: News editor and resident thrift store addict Patricia Rocha shares tips on how to stay stylish without breaking the bank or the planet. 

I am not a fan of sponsored posts. I won’t click on them. I refuse to write them. If they show up in the feed of a blog or magazine I like, it makes me respect that publication just a little bit less.
But what happens when a sponsored app actually saves me money and does good? Well, that’s a horse of a different color.
A few months ago, I was browsing Pinterest (as one does before the start of a school year when homework isn’t dominating all of one’s time) and I could not escape a sponsored ad for an app called “Stylebook.” Like I said before, I regard ads in my feed like spiders in my hair: they make me want to scream. I hate them.
The journalist in me got curious, however, and I took a stroll through the app’s review section to learn all about this seemingly popular “spider.”
I haven’t forked over $4 so quickly in my life. The app basically acts as a virtual representation of your closet. You take photos of your clothing and sort them into their respective categories, (dresses, shoes, hats, etc.) and it allows you to enter information for each item so you can track the price per wear, fabric type, store you purchased from and a calendar to see how often you wear your items.
All of these are the basic functions of course, but my favorite part is the realization that comes from the first setup. If you have a ton of clothing, it definitely seems a daunting task to take the time to photograph all of your stuff. For me, it was the push I needed to look at items and say, “Why am I wasting my time photographing this item? I don’t even wear this,” or “I forgot about this shirt! I love this shirt!”
All of the bells and whistles of the app are fantastic, but from a sustainability standpoint, it puts into perspective how much money you’ve spent on your wardrobe and how much you actually need. Personally, I wear a lot of black and very rarely accessorize, so when I scrolled through my “closet” and saw so many unworn necklaces and bright sweaters, I knew I would have to make an effort to either work those into my style or gift them to someone who will actually appreciate them, and I know not to waste my time buying similar items in the future.
I also shop a lot less when I know exactly what I have. I know a lot of people who shop when they need something new for a party or special event, but most of the time they already have stuff that will work, it just needs to be revisited and made into different looks. Most of us just have too much stuff and we get away with it by shoving it in the closet or laundry and ignoring the problem. This app, however, really puts shopping and style habits into perspective in a really convenient way.