Online fashion community system and method

A system, comprising:

• a computing device including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing software instructions executable on the processor, wherein the software instructions are configured to cause the computing device, when executed, to interact with a database coupled to the computing device and having stored therein data comprising plural fashion images received from plural users over a worldwide computer network,
• each fashion image including a respective user modeling plural fashion items worn together, the fashion items together defining an ensemble, and the database further including, for each fashion item shown in a fashion image, associated fashion data including a link to a vendor of the item and fashion data corresponding to the item;
• wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing device, when executed, to—
• query the database to select a subset of the ensembles in the database based on at least one user input selection criterion, wherein the subset is selected to include ensembles that include a first fashion item associated in the database with the selection criterion;
• identify a second fashion item in the database so that the first and second fashion items together define a pair of fashion items;
• calculate a degree of correlation for the pair as a percentage of the subset of ensembles that also include the second fashion item, wherein the degree of correlation is based on counting fashion items that appear in the ensembles and not based on any similarity measures calculated from attributes of the fashion items;
• and
• provide over a worldwide computer network a display that indicates at least some of the pairs of fashion items and the corresponding degrees of correlation for each of the indicated pairs.

A method comprising:

• receiving, from a first user over a public computer network, a first fashion image showing at least a first fashion item and a second fashion item worn together to define an ensemble;
• receiving, from the first user, inputs indicating first fashion data associated with the first fashion item and second fashion data associated with the second fashion item;
• storing the first fashion image in a database containing a plurality of fashion images received from other users over the public computer network, wherein each of the stored fashion images shows a person wearing a plurality of fashion items together so that each fashion image defines a corresponding ensemble;
• storing the first fashion data and the second fashion data in the database associated with the first fashion image;
• receiving, from a second user, fashion search criteria matching at least one aspect of the first fashion data;
• searching the database to identify a subset of the plurality of fashion images including a fashion item matching the fashion search criteria, the subset of the plurality of fashion images including the first fashion image;
• providing at least a portion of the subset of the plurality of fashion images, including the first fashion image, for display to the second user;
• receiving, from the second user, a selection of the second fashion item shown in the displayed first fashion image;
• calculating a first degree of correlation as a percentage or ratio of the number of ensembles with the first fashion item that also include the second fashion item, divided by the total number of ensembles with the first fashion item;
• calculating a second degree of correlation as a percentage or ratio of the number of ensembles with the second fashion item that also include the first fashion item, divided by the total number of ensembles with the second fashion item;
• and
• providing at least some of the second fashion data and an indication of the first and second degrees of correlation for display to the second user.

A system, comprising:

• a computing device including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing software instructions executable on the processor, wherein the software instructions are configured to cause the computing device, when executed, to interact with a database coupled to the computing device and having stored therein data comprising plural fashion images, each fashion image including plural fashion items shown together, the fashion items shown together defining an ensemble;
• a computer network site implemented on the computing device and arranged to provide interactive access over a worldwide computer network to the plural fashion images;
• wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing device, when executed, to—
• aggregate at least some of the defined ensembles to form a set of ensembles;
• identify each of the fashion items that appears in the set of ensembles;
• identify each of the pairs of fashion items that appears in the set of ensembles, where a pair consists of first and second fashion items that both appear in at least one ensemble of the set of ensembles;
• for each pair of fashion items, calculate a first degree of correlation as a percentage or ratio of the number of ensembles with the first fashion item that also include the second fashion item, divided by the total number of ensembles with the first fashion item, and calculate a second degree of correlation as a percentage or ratio of the number of ensembles with the second fashion item that also include the first fashion item, over divided by the total number of ensembles with the second fashion item;
• and
• store the first and second degrees of correlation in a database linked to or associated with the pairs of fashion items that appear in the set of ensembles.