A Fun Fashion Website: Polyvore.com

Warning! If you have even the slightest interest in women's fashion, this website may be addictive.

There is a website that may change the way you shop for clothes. Polyvore.com, is a website which allows you to create your own outfits online...and much, much more.

First, I'll describe the outfit creation feature. Once you log on, you are given the option of creating a "set" from a multitude of tops, dresses, shoes, pants, coats, handbags...everything you would need. Let's say you're in a mood to put together an outfit for your high school reuinion...and you want to wear a dress. You peruse the dress section, find the perfect one from hundreds of choices and drag it to a virtual clipboard on the other side of the screen. Then you move on to the "shoes" tab, find the perfect match for your dress and drag that item to your clipboard. Continue until you have the bag, accessories and jewelry to finish your outfit. Then, if you're feeling particularly creative, you can even choose a background to display your creation against.

By itself, this option is enough for hours of fun. Unlike "real" shopping, I'm not limited by money, or the time it takes to travel from one store to another. And even better, my inner fashion stylist is not hindered by the extra ten pounds I'm carrying or the thought that the color I've selected isn't flattering. In this virtual world, I can be as creative as I want to be, and I can create outfits for a life completely different from my own: sailing in the Mediterrenean, hiking in the Rockies, or going to the latest celebrity hot spot.

However, there's more. After you have completed your "set", you can buy it! Just click on each item, and the website, price and item description appear. You can even get details about an item just by highlighting it.

Other things you can do with your set include exporting it to Facebook, or sending it to your friends.

Looking for inspiration? Polyvore's Explore option shows you what other users have been up to. You can peruse the Most Recent or Most Popular categories, and can even see which shoes are getting a lot of attention.

Finally, Polyvore allows users to create groups of like minded fashion divas. You can join, or create your own, and share your sets with the other members. Groups can be divided into interests ("high heels", "think pink") philosophy ("we are trendsetters") or function ("sets we wear to school").

The selection on Polyvore is so vast and diverse that it is a fashion education in and of itself. Major designers such as Chanel are included, as well as up and coming designers. In addition, mass retailers of all price points are included. You can design an entire outfit around the sweater from Abercrombie and Fitch you got for Christmas---it'll be there, and you can pair it with flats from Chanel, pants from Stella McCartney and a purse from Delia's.

I've visited Polyvore.com so much that I've bookmarked it for easy access. It's a creative outlet, a social site, and a one-stop shopping source. I can get a fashion fix without battling crowds, making impulse buys, and consuming a 400 hundred calorie mocha to keep my energy up. It's a true cutting edge fashion resource.