Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG ) is rolling out Boutiques.com.
Fret not, fashionistas -- Google's engineers aren't picking out the featured duds. Instead, Google turned to celebrities, designers, and fashion bloggers to hand-select clothing items and accessories.
The world's leading search engine then let the nerds have their fun. After the tastemakers singled out as many as 50 items that they find appealing, Big G's computer-science magic has used those recommendations to find other similar items that can be purchased online.
It's okay if you're not Anna Paquin or Diane von Furstenberg. Boutiques.com also lets you be a fashion star by using Google's algorithms to create your own boutique.
Will the new venture be a hit for Google? It's hard to say. As of last night, some of the top boutiques had fewer than 100 followers. However, Google is smartly distancing the concept from its namesake search engine by employing an entirely new domain name.
It's not the first dot-com giant to go high-fashion with a new address. When Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN ) wanted to launch a store for high-end designerwear and handbags, it created Endless.com. When eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY ) wanted to let the world know that apparel being sold through its site was more than hand-me-downs, it rolled out TheInsideSource.com last year. When Gap (NYSE: GPS ) wanted to make a splash in designer footwear, it unveiled PiperLime.com, before even entertaining bricks-and-mortar possibilities.
The Internet isn't necessarily a hotbed for fashionable clothing. There's a reason why bargain-seekers hit Amazon.com and Overstock.com (Nasdaq: OSTK ) in greater masses than fashion-starved shoppers flock to Bluefly (Nasdaq: BFLY ) . Some may argue that fitting rooms and a personal touch are important in moving big-ticket wares. However, as designer jeans sell briskly through the websites of True Religion (Nasdaq: TRLG ) and Joe's Jeans (Nasdaq: JOEZ ) -- with both brands well-represented through Boutiques.com -- high fashion and cyberspace may finally be joining forces.
Fashion snobs are welcome to stand outside the Googleplex and chuckle at any wardrobe blunders the system spits out. But if Big G's brainy engineers have a good read on what those fashion snobs are thinking, browsing, and buying, Google could have the last laugh.
What do you think of Boutiques.com? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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