Pinterest creates a ‘Shazam’ for style lovers

We all know that Pinterest can become a real addiction. Have you ever said that you’ll just be on it for five minutes, and then end up surfing for about two hours?

We get lost in all those albums full of recipes, outfits, inspiring phrases, decor, and so on. It is simply a wonderful place to find ideas and inspiration. But something was missing. Enter Lense, a new Pinterest feature tailored to fashion and shopping addicts.

Imagine you’re walking down the street and you see some fabulous shoes. How expensive are those? you wonder. With this new smart feature, you can take a picture of them and upload it for comparison. Once your item is recognized, the program tells you where to buy them (with the tool Shop The Look) and even how to combine them with different outfits (though this all depends on who has already shared information about this particular pair of shoes online).

It’s basically Google image search, but with a fashion slant that gives you much more information and inspiration for what else you might like, too. So it’s also a little like what Shazam does for music: telling you the song, but also recommending others like it.

Pinterest, a company valued at more than $11 trillion, says it wanted to make it easier for people to take action, since sometimes you might see something you love or find interesting on the street, but then have no way to locate it online. Or, for example, you might fall in love with a blouse you saw in a Pinterest photo but have no idea where to buy it because there’s no proper crediting, or, even if you do know the source, hesitate to do so because you’re not quite sure how to rock it.

The best part is that Lens works with more than just wardrobe pieces, extending to all the stylish items of your life. You can search for home decor, furniture, art, and even foods in the kitchen. Yes, that last one is a little mind-blowing. Lens claims you can take a picture of a platter to see how it is made, or a particular ingredient to see what recipes you can make with it. (I’m already thinking about taking a picture of a chocolate bar to see what scrumptious delight I can whip up for dessert tonight).

The app is currently in the testing phase, but big stores like Target, Michael Kors, Macy’s, and Adidas have already joined the initiative so that people can easily buy their products in this new and attractive way. After that, Lens is expected to reach Europe and Latin America in a few months. 

Time to share the news with friends and … pin away! The big question now is: How will we be able to pry our little fingers off Pinterest and get back into the real world? 

This article was originally published in the Spanish edition of Aleteia.