A new social networking site that answers the age-old question, how do I look?

In a time when social networking sites are all the rage, a new site launches that combines two most popular habits of consumers— shopping and socializing. Fashrate.com, which launched Sept. 8, allows shoppers instant access to a virtual shopping buddy. Shoppers can ask, “how do I look?” through this virtual platform by sending pictures of themselves via cell phone trying on different outfits to a community of their friends registered on Fashrate.com.

In just a few minutes, responses to the picture will be sent back making the shopping decision a bit less onerous for those who are indecisive, impulsive or both.

Savvy shoppers know that opinion of their peers matter when it comes to clothes so the new site hopes to capitalize on a “shopper’s” networking idea to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

“The goal in building Fashrate was to make getting feedback on your fashion dilemmas very simple,” says founder Chris Weitenberner. “During the process of development we also saw the value of tagging photos not only by brand but also by waist size and height. There will be this great resource for people to find fashion ideas that have been ‘proven’ by people with a similar body type,” he says.

The idea started when Weitenberner was out browsing in the stores without his wife, his go-to fashion advisor. “Occasionally we went shopping by ourselves when the other was busy and would send pictures back to the other for an opinion on a particular outfit. This worked out great and it helped us make better shopping decisions,” explains Weitenberner. “It hit me that there were probably a lot of people out there who are facing the same dilemmas when they go out shopping.”

"Fashrate is a wonderful tool for anyone who finds themselves wandering around from store to store and never deciding on something to buy," says Elizabeth DelRicci, Fashrate.com’s style blog contributor. The Web site’s blog provides users with the latest news in fashion, celebrity fashion trends and places to go for the best bargains.

There is also a feature that allows users to file away their fashion pictures so that they can reference it at anytime. It’s a way for people to keep track of their fashion picks and so they can budget their wardrobe spending for the upcoming season’s designs. "Industry and celebrity fashion reviews are good but they don't give you an idea how these clothes will look on your body type," says Weitenberner.

People’s taste in clothes are largely dictated by their own peers so pictures of glamorous actresses in fashion magazines can only go so far in influencing buyers. Instead Fashrate.com’s appeal is in creating a personal and tailored shopping experience for those finicky shoppers with a need to always ask, “how do I look?” It’s this novel concept that Weitenberner hopes will bring people together— all in search of that must-have look of the season.