IT’S been hot lately, which makes getting dressed in the morning a little harder. I want something cool enough for the five-block walk to the subway, but warm enough for an air-conditioned day at the office.

Sometimes it takes a couple of outfit changes, but the other day, I was torn. I wanted to wear a pair of long navy blue Elizabeth and James shorts, with a light purple silk blouse and very high, blush-colored snakeskin heels. But I was afraid that the silk blouse, which I usually wear with skinny jeans, would not be flattering with the loose blue shorts.

My husband was of little help. And I wasn’t about to call my girlfriends for advice. So I pulled out my iPhone, snapped a photo of myself in the outfit and uploaded it to a Web site called Fashism. “Is this look too boxy for me?” I wrote. “I love these shorts but not sure how it all looks on my body.” About five minutes later, the first comment landed. “It’s a tad form-less,” thestalwart wrote.

Another commenter, MLG, agreed: “Just a little bit too much going on for my taste.”

The crowd-source had spoken. I went back into my closet, slipped on a colorful dropped-waist dress, and headed to work with an extra kick in my flat, silver sandals.