What women want

A new website helps guys find the clothes - and cars, and Valentine's gifts - that make the man

Tim Panagopoulos (left) and Rob Kassner founded hertaste.com because, Kassner says, "Women judge men based on their clothes." (Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff)

Who says men aren't willing to stop and ask for directions?

Two Boston entrepreneurs are revving up a website that is built on the premise that men are willing to put aside their egos and listen, really listen, to what women are telling them.

Between them, Rob Kassner and Tim Panagopoulos have seen or experienced many facets of the dating world. And this, they say, is what they have witnessed all too often: Fashion-challenged guys stumbling cluelessly toward social doom, unaware that their ill-chosen wardrobe has severely diminished their chances for romance.

"Guys think it looks good," says Panagopoulos, 32, the co-owner of Osushi restaurant. "But what men think looks good and what women think looks good are two different things." Adds Kassner, 34: "What guys miss is that women are picking up on little details. It's like a secret world that guys don't have a clue about."

The pair spotted a business opportunity in that "secret world." So two months ago they launched Hertaste, a website featuring a panel of women who pick clothes, furnishings, and lifestyle accessories that will supposedly make the men more attractive to women.

This dress-for-dating-success approach may sound a bit materialistic or calculating, leaving little to fate or Cupid's arrows. But Panagopoulos and Kassner are confident their business plan rests on a sound assumption. "Women judge men based on their clothes," contends Kassner. "They assume if he's well-dressed, he manages his life well." If a man wears the wrong clothes, Kassner contends, many women will mentally consign him to the rejection pile at social events before a single word is exchanged, whatever his other attributes.

All of those assertions may well be debatable. A host of factors go into the dating game. If there's no romantic chemistry between two people, it's doubtful that a stylish necktie or a snappy pair of shoes will do the trick. But as Valentine's Day intensifies the spotlight on what Cole Porter called "this funny thing called love," Panagopoulos and Kassner are banking on the notion that men are receptive to advice from women about how to correct their flaws. The same assumption may also undergird a new book, "Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me," edited by Ben Karlin, featuring tales of romantic mishaps by the likes of comedian Stephen Colbert.

On one level, the Hertaste approach - persuading customers that if they buy the right products it will improve their chances for romance - is nothing new. Virtually the entire advertising industry is built on that same message. What the Hertaste founders hope will set their site apart is its blend of independent ratings and product links.

The way it works is that customers click on the photos of the female panelists who seem closest to the type of woman they'd like to meet, and then they check out that panelist's ratings of clothing and accessories. At that point, if they want to buy any of the products, they can click on a link to do so. Hertaste.com is not a dating site, and customers are not given the e-mail addresses of the panelists. Citing "competitive reasons," Kassner declines to say how many customers have used the site so far, but he says it has shown steady growth. Eventually, he says, personalized, one-on-one fashion advice from a panelist will be available on the site.

Josh Sheppard, a 21-year-old junior at Suffolk University, already goes on the site so often that it is on his Internet navigation bar. He hasn't bought any items showcased on Hertaste yet, but he was gratified to see that a pair of shoes he already owned was highly rated by the panelist he selected. When he likes a particular item of clothing, he says, Hertaste helps him answer the question: "The type of woman I'm interested in, would she feel the same way?"

Noel Velez, 23, of East Boston considers himself a fairly fashionable guy, and he has a steady girlfriend. Still, he has explored Hertaste.com three times in search of style tips. "As a man, you never want your partner to be bored of your fashion, of your style," he says. "And as a busy man, it's hard to know sometimes what's going on in fashion. Here, you get a sense of what's new right now." He has yet to buy anything recommended by the panelist he conferred with, but he is intrigued by some couches and bed sheets he saw on the site.

"Sometimes men, just being who we are, we're very timid in asking people for advice," says Velez. "Maybe it will encourage them to not be vanilla, to go out there and take a chance."

That is the basic fashion philosophy of 28-year-old Celeste Jones of Boston, who works at an educational travel firm and is a member of the Hertaste.com advisory panel. Jones says she rates products with an eye toward her own taste, which she describes as "simple and classic, with a little edge."

"Most guys need help," she says. "About 85 percent of men need some sort of help when it comes to women, whether it's dressing to impress a woman or getting her a present."

Jones saw that firsthand in college. Because she is, by her own description, "not the type to laugh in anyone's face or to say, 'Your gut is hanging out; don't wear that,' " her male friends would often quietly ask her whether they should wear a particular shirt or what gifts they should get girlfriends. "Guys aren't comfortable asking each other anything like that," Jones says. "Guys will make fun of each other."

The seed for the website was planted two years ago when Panagopoulos and Kassner were introduced to each other at Osushi. They hit it off immediately. Kassner had experience in market research, including a stint as a product director and brand manager at Johnson & Johnson. Panagopoulos, who had worked as a manager at Sonsie and helped launch Whiskey Park, was looking for a new entrepreneurial initiative.

As their initial conversation ranged across the issues of dating and mating, including the question of style, they both realized, Kassner says, that "some of the best clothes we have were picked out by girlfriends. So we thought: What if we structure it a little more?"

They enlisted a dozen women known in their social circles for their strong fashion sense, and launched Hertaste on Dec. 1. The site relies on advertising for its revenues, along with a commission paid to Hertaste if customers buy a product - everything from shirts and neckties to cellphone earpieces and Harley-Davidson motorcycles - that are linked from the site.

Kassner says he and Panagopoulos independently choose the products that are displayed on the site. If a customer makes a purchase they earn a commission from some retailers, he says, but most of the products do not involve commissions. Although the site has recently added new features, including suggestions for Valentine's Day gifts, its primary targets will likely remain men who aren't sure their fashion sense is ready for prime time.

The founders, though, make the straight-faced argument that women will be the true beneficiaries if Hertaste takes off. "If women can change the way men look walking down the street . . ." Panagopoulos says, before Kassner leaps in to finish the thought: "It's painful for them," he exclaims. "It's a public service!"

Don Aucoin can be reached at aucoin@globe.com.