In this article, I’ll walk you through how to create a fashion recommendation system with Machine Learning that will work like highly personalized online shopping recommendations. But before you go ahead, you need to know what a recommendation system is.
A recommendation system is a system that is programmed to predict future preferable items from a large set of collections. A recommendation system works either by using user preferences or by using the items most preferred by all users. The main challenge in building a fashion recommendation system is that it is a very dynamic industry. It changes very often when it comes to seasons, festivals, pandemic conditions like coronavirus and many more.
Fashion Recommendation System with Machine Learning
Unlike other areas, fashion recommendations shouldn’t be based solely on personal taste and past activity of the customer. There are many external factors (many of which are emotional) that make creating a fashion recommendation system all the more complex. Public perceptions must be taken into account, as well as fashion rules, dress rules and current trends.
Let’s now dive into building a fashion recommendation system with Machine Learning. I will simply start with importing all the packages we need for this task:
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import gdown
from fastai.vision import *
from fastai.metrics import accuracy, top_k_accuracy
from annoy import AnnoyIndex
import zipfile
import time
from google.colab import drive
%matplotlib inline
Code language: Python (python)
Now, you need to collect the data into your google drive, and you have to paste the URLs of those links to import the dataset in your notebook:
# get the meta data
url = 'https://drive.google.com/uc?id=0B7EVK8r0v71pWnFiNlNGTVloLUk'
output = 'list_category_cloth.txt'
gdown.download(url, output, quiet=False)
url = 'https://drive.google.com/uc?id=0B7EVK8r0v71pTGNoWkhZeVpzbFk'
output = 'list_category_img.txt'
gdown.download(url, output, quiet=False)
url = 'https://drive.google.com/uc?id=0B7EVK8r0v71pdS1FMlNreEwtc1E'
output = 'list_eval_partition.txt'
gdown.download(url, output, quiet=False)
Code language: Python (python)
Now, let’s get all the images from our google drive:
# get the images
root_path = './'
url = 'https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1j5fCPgh0gnY6v7ChkWlgnnHH6unxuAbb'
output = 'img.zip'
gdown.download(url, output, quiet=False)
with zipfile.ZipFile("img.zip","r") as zip_ref:
zip_ref.extractall(root_path)
Code language: Python (python)
Now I will perform some data preparation and data cleaning steps to frame the data in a useful manner:
category_list = []
image_path_list = []
data_type_list = []
# category names
with open('list_category_cloth.txt', 'r') as f:
for i, line in enumerate(f.readlines()):
if i > 1:
category_list.append(line.split(' ')[0])
# category map
with open('list_category_img.txt', 'r') as f:
for i, line in enumerate(f.readlines()):
if i > 1:
image_path_list.append([word.strip() for word in line.split(' ') if len(word) > 0])
# train, valid, test
with open('list_eval_partition.txt', 'r') as f:
for i, line in enumerate(f.readlines()):
if i > 1:
data_type_list.append([word.strip() for word in line.split(' ') if len(word) > 0])
data_df = pd.DataFrame(image_path_list, columns=['image_path', 'category_number'])
data_df['category_number'] = data_df['category_number'].astype(int)
data_df = data_df.merge(pd.DataFrame(data_type_list, columns=['image_path', 'dataset_type']), on='image_path')
data_df['category'] = data_df['category_number'].apply(lambda x: category_list[int(x) - 1])
data_df = data_df.drop('category_number', axis=1)
Code language: Python (python)
Now, the code below will convert all the images into embeddings:
train_image_list = ImageList.from_df(df=data_df, path=root_path, cols='image_path').split_by_idxs(
(data_df[data_df['dataset_type']=='train'].index),
(data_df[data_df['dataset_type']=='val'].index)).label_from_df(cols='category')
test_image_list = ImageList.from_df(df=data_df[data_df['dataset_type'] == 'test'], path=root_path, cols='image_path')
data = train_image_list.transform(get_transforms(), size=224).databunch(bs=128).normalize(imagenet_stats)
data.add_test(test_image_list)
data.show_batch(rows=3, figsize=(8,8))
Code language: Python (python)

Now, I will do some steps of transfer learning by using the resnet and PyTorch library to get the learning rate:
# see models available: https://docs.fast.ai/vision.models.html
# many options for Resnet, the numbers are the number of layers.
# More layers are generally more accurate but take longer to train: resnet18, resnet34, resnet50, resnet101, resnet152
# get top 1 and top 5 accuracy
def train_model(data, pretrained_model, model_metrics):
learner = cnn_learner(data, pretrained_model, metrics=model_metrics)
learner.model = torch.nn.DataParallel(learner.model)
learner.lr_find()
learner.recorder.plot(suggestion=True)
return learner
pretrained_model = models.resnet18 # simple model that can be trained on free tier
# pretrained_model = models.resnet50 # need pro tier, model I used
model_metrics = [accuracy, partial(top_k_accuracy, k=1), partial(top_k_accuracy, k=5)]
learner = train_model(data, pretrained_model, model_metrics)
learner.fit_one_cycle(10, max_lr=1e-02)
Code language: Python (python)
Now, let’s evaluate the transfer learning model:
interp = ClassificationInterpretation.from_learner(learner)
interp.plot_top_losses(9, largest=False, figsize=(15,11), heatmap_thresh=5)
Code language: Python (python)

The output looks good, now before moving forward let’s save this model so that we could easily use it for our future tasks:
# saving the model (temporary, will lose model once environment resets)
learner.save('resnet-fashion')
Code language: Python (python)
Now, I will use the FastAI method to retrieve the image embeddings:
class SaveFeatures():
features=None
def __init__(self, m):
self.hook = m.register_forward_hook(self.hook_fn)
self.features = None
def hook_fn(self, module, input, output):
out = output.detach().cpu().numpy()
if isinstance(self.features, type(None)):
self.features = out
else:
self.features = np.row_stack((self.features, out))
def remove(self):
self.hook.remove()
# load the trained model
def load_learner(data, pretrained_model, model_metrics, model_path):
learner = cnn_learner(data, pretrained_model, metrics=model_metrics)
learner.model = torch.nn.DataParallel(learner.model)
learner = learner.load(model_path)
return learner
pretrained_model = models.resnet18 # simple model that can be trained on free tier
# pretrained_model = models.resnet50 # need pro tier
model_metrics = [accuracy, partial(top_k_accuracy, k=1), partial(top_k_accuracy, k=5)]
# if gdrive not mounted:
drive.mount('/content/gdrive')
model_path = "/content/gdrive/My Drive/resnet18-fashion"
# model_path = "/content/gdrive/My Drive/resnet50-fashion"
learner = load_learner(data, pretrained_model, model_metrics, model_path)
Code language: Python (python)
I hope you understood something from the above process, now I will use approximate nearest neighbours method to create a fashion recommendation system:
# takes time to populate the embeddings for each image
# Get 2nd last layer of the model that stores the embedding for the image representations
# the last linear layer is the output layer.
saved_features = SaveFeatures(learner.model.module[1][4])
_= learner.get_preds(data.train_ds)
_= learner.get_preds(DatasetType.Valid)
Code language: Python (python)
Finally, we insert the embeddings of the 12 (or more) user-selected elements into a list and average the values ​​of the embeds in each of the dimensions; This creates a ghost object that represents the aggregate value of all selected items.
We can then find the closest neighbour to this ghost object:
# prepare the data for generating recommendations (exlcude test data)
# get the embeddings from trained model
img_path = [str(x) for x in (list(data.train_ds.items) +list(data.valid_ds.items))]
label = [data.classes[x] for x in (list(data.train_ds.y.items) +list(data.valid_ds.y.items))]
label_id = [x for x in (list(data.train_ds.y.items) +list(data.valid_ds.y.items))]
data_df_ouput = pd.DataFrame({'img_path': img_path, 'label': label, 'label_id': label_id})
data_df_ouput['embeddings'] = np.array(saved_features.features).tolist()
# Using Spotify's Annoy
def get_similar_images_annoy(annoy_tree, img_index, number_of_items=12):
start = time.time()
img_id, img_label = data_df_ouput.iloc[img_index, [0, 1]]
similar_img_ids = annoy_tree.get_nns_by_item(img_index, number_of_items+1)
end = time.time()
print(f'{(end - start) * 1000} ms')
# ignore first item as it is always target image
return img_id, img_label, data_df_ouput.iloc[similar_img_ids[1:]]
# for images similar to centroid
def get_similar_images_annoy_centroid(annoy_tree, vector_value, number_of_items=12):
start = time.time()
similar_img_ids = annoy_tree.get_nns_by_vector(vector_value, number_of_items+1)
end = time.time()
print(f'{(end - start) * 1000} ms')
# ignore first item as it is always target image
return data_df_ouput.iloc[similar_img_ids[1:]]
def show_similar_images(similar_images_df, fig_size=[10,10], hide_labels=True):
if hide_labels:
category_list = []
for i in range(len(similar_images_df)):
# replace category with blank so it wont show in display
category_list.append(CategoryList(similar_images_df['label_id'].values*0,
[''] * len(similar_images_df)).get(i))
else:
category_list = [learner.data.train_ds.y.reconstruct(y) for y in similar_images_df['label_id']]
return learner.data.show_xys([open_image(img_id) for img_id in similar_images_df['img_path']],
category_list, figsize=fig_size)
# more tree = better approximation
ntree = 100
#"angular", "euclidean", "manhattan", "hamming", or "dot"
metric_choice = 'angular'
annoy_tree = AnnoyIndex(len(data_df_ouput['embeddings'][0]), metric=metric_choice)
# # takes a while to build the tree
for i, vector in enumerate(data_df_ouput['embeddings']):
annoy_tree.add_item(i, vector)
_ = annoy_tree.build(ntree)
Code language: Python (python)
Testing the Fashion Recommendation System
Now, let’s test our Fashion recommendation system. For this, we need to create some driver codes. First Let’s see the recommendations for anything with shorts:
def centroid_embedding(outfit_embedding_list):
number_of_outfits = outfit_embedding_list.shape[0]
length_of_embedding = outfit_embedding_list.shape[1]
centroid = []
for i in range(length_of_embedding):
centroid.append(np.sum(outfit_embedding_list[:, i])/number_of_outfits)
return centroid
# shorts
outfit_img_ids = [109938, 106385, 113703, 98666, 113467, 120667, 20840, 8450, 142843, 238607, 124505,222671]
outfit_embedding_list = []
for img_index in outfit_img_ids:
outfit_embedding_list.append(data_df_ouput.iloc[img_index, 3])
outfit_embedding_list = np.array(outfit_embedding_list)
outfit_centroid_embedding = centroid_embedding(outfit_embedding_list)
outfits_selected = data_df_ouput.iloc[outfit_img_ids]
similar_images_df = get_similar_images_annoy_centroid(annoy_tree, outfit_centroid_embedding, 30)
Code language: Python (python)
And Finally, we will see the recommendations for “shorts”:
show_similar_images(outfits_selected, fig_size=[15,15])
Code language: Python (python)

Also, Read – The Future of Machine Learning.
That is a very good response from our model. I hope you liked this article on Fashion Recommendation System with Machine Learning. feel free to ask your valuable questions in the comments section below. You can also follow my Publication on Medium, to learn every topic of Machine Learning.
Also, Read – Visualize Geospatial Data with Python.