1. A computer-implemented method comprising: maintaining characterization data for each of a plurality of images, the characterization data for each image characterizing clothing worn by a person pictured in the image, the characterization data for each image including a feature record that includes a respective number for each of a plurality of pattern categories, the respective number for each of the plurality of pattern categories representing an extent to which the pattern category is contained in the clothing worn by the person pictured in the image; receiving a request from a user, the request identifying an input image; generating characterization data for the input image, the characterization data for the input image characterizing clothing worn by a person pictured in the input image, wherein generating the characterization data for the input image comprises: identifying a face within the input image; extracting a clothing subsection from the input image, wherein extracting the clothing subsection from the input image comprises removing a background from the input image, removing the face from the input image, and removing other skin areas from the input image; determining a size of the face in the input image; rescaling the clothing subsection based on the size of the face in the input image; taking one or more fixed size patches from the rescaled clothing subsection; gray scaling each of the fixed size patches to remove color from the fixed size patch; and processing only the gray scaled fixed size patches using a learning network to generate a feature record for the input image, the feature record for the input image including a respective number for each of a plurality of pattern categories, the number for each of the plurality of pattern categories representing an extent to which the corresponding pattern category is contained in the clothing worn by the person pictured in the input image; selecting, using the characterization data for the input image and the maintained characterization data, one or more similar images to the input image from the plurality of images; and providing the similar images for presentation to the user in response to the request.