AR Try-Ons and Other Emerging Technologies in the Fashion Industry
If you’re anything like me, watching Clueless back in middle school ignited your need for a program that organizes your clothes and previews outfits on a 3D model of yourself like the one Cher had. Unfortunately, despite the movie approaching its 30th anniversary of release, no such mobile app or computer software exists.
As such, if you’re anything like me — which is to say you own an obscene amount of clothes and can take hours deciding what to wear because you’re extremely meticulous (some may say it’s overkill) — you’re forced to arbitrarily catalog your outfit inspiration in various albums within the photos app.
Now, some apps attempt to mimic Cher’s closet program such as Swivel, CherWears, Mylo, Closet Space, and Stylebook. None quite hit the mark, though. Collectively, they let you input and categorize your clothes, mix and match items, find online pieces and style them, apply items to a digital 3D model, or virtually try on clothes in real-time, but not one does all of the above. All the programs that can apply clothing to models don’t let you add the clothes you already own, and the apps meant to catalog your existing closet don’t have any feature to overlay those pieces over a model of any kind, let alone one based on you.
Even though there aren’t any mainstream programs like Cher’s, that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of emerging tech being used in the fashion industry. There’s everything from artificial intelligence to augmented and virtual reality. From 2D and 3D digital rendering to e-clothing for online avatars, and even “smart” fabrics.
The integration of AI and shopping has led to better data analysis, trend forecasting, and sales. Chatbots, both online and in-store, improve customer experience by providing customized product suggestions. Stitch Fix records customers’ previous purchases and analyzes data from a quick style quiz to recommend and ship them other wardrobe items. Intelligence Node makes comparing clothing prices easier so retailers can adjust their prices before competitors do.
AR and VR are becoming more popular for virtual try-ons, whether it’s adding AR designs to your clothing by scanning a QR code on Instagram after making a purchase, downloading an app to try on shoes virtually, or integrating entire 3D, 360-degree platforms into retailers’ websites and apps.
Digital rendering makes illustrating product sizes more accurate, so it’s easier for customers to choose the right fit. Optitex is being used in the fashion industry to create and share designs worldwide, making the workflow more efficient. Tommy Hilfiger recently required that their entire design process — from sketching to sampling to showrooming — be done with 3D design rather than with paper sketches and physical samples. Virtusize allows shoppers to compare product sizes using an item they already own that fits them, as well as with a silhouette of themself on which the product can overlay.
For years, Snapchat has worked with brands like Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, and Jordan for Bitmoji fashion options. Tommy Hilfiger’s switch to an entirely digital design process could pave the way for e-clothing for avatars. In 2019, Louis Vuitton designed “skins” for League of Legends characters, laying the foundation for other popular fashion brands to invest in clothing for avatars- in games or otherwise.
Many are still in relatively preliminary phases, but new fabrics and fabric-making techniques are emerging within the fashion industry, such as lab-grown leather and 3D printing. There are also “smart” fabrics, such as MIT’s ColorMod that 3D prints objects with colors that change when exposed to different types of UV light. Google’s project Jacquard weaves conductive threads to create touch-responsive clothing. NADI X yoga pants have built-in sensors to correct the wearer’s posture while doing various yoga poses through minor vibration, and Hexoskin, a washable garment, tracks your heart rate, measures your temperature, and counts steps and calories.
At our very own Lab, we’re currently developing a way to virtually “try on” clothes. Our volumetric capture technology generates a photorealistic 3D model of an individual that can be used in a virtual dressing room. It allows that person to try various clothing items on a model with their real image and likeness from a wide array of angles. This would allow users’ shopping experience to become highly personalized, potentially eliminating the existing lack of diversity in clothing models’ race, body type, age, gender, and more. If shoppers no longer expect an item to fit or look a certain way on themselves based on how that item fits or looks on the model, it could also improve their self-esteem.
So while there’s not currently a platform that exactly replicates Cher’s digital stylist in Clueless — meaning that for the time being I’ll still have to haphazardly sort through all my outfit options in my phone’s photos app — there are plenty of other impressive technological advancements within the fashion industry. And as someone who’s returned more than their fair share of ill-fitting online orders, I’m especially excited about all of the AR and digital renderings that make comparing sizes and virtually “trying on” clothes easier.
