Try Clothes Online!

Filed in archive Cool , Information about on November 29, 2009

Online shopping may be convenient, but without being able to try on clothes, it doesn't always end well. For fashion people who love trying on clothes but don't want to leave home, online retailer Tobi.com has opened a virtual fitting room.

The platform, which was developed in conjunction with augmented reality specialists Zugara, allows shoppers to see an image of clothing superimposed over themselves on their computer screen as if they are holding it up in front of a mirror.

With just a few clicks of the mouse, Fashionista lets online shoppers get a sense of how they'd look in the clothes they're browsing online, then allows users to share images of themselves with friends on Facebook to get feedback on fashion do's and don'ts.

A new shopping application called Fashionista, available at the site tobi.com from Rich Relevance, brings together augmented reality, motion capture, and social networking to create a virtual fitting room where you can "try on" items and hopefully do away with the disappointment of getting a dress, shirt, or sweater that's totally wrong.



Fashionista also allows users to post virtual photos of themselves wearing the garments to their Facebook profile, or send them in e-mail messages, so they can ask friends for feedback.

The process involves calibrating a Webcam by holding a design marker printed out on a page. When the site recognizes the marker, it starts projecting images of clothing on the computer screen. If you don't like it you just raise your hand and hit a visual "next" button and you will see another clothing item in its place. You can give items a thumbs up or thumbs down using another virtual button and then later see all you favorite clothes, along with recommendations for matching items. If you need further affirmation, you can open yourself up to compliments or criticism by sharing the experience with friends on Facebook. I think this is a very cool concept and a right step in the direction of making shopping for clothes a truely visual experience.

The debut was set to coincide with the start of the holiday shopping season, which is a time when consumers increase their non-gift-related shopping as well. Selinger said that there were a handful of other online retailers in the "integration and experimentation phase" with Fashionista that should be rolling it out in the next few months.

Although the application could work with men's fashion as easily as women's Tobi.com has chosen to implement it solely with its women's line for now. That makes Fashionista somewhat unusual, in that the majority of augmented reality applications so far have been geared toward men.