“Bringing augmented reality into the fitting room is a great way to improve the shopping experience,” says Carolina Arguelles, “Many people feel uncomfortable trying on clothes in-store and this gives them the opportunity to still like in-store experiences to benefit from personal advice and the haptic experience of the clothing. AR will not replace people wanting to go to physical stores. It’s more about how to improve the on-site experience: How can the camera make shopping more convenient, useful or fun?”

• reduce returns: After online retailers such as Zara, Uniqlo and Co. have started to change their return models, AR could be another solution to prevent exactly that:

“Currently, many brands are trying to make it more difficult to return products by raising the prices for returns. This often has the consequence that many people will no longer buy there, since the returns policy is one of the most important decision factors for online shopping. So this area is an interesting challenge for the fashion industry that wants to offer their customers the best possible experience. This is exactly where I see an opportunity for augmented reality, which can be used in a targeted manner to solve the problem with virtual fittings,” says the expert.

• Size inclusivity: Although there is a great demand for body diversity and inclusion in fashion, certain groups of people do not find themselves in the visual world of online shops. The integration of AR in fashion also offers opportunities for this problem. Because with the help of the technology, the looks can be tried on directly on your own body in “virtual fittings”.

“After sustainability, inclusion and authenticity are two of the most important values ​​for younger target groups. Instead of a perfectly curated image, they want to feel like they can identify with the product and the brand. Because this personal connection contributes a lot to their purchase decision,” Carolina Arguelles tells us in an interview. “When it comes to inclusion, there is still room for improvement in the fashion industry where augmented reality can be helpful. AR focuses on the consumer, with all their individual needs on the subject: skin color, body size, gender and much more. Instead of a general shopping experience, AR changes perspective and offers customized shopping.”

• Accessibility of luxury goods: For the luxury goods segment, augmented reality offers a great opportunity to work on one’s own accessibility. With product filters that have integrated shopping functions, potential (new) customers can try on pieces without actually having to go to a store. A playful way to communicate the brand image.
• Content creation and user experience: In addition to all the practical aspects, AR in fashion can also be a simple but effective means of communication. Because with the shopping filters and lenses, cool moments for your own social media profile can be captured in addition to the shopping experience. This simple form of entertainment allows brands to connect with consumers and offer them a unique experience in combination with AR extensions in the store. With exciting add-ons such as beauty mirrors that replace testers, as well as fittings on screens or interactive areas with QR codes, the product portfolio can be playfully explored and recorded. Win-win for everyone involved and a good starting point to make augmented reality tangible for the masses.

AR in fashion: This is why the new technology is an opportunity for more sustainability in fashion

“We see sustainability as a common concern that is particularly important to Generation Z. The fashion industry in particular is a major driver of environmentally harmful practices. Returns, for example, create more than 5 billion pounds of waste a year, which then ends up on the landfills. This is mainly because many consumers who buy online are not entirely sure whether they will keep the product. Whether it’s because of the fit or because the clothing simply looked different on the model than on you. Augmented reality makes it possible to make more conscious purchasing decisions and can thus reduce the return rate by around 25 percent. A big step in the right direction, because returns are bad for both business and the environment,” explains AR Expert:in Carolina.