13th October 2022

A New Way of Looking at Fashion

A look at how Virtual Reality is shaping the new fashion landscape

Every season, as fashions change, there is a shopping frenzy to get in the latest styles often seen on the famous.  Unfortunately, what looks good on your favourite celebrity might not be right for your body type and when ordering online, it can be a major problem with returns.  Thanks to fashion technology and a new way of looking at things, shopping just became that much easier for the majority of consumers.  Here’s what that looks like:

Erykah Badu for Burberry, 2021

The Scope of the Global Fashion Industry

First, it bears looking at the scope of the global fashion industry.  According to an article in CB Insights, the fashion industry will net at least $3 trillion USD by the end of this decade.  Let that sink in for just a moment.  Furthermore, according to the same article, fashion is now one of the leading industries and will continue to grow.  With a net amount that high, who can say if, at some point, it won’t be the leading industry?  This is why technology has taken the lead and is giving shoppers a new way of looking at fashion – quite literally!

Looking Through the Lens of AR/VR

Consider for a moment the fact that one of the premier designers of our time passed just a year ago in Chicago.  Virgil Abloh, the creator of the Off-White brand, the creative head of Louis Vuitton menswear and considered one of the leading contemporary designers, died last September from a rare form of cancer and will be sorely missed.  However, his designs continue to be highly prized in the fashion community. Men’s Off-White Hoodies are trending and fortunately this is a style that suits any body type. But still, wouldn’t it be nice to see them on you through the lens of VR?  Thankfully, it isn’t necessary because hoodies can be worn, well, by literally anyone – from today’s youngsters to their grandfathers – but VR lends a nice twist to the fashion industry.

Rihanna in Off-White hoodie, 2017

Technology’s Answer to “Try Before You Buy”

Many of the largest online marketplaces like Amazon have gone to a system of “Try Before You Buy.” This is where you order clothing in the size you believe you wear, pay for it, but have the ability to send it back for a refund or another size if it doesn’t fit well.  That is a nice feature, but a royal pain to do the return post.  Virtual Reality is giving shoppers the ability to virtually try on clothing prior to completing the purchase.  It is hoped that it will reduce the expense and effort of returning items that aren’t suitable.  Isn’t it nice to have styles like Men’s Off-White Hoodies created by Virgil Abloh’s design house that look good on people of all sizes and ages, but with a contemporary flare?

Virgil Abloh

The whole point of technology is to make shopping easier on consumers and less expensive in terms of returns.  Thankfully, there are designers who are consistent in sizing and in keeping up with fashion trends.  These will rarely need to be tried before buying because they were designed by masters of the craft.

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