Smart mirror can guess your size
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The FirstLook Smart Mirror. Photo courtesy of MySize
A mirror that can tell you what size you'd take in various clothing brands is starting to make its appearance in retail stores — potentially obviating a trip to the dressing room.
Why it matters: 80% of clothing returns are size-related. When people can try on garments virtually — either online or in front of a smart mirror in a store — they're less likely to return them and more likely to buy additional items.
Driving the news: While lots of apps let you input your measurements and see size recommendations, the FirstLook Smart Mirror from a company called MySize is one of a small but growing number of AI tools that will match your figure to particular sizes from particular brands.
- First, you use the sensors in your phone to map your body contours and store a "MySize ID," which is private to you.
- Then, you use your MySize ID to buy clothes online from participating manufacturers — like Levi’s, Lacoste, Nautica and Gant — or in a retail store that has the FirstLook Smart Mirror.
- The mirror, introduced in February, is in more than 1,000 retail locations.
"The vision is to change the way people buy clothes," Ronen Luzon, CEO of MySize, tells Axios.
- It's especially useful for buying children's clothes, Luzon says: Parents can update their kids' measurements every few months.
The big picture: Clothing sizes vary from brand to brand, and retailers lose a lot of money taking back returns. Lots of AI companies are working on the problem by making tools that will pinpoint your fit.
- Retailers like Warby Parker, Nike and Asos let you find the right size in their products online.
- Augmented reality companies like Zyler let retailers offer virtual try-ons.
- A company called Bold Metrics has patented a Body Data NFT, which uses proprietary AI body modeling technology and works in the real world and the metaverse.
"Shoppers with a Bold Metrics Body Data NFT in their Coinbase, MetaMask or other Ethereum wallets can instantly get apparel size recommendations" at Canada Goose's, Men's Wearhouse and elsewhere, the company says.
- "One of the challenges at Canada Goose is that all their jackets fit differently, so you can be a medium in one jacket or a small in another," Morgan Linton, the COO of Bold Metrics, tells Axios.
- The Body Data NFT takes the guesswork out of buying a particular style — and lets you adjust for whether you prefer a looser or tighter fit.
The bottom line: "The dressing room is not going to die completely," Luzon predicts. "People still love going shopping, going to the malls — it's fun."
