Every Saturday, thousands of women head to retail commercial properties in search of new clothes. They spend hours trawling through lines of garments, trying to find their size, only to be greeted by a long queue at the changing rooms. But isn’t there an easier way?
The Trafford Centre in Manchester has come up with innovative way for women to try on clothes – without taking a single layer off. The commercial property has installed a ‘magic mirror’ which uses 3D technology to allow women to try on clothes from multiple retailers all in a virtual world.
The mirror, which was developed by Apache Solutions, uses movement sensors, similar to those used for the Xbox games console, to positions the shoppers’ chosen outfits over a live picture of their body.
Speaking of the technology used in the mirror, Adam Vahed, Managing Director of Apache Solutions, said: “I took a 58-inch plasma screen TV and mounted a depth-sensing camera on top.”
The mirror, which is only available for women at the moment, will be developed for men and children in the near future, as Mr Vahed stated: “It has worked really well, so far, with women’s clothing so we are now developing the software for menswear and children.”
The mirror is designed to save shoppers time from rummage around sales lines and in and out of various commercial properties, trying to find that perfect outfit, as Kelly Da Silva Fernandes, Marketing Manager at the shopping centre, said: “It’s a great way to save time and allows you to scan through a large number of outfits very quickly. It’s great fun with a group of girls too.”
But even if they find an outfit that they like on the mirror, many people will still want to try it on to ensure the size really fits, as sizes can vary in different shops.
Gemma Seager, from Norwich, runs a vintage lifestyle and fashion blog, Retro Chick, and knows this only too well. She is a size 14, but she can fit into much smaller clothes.
“Under the British standard sizing chart my measurements would make me a Size 14 but in reality I wear a 12 in most shops and the M&S dress I bought is a size ten,” Gemma said. So trying on the garment is still a necessity for many women.
However, Caroline Aikman, fellow Marketing Manager at the Trafford Centre, believes the mirror will entice people away from their computers and into the shopping centre: “This is our secret weapon against the rise of internet shopping, you just can’t get this type of theatre and experience online.
“We want to put the excitement back into shopping.”
Would you prefer to try on clothes virtually? Or would you prefer to queue up and get a real feel of the garment before you buy it?
