Now that the holiday shopping frenzy is over, many online retailers are busy posting post-season sales and nursing that most dreaded of e-commerce hangovers - returns.  While online apparel sales were up 245% in 2000, from $1.1B to $3.8B according to retail analysts Gomez, so too was the rate of returns.  Studies show that over 30% of apparel items purchased online are returned to the e-tailer, mainly due to fit problems.

In an effort to lure more shoppers to their sites and decrease the number of returns, many e-tailers are implementing virtual fit technology on their websites.  Also referred to as the “virtual dressing room” or “size prediction”, this technology enables users to get an idea of how a particular garment will fit, or to get a recommendation on the best size or item to buy.  A recent study conducted by Gomez claimed that 45.6% of consumers surveyed would use virtual dressing room technology if offered. E-tailers are hoping this type of personal assistance will increase consumer’s trust in the products they buy online, build brand loyalty, increase shopping efficiencies, and minimize returns.

With so many choices on the market, it is difficult to discern which of these e-commerce enablers is the best “fit.” In an effort to make sense of it all, we have compiled a report of virtual fit solutions currently available.

Sizing up the Consumer

Most fit solutions require a consumer’s measurements to make fit recommendations.  These sites ask the consumer to set up a profile when registering for the first time by including anywhere from 5 to 32 measurements.  To help consumers understand the proper method of measurement, sites provide instructions and illustrations for each measurement required. 

Consumers may find the measuring process tedious, so many sites limit the number of measurements required.  For instance, yourfit.com, requires only 5 measurements:  height, weight, hips, bust, and shoe size.  From this information yourfit.com can extrapolate the missing measurements and minimize the time it takes to register.  Clarity Fit helps determine a consumer’s measurements if they don’t know them by asking if clothes generally fit looser, tighter, or just right in certain areas, after their height, bust and shoe size are ascertained.

A more accurate approach to measuring is body scanning.  This technique uses a white light to capture a person’s silhouette, from which measurements can be extracted and linked with virtual fit or size prediction engines.  Fast and painless, there is less chance of error in taking measurements, as long as the person is wearing a body suit or snug-fitting garment during the scanning process.

The biggest obstacle with body scanners is getting consumers accustomed to using them.  Last fall Lands End launched a tour of the ImageTwin personal body scanner by visiting fourteen cities throughout the US.  Info gathered by ImageTwin,  a joint venture between [TC]2 and truefinds.com, will be utilized in combination with My Virtual Model on the Lands End site to build cyber mannequins that can be used to try on clothing for fit, size and look.   “These tools represent the biggest shift in the apparel direct-to-consumer market,” said Bill Bass, Land’s End senior vice president of e-commerce. “Customer service is more important than ever online, and it is our intent to continue to lead e-commerce innovation and offer consumers the most compelling and engaging online shopping experience possible.”

My Virtual Model fit visualization technology

Other fit solution providers are beginning to install body scanning stations in major retail centers.  For instance, EZsize recently installed a body scanner in its Best-Fit Pavilion at the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York City.

The jury is still out on whether or not consumers will take to getting body scanned as a regular practice.  The Gomez survey showed that currently, 14.5% of consumers would prefer to use body scanners as opposed to 38.8% who want to compare their measurements to stated size guidelines. Therefore, most of the fit solutions that link to body scanners also offer an individual the option of inputting his or her measurements, using described guidelines.

While many companies are attempting to address the online fit issue with visualization tools, not all companies believe that this is the best approach.  yourfit.com is using size prediction analysis to recommend the best size that will fit a consumer, by incorporating a 5 star rating system with text explanations. TheRightSize uses “Rosetta Stone” technology to make fit recommendations by computing patterns and matches based on a consumer’s preferences to size, brand, and style. TheRightSize gathers preferences by asking for a consumer’s favorite items of clothing when he or she registers with the service.

Rendering the Virtual Consumer

One popular technique used in fit solutions is the “cyber mannequin,” which takes a user’s measurements and creates a virtual model of that person in 3D.  Armed with a cyber mannequin, the consumer can then go shopping and “try on” different garments to judge style and fit.  Some systems give a visual representation of fit on the model, illustrating garments that are too short or too long.  Others, such as ENFASHION, provide a wire mesh of the garment with color zones that indicate fit problems. 

Browzwear's C-Me virtual fitting technology

Cyber mannequins, also known as avatars, can be customized to the user by choosing from a menu of hair styles, hair color, and skin tones. Browzwear offers an advanced list of features such as face shape, eye color, eye shapes, lip shapes, and more in its C-me virtual fit solution. Click & Dress, a virtual dressing room solution offered by Imaginarix, allows on-line shoppers to use their own pictures to see how garments fit and look on their bodies, with their own hair color and skin tone. Powered by a unique and proprietary implementation of image processing algorithms, Click & Dress creates fast, efficient and accurate mathematical models of a person's own image and the apparel from pictures.

In most solutions, the cyber mannequin can be rotated to see front, back and side angles, enabled through a series of JPEG images.  However, handling 3D images over the web can be cumbersome, since rotation time can be slow over a 56K or slower modem (standard for most households).  To address this problem, companies such as Virtue 3D are offering infrastructure tools that enable online retailers to display 3D content on web sites, allowing e-shoppers to see, touch and feel a product.  Virtue 3D’s products may be paired with a cyber mannequin or applied to a single garment image that can be rotated or zoomed for greater detail. Most of these applications are ASP-based (application service provider that “serves” the required software), and require the consumer to download a free player in order to use the system.

The capabilities of the individual virtual fit technology solutions are as varied as the products they are designed to visually represent. For an review of markets supported, data input requirements, visual effects, production tie-in, in-store merchandising components, pricing models and current customers see our Online Virtual Fit Technology Comparison Chart

The Virtual Sample

Of course, virtual fit does not rely on cyber mannequins alone. With 3D avatars comes 3D garments, adding yet another layer of complexity to solving the fit problem. Systems using 3D views of garments create these images by “building” them in much the same way an apparel manufacturer would build a garment.  Using design specifications or digital pattern pieces, garments are constructed into 3D objects and fabric surfaces are applied.  These images are then optimized for viewing online. 

Most solutions can be tied into production by accepting DFX files from CAD/CAM systems, and/or spec documents from PDM (product data management) systems.  Some are going a step further by marketing alliances with other providers in the supply chain.  Eastman Worldwide has developed a suite of products it calls “The Perfect Fit”, which incorporates the Symcad Optifit body scanner, Browzwear’s C-me virtual product visualization, SGS Modulate pattern system, and their own automated cutting systems.

B2C sites are not the only ones using 3D mannequins to get a better fit.  On the B2B side, many pattern-making systems are incorporating the ability to apply a flat pattern to a 3D dressform or fit model to see how a pattern will look when stitched together. From there, fit problems can be identified and the flat pattern altered before an actual garment is cut or sewn. This technique is taking time out of the manufacturing process by eliminating mistakes that are usually not identified until a pattern is sewn.  Companies offering 3D systems that are complimentary to their pattern-making systems include Gerber Technology, Lectra Systems, Scanvec and PAD Systems.

Pricing Models

The cost for e-tailers to implement these services is not inexpensive, however many of them are willing to make the investment in order to gain a competitive edge.  Pricing models vary from one solution to the next and most of them are tailored to an individual customer’s needs.  Most charge a fee for each garment that is created for use in the system.  From there, many charge a fixed licensing fee plus a variable fee based on the amount of activity the fit solution receives on a particular site.  The variable fee may be based on click-throughs or a percentage of sales generated from the service.  Regardless of fee for the e-tailer, all services surveyed remain free for the consumer to use.

The Privacy Issue

All of the fit technologies surveyed stressed that an individual’s privacy was strictly maintained.  However, some of the solutions expressed a desire to share consumer sizes in aggregate with their customers down-the-road when there is a mass of information gathered.  Many of them see this as a great enhancement to the product development process, where the sizes of ready-to-wear garments may be improved over time to fit more of the population.  In addition, manufacturing and inventories may be improved by knowing how much volume of a certain size to make, and what styles sell best for a certain target market (i.e. petites).

Taking it to the Streets

Fit technology is not for the web alone.  E-tailers are looking for a way to leverage information gathered online with their brick and mortar outlets.  One solution is kiosks, which are installed in a retail store and enable a consumer to go to the retailer’s web site to retrieve information they have already registered, such as size or products previously purchased.  TheRightSize has developed a wireless version of their software that is currently compatible with the Palm VII, enabling a user to log in from anywhere they have mobile service.  Yourfit.com has developed an Apparel Sizing Engine for call centers, so that operators may provide better size recommendations by voice to catalog shoppers.  Many others are in the process of developing body scan stations in order to “hook” the consumer in at the retail level.

E-Merchandising

While many consumers may be skeptical about the accuracy of fit prediction, others are enjoying the merchandising power the solutions enable.  For instance, a cyber mannequin is an excellent way to visualize top and bottom garments put together, a mix and match of accessories, etc.  This provides the e-tailer with the opportunity to increase on-line sales through suggestive product pairings.

Some CAD/CAM companies are bringing the e-merchandising concept to business and consumer markets.  Nedgraphics, Inc. has developed DesignCom, which enables a user to drag and drop a textile pattern over a 2D photo image, to see a product in multiple prints, textures, and colors.  Gerber Technology has developed a similar product called Web Draping, which enables web designers to create a base page for electronic or CD-ROM catalogs.  This is particularly useful to the home furnishings market, where buyers and consumers can mix and match products in interiors, bedding and furniture to see a realistic representation.

Another B2B offering is from DigiBits Interactive, who is enhancing online exchanges by pairing a cyber mannequin with textile and garment libraries.  The company developed DigiTex so that textile manufacturers could project a realistic product concept in combination with their textile offerings, thus adding value to the selling process.  According to Gwo-Tsuen Jou ph.D of China Textile Institute, “We chose to implement the DigiTex software program because we felt that it would help promote our member company textiles in a new and visually exciting way.  On-line textile companies need these types of solutions to enable them to be competitive now and in the future.”

The Virtual Market of Virtual Fitting

In light of recent buzz generated through the Lands End tour, many of the virtual fit solutions are scrambling to get customers to sign-on.  At press time, most were expecting to go live with their first client by the first or second quarter of 2001.  Others, such as ENFASHION, have gone live with a client and are now in their second generation of interface tweaking.

MySize Systems decided to first target the uniform/career apparel market before hitting the mass-consumer level.  They have developed a mobile size-capturing system using an off-the-shelf digital camera, to enable uniform sales people to automate body measurement and size selection.  They hope to build a population of on-line shoppers who have grown accustomed to using fit technology for work uniforms, and will be more willing to try it for personal online shopping.

Critics of virtual fit technology are skeptical of its ability to accurately predict size and fit.  Some see it as more of a marketing tool, while others doubt the consumer’s ability to use these systems properly.  Many believe this is a good beginning, but there is still a long way to go before virtual fit tools are truly accurate or accepted by the public. 

Kurt Chang, Principle of 3D Custom Fit Corporation, believes that current systems fail to address one of the most important aspects of fit, and that is body shape.  According to Chang, “body shape is difficult to communicate, currently, there are no standard ways to express body shape information, so fit prediction can only be done by physically trying on garments.”  To solve this problem, Chang is developing a virtual fit tool that address body shape variances.

For better or for worse, the prevalence of virtual fit technology will broaden fit awareness for the consumer. The more systems being utilized, the higher the demand will be for accuracy.  Hopefully the successes will outweigh the failures, so that consumers aren’t left with a bad taste in their mouths, and virtual fit technology can reach its full potential.

Katy Chapman is principle of CADmium Services, providing CAD/CAM consultancy to the textile and apparel industries.  She may be reached by email at katycad@aol.com.