The Future of Sustainable Shopping: Augmented Reality Takes Fashion by Storm

Augmented Reality in Fashion: Everything you need to know about the new technology – and what role it plays in sustainability

Technology is intrinsic to everything we do and the fashion industry is no exception. Starting with social media and electrical devices that facilitate production, this linkage ends with extensions of reality like Augmented Reality – also AR called. In the following, we have summarized for you exactly what the technology actually stands for, what it can do and how it opens up new opportunities, especially in the area of ​​sustainability. We asked Snapchat’s AR expert Carolina Arguelles, who provided us with exciting facts about developments in the industry from an insider’s perspective.

AR in fashion: what exactly is augmented reality

But before we move further into the matter, let us first clarify the basic terminology, because what is at all Augmented Reality and how does it differ from virtual reality? “Augmented Reality is the linking of digital elements with reality. The camera is basically putting a digital effect on the physical world. The technology thus connects the real with the technical. Virtual reality, on the other hand, immerses you in a completely digital world,” explains Carolina Arguelles.

Together with other parameters, the two reality-enhancing technologies form an important part of the user experience in the Metaverse. Namely, it is a digital alternative to the physical world, in which our experiences are adapted and extended with the help of technology. Like a kind of extension pack for the reality that takes place in our cross-media age between analogue and digital content. A synthetic (or composite) reality that sometimes feels like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

In these areas, the new technology can be used in the fashion industry

Away from the still very futuristic vision of the Metaverse, AR in the fashion industry can already be used for various practical things that make our everyday lives easier. In the shopping area in particular, there are many opportunities to integrate the technology into existing systems. Current statistics from Snapchat show how successfully the whole thing has been used so far: Since January last year, more than 250 million Snapchatters have used AR shopping lenses more than six billion times. Above all, users in Germany between the ages of 18 and 24 are particularly interested in using AR for shopping, at over 88 percent. Which proves how much potential there is for brands to integrate with reality-enhancing tools like this one. Something that Fintan Gillespie (Head of UK Enterprise Business Solutions at Snap) also confirms: “From an entrepreneurial perspective, AR is changing the industry because users who try on something digitally are twice as likely to buy something. They get a better feel for the garment because the experience is personalized, resulting in better ecommerce performance and fewer returns. It’s much easier for them to understand the garment when they can try it on and see it in a video.”

This is how the digital shopping experience works with AR

But how exactly does this virtual shopping work? All you need are products in an existing online shop as well as AR and 3D technology. Alongside Meta (formerly Facebook), Snapchat is one of the pioneers in the area of ​​AR cameras that can be used for digital fittings on brands’ apps and websites. Quite intuitively and without any additional insider knowledge, because the shopping lenses, which can be used via cell phone or computer camera, take over the immersive interaction between the user and the website. This creates the following possibilities for the shopping experience and the fashion industry:

1. Virtual Fittings & Try ons:

Not only in the beauty sector, brands like Dior and Mac use augmented reality to make it easier for their customers to imagine a product. Fashion brands like Puma are now also using “virtual fittings” and giving their buyers the opportunity to try on shoes digitally and in real sizes. “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?”

2. Reduce returns:

Now that online retailers like Zara, Uniqlo and Co. have started to change their return models, AR could be another solution to prevent exactly that: “Many brands are currently 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.

3. 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.”

4. 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.

5. Content Creation und 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.

Therefore, 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.

One thing is certain, augmented reality is not just a nice gimmick for tech-savvy nerds or the gaming industry, but also offers endless opportunities to change the existing fashion system. Because the technology is designed to solve real problems (digitally). Especially with regard to sustainability, procedures can already be optimized in the design process and costs and material can be saved.