Can technology fix fashion's sizing crisis?

"Most women will relate to the misery of inconsistent sizing in high-street shops. A pair of jeans could easily be a size 10 by one brand and a size 14 in another, leaving customers confused and disheartened. It has led to a global deluge of returns, costing fashion retailers an estimated 190bn a year as would-be shoppers wonder what size they're meant to buy from which store."

"I didn't have to look far to find people experiencing the problem. "I don't trust high-street sizing," one person tells me, as she browses one of London's popular shopping streets. "To be honest, I buy by how it looks rather than the actual size." She's one of many women who often orders multiple versions of the same item to find one that fits, before sending the rest back, fuelling a culture of mass returns."

"A growing cluster of tech companies are now attempting to fix the problem. Tools such as 3DLook, True Fit and EasySize focus on helping customers choose the right size at checkout, using body scans via smartphone photos to suggest the most accurate fit. Meanwhile, virtual fitting-room platforms including Google's virtual try-on, Doji, Alta, Novus, DRESSX Agent and WEARFITS allow shoppers to create digital avatars and preview how items might look. These systems aim to increase confidence when buying online."

Inconsistent high-street sizing causes customer confusion and disheartenment, with identical items varying several sizes across brands. The sizing variability has generated a global surge in returns, costing fashion retailers about £190bn a year. Many shoppers distrust sizing, often ordering multiple versions of the same item and returning the extras. A range of technologies aim to reduce fit uncertainty, including body-scan sizing tools at checkout and virtual fitting-room platforms that create digital avatars. AI-powered shopping agents now recommend items and compare options. A UK start-up, Fit Collective, is pursuing AI-driven sizing fixes earlier in production to prevent mismatches before retail distribution.

Read at www.bbc.com