Walmart is offering consumers a more intimate online shopping experience via a virtual try-on tool that allows users to see how clothes look on their own bodies. The new feature allows customers to choose between 50 models of varying sizes to see how clothes fit on a body similar to theirs. “Be Your Own Model” users can try on more than 270,000 items, but they’ll be required to strip down to their underwear or put on tight-fitting clothing first in order for the feature to work accurately. More modest users still have options. In the Walmart app, users can decide whether they would like to see clothes on a model of their choice or become a model themselves. Unlike prior technology that would lay a photo on top of another for virtual try-ons, Walmart says “Be Your Own Model” uses algorithms and machine learning to simulate a more realistic fit. Other online retailers are following the virtual try-on trend. In August, Amazon launched an augmented reality service that allows customers to try on shoes virtually.
