Virtual changing room

[Photo/China Daily]

Of the 1.35 billion mainland Chinese, 564 million use the Internet, and 74.5 percent do so through their mobile devices. Many Chinese also like shopping from the comfort of their homes.

Last year, Shanghai PR and marketing firm Going86 partnered with Zugara, the Los Angeles-based creator of the Webcam Social Shopper, to bring the virtual dressing room software to China. The WSS, used by e-commerce sites like Shopify and Magento, is still looking for its first client in China, but Going86 believes such applications will become the future of fashion retail.

"Given the already high online transaction rates and normalcy of shopping online for fashion in China, we think it is only a matter of time before AR-based technologies become a commonly used tool to engage Chinese consumers," Robert Rankin, the firm's managing director, says.

Zugara, meanwhile, has been upfront about what a virtual dressing room is - and what it isn't.

The WSS is designed to help shoppers evaluate the color and style of a garment to make a better purchase decision, says Matthew Szymczyk, Zugara's CEO. As a result, he says, the software helps online retailers increase online purchases and reduce return rates.

"However," Szymczyk says, "our software is not designed to help with fit given current limitations with 2-D/3-D camera technology ."

This side of AR is now pretty clear to Tian Xueqin, who spent hours looking for couture designer Guo Pei's virtual dressing room at last month's CHIC fair.

"It's not like actually putting on the dress," says the Beijing fashion executive. "You can't see how well it fits your body."

But at the neighboring counter, she seemed thrilled to try on several eyeglasses and shades - without having to take off her own metal-framed glasses. Shopping has clearly entered a new dimension.