By Jodie Pierce

The 21st century has already witnessed the overwhelming conversion of shopping in-person to online shopping by the majority of the public. While online shopping and e-commerce is unbelievably convenient- available at all hours, from any device with internet, from nearly anywhere in the world- one main problem arose: fit issues with clothing purchased online often leads to high percentages of returns- a hassle for both consumer and company. Fortunately, the next wave of technology is on the horizon. The use of augmented and virtual realities allows the consumer to digitally try on clothes to analyze fit and style on a three-dimensional avatar. When purchasing a garment online, this readily answers the “but how will this look on me?” question. Digital products will also help with manufacturing and customization as consumers form a closer relationship to their garments and how they’re constructed.

Digital innovation goes beyond the
consumer experience though and is
becoming an art form with digital runway
shows and CGI models wearing digital
clothing. Accelerated by the global
pandemic, designers have had to recently
rethink the way they share collections
resulting in creative methods of sharing
like livestreamed catwalks, on animated
characters, and as body-less 3D figures, as
shown to the left. Additionally, the world
of virtual realities provokes extreme
fashions that people would not generally

wear, allowing for greater self-expression and
experimentation, which expands into everything
from video games to the growing Metaverse. In the
images to the right, a digital garment is
superimposed on a woman to produce a realistic
photo. In the Internet age, the use of virtual reality
continues to blur the line between reality and fiction,
which proposes a natural progression for the fashion
industry, as fashion has always existed to push the
boundaries of imagination and creativity.