The thing about buying clothes online is that you can’t try them on.
To me, that’s the good news. But a lot of people like to see how they’ll look in something before purchasing it.
That’s where My Virtual Model comes in.
As the name implies, the virtual model is a digital representation of you–customizable in height, weight, hairstyle, body shape and a variety of other variables.
Fashion retailer Lands’ End recently unveiled the latest version of My Virtual Model on its Web site (www.landsend.com).
And after a thorough test drive, I can assure you that it beats climbing in and out of clothes in some crowded dressing room.
Your first duty in trying the virtual model is to enter your (how shall I put it?) personal parameters. Try to be honest.
It may feel good if your model turns out looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Halle Berry, but it won’t make your clothes fit any better.
One handy feature is that the virtual model can be edited on the fly. Got the wrong hairstyle? Just change it. Looking a little thin? Go back and add a few pounds.
Once you’ve done your best to create a fair representation, get a second opinion. My model, for example, looked more like me after my wife insisted on some unflattering “improvements.”
Save the model, so you can refer to it again on future visits. Lands’ End, in an apparent effort to build its customer base, insists on getting you to create an account first. But the process wasn’t too tedious, and the site didn’t seem to notice whether the account information was true.
All this takes less than five minutes.
Then, it’s time to go shopping. Browse or search through the Lands’ End catalog for clothing that might interest you. With a mouse-click, you can try on pants, a dress or sweat suit. Another click allows you to choose from the various color options offered for that garment.
More than 1,000 items of clothing have been rendered in 3-D for fitting on the virtual models.
This latest version of My Virtual Model is an upgrade from the original, offered in 1998. The visual representation, options and real-time updates are clearly enhancements, although a more 3-D appearance would be better still.
Shoppers who use the virtual model are more likely to make a purchase than those who don’t, a fact that’s not lost on Lands’ End.
“Customers who use My Virtual Model have a 34 percent higher conversion rate,” said Sam Taylor, vice president of e-commerce for Lands’ End. “That tells us our customers like this tool and find it very useful.”
You can make your own decision about that. But there’s no denying the virtual-model approach is a timesaver compared with conventional forms of clothes shopping.
You can create and fine-tune the model with specific body measurements in less time than it takes to drive to the store.
Adding specific measurements to the model enables shoppers to get feedback on what size is appropriate and whether the clothing they choose will fit snugly or loosely.
Though not yet perfect, Lands’ End’s virtual model takes a big step toward more convenience, especially for those of us who don’t regard clothes shopping as a form of entertainment.
Trying on garments without leaving the house suits me just fine.
