Virtual Tailor: Software That Can End The Agony Of Online Clothes Shopping

By Jaya Narain

Shopping online for the latest fashions aims to take the drudgery out of tramping the High Street.

But variations from shop to shop often means choosing the right size can be little more than guesswork.

But now a new ’virtual tailor’ has been launched which boasts of being able to take your vital statistics in less than three minutes.

All dressed up: A screengrab from the Upcload online shopping website showing how the virtual tailor works

The software works by scanning your body as you stand in front of your webcam at home.

By holding up a familiar object - such as a CD or DVD - the software can accurately determine your exact measurements and then uploads a 3-D template of your body.

Asaf Moses, chief executive of Upcload, said a database of around 100,000 people is then used to recommend clothing which might suit your size, shape and age.

He said: ‘It means we can suggest clothing ideas to people that they may never have thought of before.

‘The program is using your body shape to suggest genuinely new ideas to people rather than simply suggesting on the basis of your historic buying pattern. It is like having your best friend with you'.

Also product characteristics, such as textile material and consistency, are all taken into consideration before making a final recommendation for the proper size and fit.

Mr Moses said the idea came about when he had to exchange online clothing purchases once too often.

He realised the online market for fashion was booming but faced a big problem with clothing returns.

Almost every second clothing purchase made online is sent back to the retailer because, in most cases, the customer had ordered the wrong size

He discovered almost every second clothing purchase made online would be sent back to the retailer because, in most cases, the customer had ordered the wrong size.

The user, for whom the service is free, must complete the measurement process just once.

They will then have an UPcload profile which they can use at all the online shops within the UPcload network, and all they have to do is login and purchase.

It is the shops that pay for using the Upcload profile to successfully send out clothing which is the correct size for the customer.

Mr Moses said it has taken more than two years to bring the software to this point though they were still trying to iron out minor problems.

He said people with fat legs which do not have a gap between them pose a particular problem for the software as did people who had very pale skin.

He said: ‘The low-grade cameras used in computers were unable clearly to see the dimensions of a pale-skinned person if they were standing in front of a white or light-coloured wall'.

The company, which is based in Berlin, has been running the system with German shops but has just launched a trial with North Face in the United States.

It hopes to launch in Britain shortly and be taking online measurements of customers by next summer.