Willing to Use 'Virtual Clothing Try-On' but Need More Time

AR·VR-Based Virtual Clothing Try-On Service Usage Experience 7.6%
Future Usage Consideration Response 50%... Gradual Service Advancement Expected

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Less than one in ten consumers have tried virtual clothing fitting services based on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), indicating that the market penetration of these services remains low. However, the willingness to use such services in the future is high, suggesting that the industry will continue efforts to enhance these services to improve customer convenience, boost online sales, and elevate brand experience.

According to a survey conducted on 2,050 male and female clothing consumers in Korea by the Korea Federation of Textile Industries on the use of AR·VR-based virtual clothing fitting services, only 7.6% of respondents reported having used AR·VR-based virtual fitting services within the past year. Meanwhile, 29.4% said they had "heard of it but are not interested," and 13.1% answered that they were "completely unaware" of such services.

In fact, it is still rare to find major domestic fashion platforms fully implementing virtual fitting services. Most are in the stage of partially introducing related services and monitoring consumer responses. Representative examples include Virtusize, a size fitting solution company, and Hansome, which operates the HansomeXVirtusize service. Hansome provides a service that links size information registered on product detail pages to offer size comparison and recommendation functions, currently operating this based on purchase history for some men's clothing products.

User feedback on the service has been positive. Unlike the traditional online shopping method of purchasing based on the size one usually wears or relying on product descriptions, the automatic size recommendation has been well received by users, according to Hansome. However, since the service relies on existing data, it faces challenges in recommending the optimal size for new customers without purchase history. Hansome plans to collaborate with new companies offering advanced virtual fitting services to improve its service in the future.

Musinsa offers the "My Size" service, which allows users to register their detailed sizes by category and easily compare them with product sizes listed on the Musinsa Store. It also provides the "16 Fit Guide" service, which divides body types into eight categories based on height and weight distinctions and showcases model cuts in different sizes (regular and oversized) for each type.

Some brands operate pilot services individually. Last year, LF's Hazzys collaborated with Clover Virtual to conduct sample production, evaluations, and fashion shows using 3D virtual design technology. Additionally, Samsung C&T provides an "AI Fashion Curation" service within the SSF Shop, which uses AI and other digital technologies to recommend products and styling suggestions tailored to customers' gender, age, and preferences.

Meanwhile, 50.0% of respondents who have not yet used virtual clothing fitting services said they are considering using them in the future. This indicates that virtual fitting services are expected to help enhance online clothing sales and brand experience. An industry insider stated, "Virtual fitting services improve customer convenience on platforms, which leads to positive experiences and helps increase brand value. Since customers who have used the service report high satisfaction, we expect these services to become increasingly sophisticated."