We are surely beyond the point of paying for clothing to be photoshopped on our photos experimentally and calling it an exploration of identity Pending such sophisticated developments, alternative uses of the tool, such as fashion designers digitally testing the fit of prototypes on various body types, online clothing retailers allowing potential customers to try on the garment via digital avatars, or even brick-and-mortar shops incorporating displays of virtual clothing to promote real-life counterparts as part of more sophisticated visual merchandising efforts, seem more plausible. For a lot of fellow clothing fanatics, the tactility of the experience of trying on clothes, be it feeling the sumptuous smoothness of a velvet blazer, the pleasing coarseness of sequins or the heavenly softness of a cashmere-wool blend scarf, would be irreplaceable. Unless the immersion of the context surrounding virtual clothing vastly improves, for example, the acquisition of digital clothing is in some way gamified in a multi-player context, or events of significance in the real world migrate to an accessible virtual reality environment (think sporting events, balls or even conferences) that place the richness and community of human interaction at its centre, it is difficult to see virtual clothing becoming truly mainstream.

Unless the immersion of the context surrounding virtual clothing vastly improves it is difficult to see virtual clothing becoming truly mainstream The rise of the digital clothing industry aims to disrupt this– to fundamentally reconfigure our relationship with dressing ourselves and our buying habits, by proposing virtual clothing as a viable alternative.īut is virtual fashion anything more than a glorified extension of Instagram or Snapchat filters, one that can come with extortionate price tags? Or, having been banished to the realm of online dress-up games or avatar customisation in video games, is it time for digital clothing to enjoy mainstream attention?Ĭompanies like The Fabricant, Carlings, and Abasi Rosborough that have profited from the creation and trade of virtual clothing in the last few years, largely through the release of high-profile limited edition collections and collaborations with video game companies (such as Fortnite, which earns millions per month via the sale of skins), or luxury designers (see the Moschino x The Sims capsule collection ), deliver sleek elevator pitches regarding the mass appeal of boundary-transcending and waste-reducing potential of digital garments, but they’re not entirely convincing. The knowledge that we will wear something, and therefore our corresponding preferences for fit, style, colour, and texture, factor into whether we click ‘checkout’ or hand over cash. Its importance is difficult to overstate. For most of us, clothes shopping has always been inextricable from the notion of being able to wear our purchases.

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