ymgerman/iStockBy KELLY MCCARTHY and BECKY WORLEY, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Custom clothing you can buy online is just a few clicks away with Amazon’s new virtual fit technology.
The online retail giant’s Made for You portal allows customers to provide photos of themselves to create a custom fit T-shirt.
Heather Kelly, a technology reporter for the Washington Post who tried the service told ABC News’ Good Morning America that the process is simple.
“You take a picture of your front and your side on the official Amazon app,” she said.
“You’re not actually giving them any of your measurements — you’re giving your weight, you’re giving your height and you’re giving your gender,” Kelly explained.
The service allows users to choose options in style and fit, such as v-neck versus crew neck and slim or loose, as well as length preference.
Customers then upload two pictures wearing fitted clothes to the portal.
While Amazon creates a size profile of users and mocks up a virtual body double to visually check the design and fit, the company said that no humans look at the photos and they are deleted after use. Additionally, the user profile can be deleted at any time.
This is not the first tech innovation to solve problems that come with online clothes shopping.
Intellifit’s Body Scanner was dubbed the most technologically significant product of 2004 by R&D Magazine. It used safe, low-power radio waves to take body measurements through someone’s clothes and could accurately record the sizing within a quarter-inch.
Amazon’s first foray into high-tech fashion came with the Echo Look device, but it was discontinued last year.
The new Made for You tees retail for $25 and Kelly said she didn’t “notice any tangible difference” in wearing her custom v-neck fitted t-shirt and a $5 everyday shirt.
“It’s pretty well-sewn. I already washed it. It’s holding up,” she said. “They’re both pretty decent shirts to wear with these jeans.”
Most of the Amazon reviews on the new fashion products have positive 4 to 5 star write-ups with about 20% 1 to 2 star negative feedback.
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