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How Does Walmart's New AR Virtual Try-on Work?

How Does Walmart's New AR Virtual Try-on Work?

If people can get a better idea of what clothes will actually look like on them, maybe our future won't be filled with mountains of return boxes and plastic.

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Returning clothes I bought online because they weren’t what I was expecting is one of the few things in this world that really wracks me with guilt, mainly because I start thinking about the damage my returns are causing the planet, all because my lazy ass didn’t want to go to the store.

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To give you a better idea of how many of us do this not-very-good thing, returns of clothing in 2020 accounted for 12.2% of the overall $428 billion in returns, according to the National Retail Federation.

Hoping to stave off the financial loss incurred by paying for customers’ complimentary return shipping and repackaging (or trashing) their returned items, Walmart unveiled “Be Your Own Model” last week, a new feature on its app that uses the same algorithms and machine learning models used in topographic maps to allow customers to take a picture of themselves to virtually try on clothes. Walmart claims that Be Your Own Model offers a more realistic try-0n experience that doesn’t look like old-style magazine cutouts. Whether Walmart keeps the pictures customers take of themselves is unclear.

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Walmart’s Tech Captures the Details When Trying on Clothes

Walmart’s Tech Captures the Details When Trying on Clothes

Screenshots from Wal-Mart's new Virtual Try-On feature in its app are shown.
Hm, this does seem handy.
Image: Courtesy of Walmart

“With Be Your Own Model, a customer sees an ultra-realistic simulation with shadows, fabric draping and where clothing falls on their figure in seconds. For example, a single shirt can come in six different colors, seven different sizes and two sleeve lengths,” Denise Incandela, Walmart’s executive vice president of apparel and private brands, said in a company news release. “Our technology captures all the variations and shows how they look uniquely on each individual.”

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The retailer stated that the Be Your Own Model feature can be used on more than 270,000 articles of clothing in its online store, including its own brands and others. The company claims to be the first retailer to offer virtual try-on at this scale.

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How to Use Virtual Try-On. First: Get Ready to Pose

How to Use Virtual Try-On. First: Get Ready to Pose

A screenshot of the instructions in the Walmart app for the Be Your Own Model feature.
Once you select a piece of clothing that you want to try on, Walmart will ask you to take a picture.
Screenshot: Jody Serrano / Gizmodo / Walmart

That’s all very nice, but is it easy to use?

After selecting the virtual try-on feature on an article of clothing on Walmart’s app, the first thing the app will do is ask you to pose for a picture (against a clean background with good lighting) it will use to dress you up.

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Second: Use Fitted and Minimal Clothes for Your Picture

Second: Use Fitted and Minimal Clothes for Your Picture

A screenshot of the Walmart app instructing customers on what kind of clothing to wear for their picture.
These look like conservative undergarments. Can’t have anything too raunchy!
Screenshot: Jody Serrano / Gizmodo / Walmart

Of course, you have to wear some clothing for your picture. Do not give Walmart your nudes. For the second step in the try-on, the retailer asks customers to fear “fitted and minimal clothes.”

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Third Step: Don’t Forget the Shoes

Third Step: Don’t Forget the Shoes

An example of the minimal clothing recommended to use the Be Your Own Model feature.
Love that Walmart used models with different body types in its app demo video.
Screenshot: Jody Serrano / Gizmodo / Walmart

In addition, don’t forget the shoes! In the demo video published by Walmart, the retailer cheerfully said, “Heels are best!” Which, OK, but Walmart, have you seen what the pandemic has done to footwear? Comfort is king.

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Final Step: Input Your Height

Final Step: Input Your Height

A screenshot of the Walmart app where customers are asked to input their height.
Good idea. Length is important when buying clothes.
Screenshot: Jody Serrano / Gizmodo / Walmart

Lastly, Walmart asks folks to input their height in the app. I’m a shorty, and some clothes that look amazing on tall people make me look even smaller than I actually am.

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Voilà! Be Your Own Model, Look One

Voilà! Be Your Own Model, Look One

An example of the Be Your Own Model feature. A woman with a beige jacket and pink skirt is shown.
I don’t think that color works on that person!
Screenshot: Jody Serrano / Gizmodo / Walmart
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Be Your Own Model, Look Two

Be Your Own Model, Look Two

An example of the Be Your Own Model feature at work. A woman with a purple blouse and dark jeans is shown.
As Tim Gunn would say, this isn’t working for me.
Screenshot: Jody Serrano / Gizmodo / Walmart

Decent work by the feature, but not so sure that blouse is doing it for the model.

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Be Your Own Model, Look Three

Be Your Own Model, Look Three

An example of the Be Your Own Model feature at work. A woman with a stripped dress and black leather jacket is shown.
Winning look!
Screenshot: Jody Serrano / Gizmodo / Walmart

I think this look is a winner, especially the layering.

Is Be Your Own model super realistic? Not particularly, and results will vary because of different bodies and differences in the places they’re posing. But it doesn’t look like a bad photoshop, at least.

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