Walmart’s Be Your Own Model feature is capable of recognizing where the fabric should drape and incorporating shadows, projecting a lifelike view. Simply upload a full-body photo of yourself to create a realistic simulation of what the clothing would look like on you – right from the comfort of your home.
“A single shirt can come in six different colors, seven different sizes and two sleeve lengths. Our technology captures all the variations and shows how they look uniquely on each individual,” says Walmart in a press release.
While the technology is fascinating, the scale of its capabilities is something else entirely. There are over 270,000 apparels across Walmart’s portfolio of brands that can be tried on using the latest Be Your Own Model experience.
The retailer acquired Zeekit’s virtual try-on platform last year. In March, Walmart introduced the Zeekit virtual fitting room technology for elevated personalization – a revamp from predecessor Choose My Model experience. This technology allowed users to choose between 50 female models. with a variety of skin tones, heights between 5 feet 2 inches and 6 feet tall, and sizes from XS to XXXL. This feature will continue to be offered for anyone not comfortable uploading their own photo.
All you need to do is to just take a full body shot of yourself wearing shoes and tight-fitting shorts and top in a well-lit environment and then input your height when prompted. You can reuse the image as a model whenever you shop for clothing at Walmart through the app or via desktop.
How the app will deal with dresses and strapless tops is still unknown. It also doesn’t seem to support men’s fashion, yet. Also, Walmart’s announcement of the Be Your Own Model feature did not mention how the world’s largest retailer plans to safeguard the seminude images that customers upload.
The Be Your Own Model experience is now available through the Walmart app, and is currently rolled out to iOS users first. Android support is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.