Seventeen.com and J.C. Penney have decided to jump on the augmented reality train. As part of their back to school promotions, Seventeen and J.C. Penny launched virtual dressing rooms that incorporates augmented reality, motion capture, social media and eCommerce. Technology loving teens can rejoice as their fall fashion choices are now completely integrated into their mobile devices. If mobile won’t do,  the dressing room is also available at Kaboodle and teens can play from the comfort of their bedrooms.

There are 34 items featured and on sale in the virtual dressing room, and more items will be added by the end of the month.  Users can “try on” clothing in the comfort of their own homes using a webcam, and if they like something, they can buy items through the J.C. Penney website.  If users want advice from their friends or just want to share their pictures, they can easily share their dressing room images on Facebook.

The virtual dressing room is part of J.C. Penney’s campaign to reach out to teens through their computers and mobile phones, especially those who are 12 to 17 years old.

The dressing room is certainly innovative and is definitely part of the wave of augmented reality applications that Zugara CEO Matt Szymczyk talked about at Fashion Camp, but the big question we all want to know is:

Is the virtual dressing room any good?

Well, though I’m not part of the demographic of 12- to 17- year olds that Seventeen.com and J.C. Penney are targeting, I decided to try the dressing room out for myself.

My reaction?  It’s definitely a cool tool, and it’s really entertaining to use and share with friends.  In terms of buying clothes, though,it’s semi helpful but nothing foolproof, and I think there’s still a ways to go in terms of the technology.

The motion detection capabilities are really fun, as I was able to press buttons to take pictures, change what I was wearing and adjust my settings with just a wave of my arm in certain directions.  Unfortunately, I found the motion detection a little buggy, and little movements would result in almost continuous and unwanted clothing changes.

Otherwise, I did get a good idea of what I liked and didn’t like, but then again, I’m one of those people who can sort of eyeball what I think will look good on me.  I like good fit, but I also like layers and slightly loose clothing, so I have wiggle room when it comes to fit and size.  If you’re one of those people who are really particular about fit, this tool will give you some idea of what will look good in terms of color and shape, but of course, it won’t give you anything exact.

Still, J.C. Penney’s Chief Marketing Officer Mike Boylson says the dressing room wasn’t that expensive to develop.  While Seventeen.com and J.C. Penney’s virtual dressing room might not replace real life dressing rooms anytime soon, it’s enjoyable, interactive and definitely makes a splash.

Print or Email Article