The clothing industry will use 3-D scanners to enable customers to better pick the right outfit.

That was the message coming from Textile and Clothing Technology Corporation (TC2) product development manager Kerry King at a recent symposium on digital strategies in New Zealand.

The researcher, from the US-based industry-funded institute, said that the fall in price for 3-D scanners has meant that they were now within reach of individual retailers. In the US, menwear store Brooks Brothers and iconic label Victoria’s Secret have both shelled out for the body scanners of late.

Ms King said the advantage of the scanner was that a body scan could be used to obtain a person’s measurements which would make custom design a far simpler process. However, she did acknowledge that the most obvious drawcard would be in the size prediction area, where consumers could try on an outfit virtually to see if they like the way it looks without having to ask someone else if it makes their bum look big

The concept of a personal virtual shopper, via the generation of a 3-D avatar, represents a huge step forward for the fashion industry, with scanners also being able to record measurements into a database which could in turn be given back to a clothing manufacturer for them to have a more realistic understanding of the true measurements of shoppers who are buying their range.

Tags: 3D body scan, Fashion, outfits, technology, Victoria's Secret, virtual shopping