A virtual fitting room lets shoppers try on clothing, accessories, or beauty products virtually before they buy.
The technology uses augmented reality (AR) or artificial intelligence (AI) to overlay items onto live video of the customer, so they can check the size, style, and fit of a product without physically touching it.
It’s predicted that the global virtual fitting room market will grow from $8.27 billion in 2025 to $30.41 billion by 2034. That’s a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.7%.
Interested in creating your own virtual fitting rooms? In this article, we’ll walk you through how the technology works (with examples) and the advantages it brings for retailers.
What is a virtual fitting room?
A virtual fitting room, sometimes called a virtual dressing room, allows shoppers to try on items without touching them. It works by overlaying an item on a live video feed of a customer via their smartphone or an in-store smart mirror. This lets the shopper see the approximate size, style, and fit of an item before they buy it.
How virtual fitting room technology works
Most virtual fitting rooms work using augmented reality. In this case, a smartphone or in-store smart mirror uses a camera to capture a person’s image and overlay a digital version of a product on top of it.
Other types of fitting room technology are powered by artificial intelligence. Similar to augmented reality, AI uses algorithms and machine learning to take body measurements and create full-body 3D models of the shopper standing in front of the camera.
In physical stores, radio frequency identification (RFID) may also play a role. RFID tags embedded in a product allow the fitting room to automatically recognize what a customer has brought inside. The system can then display details about the item on a screen or smart mirror.
Together, these technologies let customers see what they look like wearing an item—without needing to physically try it on. It's an easy way to build a try before you buy program virtually, one of several exciting innovations reshaping retail technology.
Implementation and cost
There are technical differences depending on which fitting room technology you want to implement. For example, if you’re using a mobile app, you might prioritize AI/AR so customers can try on clothes from their own homes with a smartphone.
On the other hand, a brick-and-mortar store might invest in RFID and smart mirrors to help shoppers browse. This allows them to see different colors or sizes without having to undress or search the racks. In H&M’s flagship store in SoHo, retail associates will even bring shoppers their chosen items.
@alexafaithresnick Who else is going just for the smart mirrors?? I didn’t buy anything but I’ve never had so much fun trying on clothes lol #hm #freethingstodoinnyc #nycshopping #smartmirror #grandopening ♬ Can I Call You Rose? - Thee Sacred Souls
There are several different companies that offer virtual fitting room technology, with a wide pricing range depending on the level of features you want. Many require interested brands to reach out for a quote. An app can start at $9 per month, while an advanced, AI-powered smart mirror could run up to $25,000 per unit.
The investment can pay off. Vogue Business reported that some vendors have seen return rates drop by as much as 10% in specific implementations, along with higher conversion rates for products that offer digital try-on.
The benefits of virtual fitting rooms
There are multiple benefits that a virtual fitting room experience can provide for retailers.
Support online sales
Fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff found that some 65% of visitors were more likely to place an order after interacting with a product in AR.
Sarah Sheldon, senior director of global ecommerce and digital at Rebecca Minkoff, explains that this technology is vital for creating a seamless omnichannel shopping experience.
“When people have the intent to shop without physically being able to touch and see a product, the more options you can give them to create that confidence is helpful,” she notes.
That’s because virtual fitting rooms make shoppers feel more confident in their purchase. When they can preview how a style or color will look on them, customers have a clearer sense of whether it matches their preferences before committing to buy.
Retailers can also use virtual mirrors in their brick-and-mortar stores to enhance the shopping experience. They can reduce the square footage you need to dedicate to fitting rooms in your store layout, freeing up more space for additional inventory or visual merchandising displays.
Convenience
Choosing the correct clothing size from the hanger, walking over to a physical changing room, and trying on items isn’t the most efficient experience for shoppers. Automated retail technology, like virtual fitting rooms, streamlines the experience and gives them time back in their day. Shoppers can just walk over to a virtual mirror and quickly preview what the clothing looks like on them—no changing needed.
Build connections with customers
Customer loyalty is a priority for most retailers. Building those relationships starts with creating shopping experiences that feel convenient, engaging, and personalized.
Virtual fitting rooms play a role in that process. Lettingshoppers to try items on virtually in the comfort of their own home or interact with them virtually in-store reduces uncertainty and makes for a smoother shopping experience.
When people feel more confident in their purchases—and enjoy the experience along the way—they’re more likely to become repeat customers.
Reduce return rates
High return rates are a big problem for fashion brands. It’s an administrative headache and cuts into profits (especially if you’re offering free returns).
Smart retail solutions like virtual fitting rooms can help solve that problem. Both online and in-store shoppers get to see what the item looks like on theirbody, instead of on a model’s. Going into the purchase with that added confidence makes them more likely to keep the item. Data from AI-powered virtual fitting room app Fytted found that virtual fitting rooms have reduced returns by more than 40%.
The limitations of virtual fitting rooms
While virtual fitting rooms offer some clear benefits, it is important to keep in mind that there are some limitations:
Customers can’t physically touch items
If you’re using a virtual fitting solution for your online store, there’s still a risk that people won’t buy the items they’re trying on.
Some 66% of consumers said they want to view and touch products before buying them online. While virtual fitting rooms help shoppers see what items will look like on their body, they’re unable to feel the materials, which can make or break a purchase.
Concerns about visual accuracy
Ever bought something online to have the item look totally different when it arrived in the mail?
While virtual fitting room technology is advanced, some shoppers still don’t feel confident in its ability to portray items the way they look in real life. They fear that virtual clothing overlaid on a human body won’t look the same when they try it on for the first time.
The technology can seem complicated
Virtual reality technology only became popular within the retail industry over the past decade. Retailers like Adidas, ASOS, and Macy’s are employing virtual fitting rooms in their stores and ecommerce platforms.
Because of this, there's a perception that virtual fitting rooms would be an out-of-reach investment for smaller companies.
Terri-Anne Turton, founder of The Tur-Shirt Company, says, “I’d not considered a virtual fitting room because I saw it as something the big brands do—not small businesses. I’m a small company with a limited marketing budget, and thought AR technology was too big of an investment for me to make.”
“I’ve quickly realized by being a unique, innovative small business that I absolutely should use a virtual fitting room, and that it is accessible to my brand. We shouldn’t assume something is out of reach just because the big brands are doing it,” she adds.
Julie Deane, founder at Cambridge Satchel Company, shares this sentiment. She highlights how accessible tech democratizes the retail space.
“The fact that we can offer this kind of AR experience with our budget puts us on a level playing field with people who have much greater resources than we do.”
Evaluating the right tech
Evaluate which solution fits your business model. Any AR system needs to balance realism and ease of use. High-end systems requiring detailed 3D models of every product provide a realistic fit, but require more time and budget to maintain. For small brands, a plug-and-play solution that works with 2D product photos may be a better option.
Also consider the customer’s journey and what will make the shopping experience as easy as possible. Does the tech require an app download? Or does it work in a smartphone browser? The idea of a virtual fitting room is to remove friction from the path to purchase, not to make your customers jump through extra hoops.
Regardless of your business model, the easiest way to get started with AR retail is to use a premade application. There are several available through the Shopify App Store, like YouCam Makeup.
Virtual fitting room examples
Learn how businesses are using virtual fitting rooms in these examples:
Fork Eyewear
Fork Eyewear is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) eyeglasses company. To make shoppers feel more confident in their online purchase, it launched a virtual try-on feature through its website.
The feature uses show glasses on a shopper’s face. They get a 3D model of the product to see whether it suits them before committing to buying it.
My KnitEver
The clothing brand My KnitEver sells knitted dresses made to fit each customer’s unique body. It uses body scanning software to scan customer’s bodies for their exact measurements. It uses the measurements to create custom-fit dresses with no inventory, reduced waste, and very few returns.
Knix
Knix did most of its business through two showroom stores before 2020.
The retailer prided itself on giving incredible customer experiences that helped customers find their perfect fit. However, pandemic closures meant it had to move its business online. Knix created a virtual fitting room for ecommerce customers to get the same service as visitors to its physical stores.
Fytted
Fytted has introduced an AI-powered virtual fitting room that offers access to over one million clothing items from more than 600 brands, including Lululemon, Free People, and J.Crew.
The app uses AI to analyze more than 50 real-time body measurements and offers suggestions based on body shape, color, and style preferences. It’s available as a mobile app for both iOS and Android users, and as a browser extension for an omnichannel shopping experience.
Balmain
Luxury French fashion house Balmain partnered with fashion-tech firm Bods in 2023 to launch an innovative virtual fitting room on its website.
Customers can create personalized 3D avatars matching their exact body measurements and virtually try on realistic digital replicas of Balmain’s designs. The technology captures the brand’s fabrics, textures, colors, and embellishments, initially offering seven iconic ready-to-wear outfits, two handbags, and boots.
Charlotte Tilbury
It’s not just fashion retailers that can use virtual fitting rooms to engage in-store shoppers.
Beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury installed a virtual mirror in its flagship London store. Shoppers could walk up to the mirror and see one of 10 famous makeup looks on their own face. They could then take a photo of the makeup look and email themselves a list of products used to create it.
After using the virtual mirrors, Charlotte Tilbury found shoppers were more likely to purchase cosmetics in-store.
Virtual fitting room apps
Various retailers are creating their own virtual fitting room technology with tools like Apple’s augmented reality platform, ARKit. Amazon also reportedly patented its own “blended-reality” mirror, which works using augmented reality.
Whether you’re looking for an off-the-shelf app or want to build something yourself, consider a few factors to guarantee the tech will fulfill your goals:
- Product category fit. Some tools specialize in goods like clothing, where customers need to see how they drape and move. Others are better suited to items like jewelry, watches, or eyewear. Confirm that your potential app or software is ideal for your product lines.
- Technical resources. Be honest about whether you have the bandwidth to manage custom 3D assets. High-fidelity 3D rooms cost much more and demand more maintenance than plug-and-play apps.
- Mobile versus browser. Decide if you want a web-based experience or a dedicated mobile app. A virtual fitting room in a browser is frictionless, anyone can benefit from it. Not everyone will want to download an app, but it can provide added features like body scanning and personalized recommendations.
Key players in the virtual fitting room software space are:
- Swan AI Fitting Room. Enables customers to create avatars with 30 precise measurements using just a smartphone.
- AlterEgo. Allows shoppers to create accurate avatars to virtually try on clothes, addressing sizing issues and reducing return rates. Its easy integration and focus on customer satisfaction make it a valuable tool for online fashion retailers.
- Camweara. Offers an augmented reality virtual try-on experience for products like jewelry, eyewear, and clothing, so customers can see how items look in real time.
- Style.me. Provides a 3D virtual fitting room that lets shoppers create personalized avatars to try on clothing, receive size recommendations, and style outfits.
Get started with your own virtual fitting room
Retailers looking to stay competitive in 2026 should invest in more flexible digital-first shopping experiences. While in-store fitting rooms still have a role to play, many customers now expect options that save time and reduce uncertainty. Virtual fitting rooms can support that shift by making it easier to explore styles, compare options, and shop from anywhere.
With mobile commerce now driving a majority of online transactions, the most effective virtual fitting room experiences will be built for smaller screens and supported by AI-powered size and fit guidance. Combining virtual try-ons with data-driven recommendations can help boost confidence at checkout, making for lower return rates and more satisfied, loyal customers.
Virtual fitting room FAQ
How does a virtual fitting room work?
A virtual fitting room is a type of smart retail technology, typically powered by augmented reality, though some also use artificial intelligence, that allows shoppers to try on items like clothes, glasses, furniture, and more. A webcam scans the person’s body or the room they’re in, then places the products on the person’s body or in the room.
How much does a virtual fitting room cost?
There are several different companies that offer this service, and their pricing ranges with the level of features. It can run you anywhere from $199 per month for an app to $25,000 or more for an AI-powered smart mirror, not including maintenance costs.
What is virtual fitting technology?
Virtual fitting technology is a type of augmented reality (AR) that gives customers a “try-on experience” while shopping online. It replicates in-store fitting rooms, but on a mobile device, using product data and an image of the customer taken with their smartphone camera to result in a virtual try-on.
Is a virtual fitting room right for your store?
It depends on what you sell. If you sell items like clothing, glasses, jewelry, or makeup where the biggest question is,“Will this look good on me?” then yes, it’s likely a good fit. With virtual fitting room apps in the Shopify app store, you don’t need a huge budget to give customers extra confidence to hit the Buy button.
How can virtual fitting rooms reduce return rates?
The main reason people return items is that they don’t fit quite right or don’t look as expected. Virtual fitting rooms let shoppers see how a product looks on their body before clicking Buy. When they are sure about the fit before they purchase, they don’t need to order three different sizes just to send two back.
