There are a lot of startups trying to solve the problem of how to “try on” clothes online, with a range of different approaches. Virtusize launched its virtual fitting solution in the UK with ASOS. The “Fit Vitualiser” button is initially being displayed on the product detail pages of over 2,000 items. The solution lets customers to compare specific measurements of an item they are looking to buy with a similar item they already own. By displaying and overlaying 2D silhouettes of both garments, the Swedish startup says that customers can more accurately compare sizes and, ultimately, choose the item that would fit them best.
Virtusize’s solution focuses more on how a garment will fit a customer, not so much what it will look like on them. “The big difference that separates us is that we start with the garment rather than the body,” says Peder Stubert, co-founder and Head of Gowth at Virtusize. “It’s much more intuitive and clear for the consumer.” Virtusize launched in Spring 2011 on Nelly.com (the largest online retailer in Scandinavia).
As well as Nelly.com and ASOS, it is also in use at Stylebop and Oasis. The monthly fee it charges is determined by monthly page views on the product pages where Virtusize is available. The integration with ASOS works pretty simply; on the garments that are measured, users can click a fit visualiser button that pulls up Virtusize’s solution within the page. New users get a quick animation of how it all works, and then can upload their reference garments – by searching for an item they’ve already bought, or by measuring the dimension of a shirt or pants that already fit well. Today they have 11 full time employees, and their solution is available on 30,000 garments at 23 retailers.
They have raised £1 million in seed funding. Among the startup’s backers are Swedish listed investment company Öresund and a number of angel investors including Fredrik Åhlberg, former Head of Growth at eBay Europe.
