Trying on clothes virtually – with Gap app, Lenovo phone (+ video demo)

Augmented reality is rapidly becoming a useful reality as an app touted at the CES Show in Las Vegas demonstrates. But the AR app for virtually trying on clothes needs an AR-equipped phone – like Lenovo’s Phab 2.

Developed in part by researchers at Lenovo’s headquarters campus in Morrisville, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro phone comes equipped with Google’s Tango software. Together they project AR on the device’s screen. Possible uses include shopping for furniture at Lowe’s, seeing on the Phab 2 how appliances or sofas or whatever would look in your apartment.

Now comes Gap and “fitting” with avatars.

Gap’s DressingRoom app uses avatars to help people understand how products will fit. People can then buy what fits online.

[VIDEO: See the app in action at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N860PRm7SDE ]

Gap calls this augmented reality, a technology that involves overlaying virtual images — such as clothing — on top of a real-life image. But in this case, the choices are limited to five pre-determined body types, rather than the actual photo of the potential buyer. The AR part is just the ability to physically walk around the avatar to see how clothing looks from various directions.

The app will come out this month, but will work only with phones sporting Google’s Tango augmented-reality technology — namely Lenovo’s Phab2 Pro and Asus’ just-announced ZenFone AR. The clothing chain, which also operates Banana Republic and Old Navy stores, unveiled the app Wednesday at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas.

Wayfair, Home Depot and other retailers have been embracing virtual reality and augmented reality to help shoppers figure out ways to decorate homes. But clothing retailers have been slow to embrace the technology. The question is whether it will be something more than just a gimmick.

The move by Gap comes as shoppers spend less on clothing and more on experiences like beauty treatments. When customers do buy clothes, they’re increasingly going online. Gap has also been struggling with a lack of compelling clothing, resulting in a long-standing sales slump.