Is 3D Body Mapping Technology the Future of Sustainable Fashion?
It’s no secret that traditional retail businesses are suffering. Amidst the prolonged continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic, apocalyptic claims of the “death of brick-and-mortar retail” have swarmed the internet; consequently, if we see a pandemic-induced closing of our favorite store at a local mall, these claims then become solidified in our minds. Yet, while certain companies may be descending into bankruptcy, the retail industry as a whole isn’t dying out: it’s evolving.
Increasingly popular fast-fashion producers and the growth of a disposable society pose great environmental danger. While fast fashion continues to run rampant in the textile industry, awareness of its detrimental effects has also become more widespread through social media. As a result, consumers are now searching for sustainable methods of shopping, including thrift stores, resale apps such as Depop, and small businesses with sustainable materials or production methods. Retail stores are advantageous in terms of sustainability due to the shoppers’ ability to try on items. Therefore, the wasteful online pattern of bulk ordering items, keeping several, and returning those that fit poorly–which often results in the ‘returned’ items being placed in landfills due to the inconvenience of placing them back in stock–is bypassed. Yet, a novel method for curbing this phenomenon, thereby reducing returns and waste, is now coming to life: 3D body mapping tech to improve clothing design and help customers find the right fit for their body type.
3D body-mapping technology being used to quickly take accurate measurements. Source: FIT3D ProScanner
Unspun, a company producing custom denim, has already adopted this method. Using a 3D body scan of customers, which collects over 100,000 data points (about 120 measurements), a customer’s “perfect fit” is determined in under two minutes. Next, a pair of jeans is created for this exact fit and mailed to the customer. In the words of Annika Visser, Hong Kong operations lead of Unspun, this technology is “sustainable and inclusive”, as it promotes “doing away with the traditional sizing system” that leads to textile waste. A shortcoming of this method is that scanning is done in-store, which may dissuade habitual online shoppers. However, Unspun is in the process of creating a smartphone app that can perform scans, allow customers to visualize products on themselves, and serve as an ordering platform, making the experience centralized and convenient.
A customer at Unspun using the 3D body mapping scan (via tablet). Source: Rivet
Another company working to enhance the 3D body mapping experience is FIT:MATCH, a startup signed with brands Savage X Fenty and Fabletics and backed by Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. A senior data scientist at Cornell, Jie Pei, hopes to advance beyond the measuring techniques of other companies’ body mapping, as one’s measurements cannot encompass an item’s exact fit. 4D body mapping, her proposed next step, would factor in the variable of time and decipher how movement would affect the fit of an item–for instance, how breasts move during exercise to properly design sports bras. Additionally, this may help customers maintain a comfortable fit as their weight fluctuates.
In closing, whether this technology continues to take off or not, fashion is entering a new era. Fast fashion, while still prominent, is being replaced by sustainable business methods, and the competition from online sellers continues to threaten physical retail stores. The future remains a mystery–perhaps the fashion industry will soon be led by smaller, startup companies with the flexibility to quickly adopt new technologies such as 3D body mapping. Yet, one thing remains clear: for businesses to survive in this fashion environment, they must learn to adapt.
