Seventeen magazine debuts augmented reality dressing room

Launching for the Back-to-School season, the "virtual dressing room," which will be sponsored exclusively by JCPenney, will give users the ability to try on clothes and link to jcp.com to purchase their favorite selections from their home.

"The application is a true breakthrough in online product visualization, as clothes are automatically overlaid on the consumer`s real-time video image through their webcam," said Kristine Welker, vice president of sales and marketing for Hearst Magazines Digital Media. "With the help of our exclusive retail partner JCPenney, the virtual dressing room makes online shopping easy and viral: with a simple wave of a hand, shoppers can select, rate and share their top picks with friends via Facebook or email, and even purchase the items directly from jcp.com."

The experience combines four technologies: augmented reality, motion capture, social media and eCommerce. Created in Adobe Flash, the virtual dressing room does not require a plug-in. 

Here is how it works:

• The application detects the shopper in front of his or her webcam at home,  the shopper selects the piece of clothing
• It overlays the selected piece of clothing to see its style
• Users can then link to jcp.com to purchase their selections or send to friends via e-mail or Facebook.

The shoppers do not need a marker or an upload of a still image.  The shoppers can try various outfits by simply pointing at the icons within the app to scan through the digital catalog of clothing pieces, enabled by motion capture technology.

"Teens have long turned to Seventeen as a trusted style authority," said Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for JCPenney. "Through this unique collaboration with Seventeen.com, we`re able to merge teen`s love of technology and shopping, and provide an interactive experience that allows them to discover the exciting, affordable fashion available at JCPenney."

"This is the first truly instant online dressing room and as opposed to other augmented reality applications no markers or uploads needed," said Noora Guldemond, head of sales & marketing for metaio. "We believe this application provides an enhanced interactive online shopping experience for the consumer.  We are very excited to be working with Hearst Magazines Digital Media on delivering this unique shopping tool."

A video about "The Virtual Dressing Room" can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhjuZMEJ4-U

www.seventeen.com/fashion/virtual-dressing-room

www.metaio.com

http://www.hearst.com

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