Everyone has a different body type, and that can make shopping a little hit and miss, but an Aussie app idea hopes to change that.
With more people shopping online than ever, it probably won’t come as much of a surprise to learn that buying clothes online is fairly normal. It’s not easy for everyone to give up on the idea of shopping in real life, though, and while you can often return something just as easily, it’s an inconvenience that doesn’t always match the convenience that shopping from your phone delivers.
We’ve heard of some attempts to get over this shopping speed hump, one of which includes scanning in measurements using advanced telemetry to help improve that process, but it’s not something you can do with your phone. Other attempts have tried to deal with how a garment or accessory looks on you in a virtual way, but this doesn’t really solve the fit, merely providing an augmented reality take on how you look in something.
Unfortunately, we’re not at a place where we can confidently work out what would fit digitally much Iike we can trying an actual piece of clothing on. We’re not there yet. Maybe one day soon, but not right now.
However an Australian has an approach to get around this, launching an app that focuses on body types and the things people wear, creating what is in essence a look book to help people match themselves to others, and find fashions that can work for them.
It’s an app by Sarah Neill, who came up with the idea back in 2014, and has been working on it since then, releasing it last year.
The result is the “Mys Tyler” app, which uses an algorithm and quiz to match women with similar heights, sizes, and skin tones, creating a list of others they might want to follow, and thereby finding fashion they can see on people who might be like they are. It’s a little like seeing clothes on yourself, except applying it to a similar body type, and then working out whether you want to buy them from the app.
“There are millions of women around the world who look like you, love shopping, and know what clothes best fit your body. We help you find them,” said Neill, Founder of the Mys Tyler app.
“Seeing clothes on a person that is similar to you means not only do you have a good confidence that the clothes will fit, but you can see how they sit on your body, and see how they’ve styled it – sneakers with a long skirt, or with a belt, or a front tuck, or layered, etc,” she said. “So much of fit is knowing how to put the outfit together.”
The approach is one that works for women first and foremost, but also seems to have men in its sights, as well, with that option available in the setup for the app, too. It’s not working for men yet, though the app suggests “Mstr Tyler” will arrive later.
For now, though, it’s more about women, and appears focused on delivering a helping hand for people struggling to know whether a style could be ideal for them just going on the online shop alone, and without going in store. In essence, you just need to find someone on the app who has a similar body type to you, and then see what they’re experiencing, living only slightly through their eyes.
Mys Tyler is available now on iOS and Android.
