Virtual Reality (VR)
Unlike Augmented Reality, which is a physical world enhanced by digital objects, “Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel they are immersed in their surroundings. This environment is perceived through a device known as a Virtual Reality headset or helmet” (Iberdrola, 2019, para 2). From a niche technology used by the gaming community to a more widespread one used by tourists for virtual tours of cities and museums, VR has come a long way to become a means of mass virtual visitation (Tussyadiah et al., 2018).
The rich customer-centric experience offered by the technology has resulted in fashion and luxury brands usage of VR technology for virtual fashion shows. Visitors to the New York Fashion Week in 2017 had the opportunity to be virtually present in Milan for the ‘Dreaming of Italy’ show. Fashion brands record their fashion shows in 360 degrees and turn them into applications that can be viewed with a VR headset (Morozova, n.d.). With a VR headset and special software, one can also get a realistic sensation of visiting a brick-and mortar showroom. Virtual simulations of store environments can help retailers to experiment with signage, product display and layout before testing these elements in the real world (Jiang, 2017), while the development of fashion store atmospherics for personalizing 3D VR stores can be a persuasive selling tool (Wu et al., 2021). This can be a source of valuable customer information, as elements that influence consumer engagement and conversion can be identified (Morozova, n.d.). Tommy Hilfiger and Coach were among the first brands to install VR headsets in their stores to invite customers to a 360-degree immersive experience of their runway shows (Jiang, 2017).
VR is also used for increasing customer engagement. Vogue magazine used VR technology for its 125th-anniversary issue when it launched a 360-degree VR video series called Supermodel Closets in partnership with Google, which offered viewers an inside view of the closets of celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Cindy Crawford (McDowell, 2017). The ‘closets’ could be viewed by dropping a smartphone into the Google Cardboard, which transforms any smartphone into a basic VR device. This was a follow-up to a 360-degree video feed of the Met Gala’s red-carpet event, also organized by Vogue in its attempt to deliver a new type of content.
Consumers derive meaning from their VR experiences that can be categorized into three themes of VR: VR as democratization (through the commodification of exclusive physical experiences), VR as escapism (through experiences that fulfill a consumer’s desire to escape the mental burdens of ordinary life), and VR as actualized anxiety (about cyberspace’s dystopian, totalitarian power) (Jung et al., 2021). The use of VR technology is limited because it is location bound, requires technology support (headsets, programs) and the fact that close proximity to the headsets can cause motion sickness. It is questionable whether consumers will use the technology on a regular basis due to health concerns (Boardman et al., 2019). The pricing of headsets will slow mainstream consumer adoption (McDowell, 2021). Limitations like difficulty in using, blurry images or not being able to pick on individual items are the other barriers to adoption, while increased enjoyment, the vividness of experience, interactivity, and novelty are the enablers of adopting VR technology in fashion (Park & Kim, 2021). Virtual Reality has also been referred to as the ‘Rich White Kid of Technology’ because of a view that it has failed to live up to its expectations while continuing to receive funding and resources (Karpf, 2021).
Virtual Reality (VR) Headset
VR headset is a head-worn device that provides virtual reality for the user. It allows the user to experience everything virtual reality has to offer. It also allows the user to turn and look around just like in the physical world. Examples of VR headset include Oculus Quest 2, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, and Google Daydream View. Among these, Oculus Quest 2 is the most popular VR headset.
How to set up?
There are 2 important parts in the section: setting up the device and setting the play area. Below are some suggestions as to how to set up your VR headset (in this case, we use Oculus Quest 2).
Part 1: Setting up device - Must create your account and set up your device for the first time you use Oculus by downloading the Oculus app on your smartphone. Please note: you will not need to use your smartphone every time when you use the device and to be sure to use your Facebook (preferred over regular email address) account when creating your Oculus account. - Plug Oculus Quest into the charger and turn on the headset by pressing the power button on the right side of the device (You will see the white light; however, if you see a red light, it means that you need to charge the device). - Look in the headset for a 5-digit code and enter it in the Oculus app and the headset will begin to pair with the app. - Once the above step is completed, select a WIFI network. - Then you connect two controllers with the Oculus app. - You may require to watch a short VDO on how to use the device safely on your smartphone and acknowledge the health and safety warning. - Then you are done with setting the device! Part 2: Setting up VR space - Clear out space (Please note: roomscale works best with 6.5 x 6.5 ft. dimension). Be sure that remove furniture, tables, chairs, and other objects and leave extra space between VR space and walls. - Put on the headset to begin setting up boundaries using two controllers. These boundaries will help you define your play area. Once you have finished setting boundaries, a blue line will appear around you and this blue line represents the limits of your play area. - Now you will be directed to the main menu of the Oculus Quest where you can navigate to many apps and you can select anything on the menu by clicking on the trigger button on your controllers. - Then you are set to have fun!
How do you know you properly wear VR headset?
- Be sure to have the back straps cradle the base of your head. - Adjust the straps and move the headset up and down until it is resting on your face comfortably. - Then, adjust toggle on the button left of the headset until the picture is clear. If you do not wear the Oculus properly, the Oculus will be in the sleep mode (the sensor above the lenses in your VR headset must be covered so that the VR headset is aware that you are wearing it). - Please note that, those with glasses, you may not see the picture clearly. As such, try to wear the headset front first.
What are some health and safety concerns?
- VR headset provides an intense experience; therefore using it for a long periods of time could cause some problems including eye strain, dizziness, and nausea. Therefore, please try to take frequent breaks. - Don’t use VR headset when you are sick or experience anxiety because the immersive environment of VR can cause stress and anxiety after wearing it for a few minutes. - Last but not least, be sure to read the VR headset instructions and safety warnings!
VR Exercise
Exercise #1
- Watch YouTube VDO on “The Difference Between AR and VR” at either https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOKJDCqvvMk (or) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFTgGi06vbM - Watch YouTube VDO “AR Clothing Fitting” at https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=FQIAzRLRjr0 (or) Lululemon’s website at https://xrgoespop.com/home/lululemon - Watch YouTube VDO on VR and Shopping at https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=2UT2KcnJiE Upon reviewing these VDOs, please respond to the following questions. - How VR can be used in retail environment? - Are there any advantages and disadvantages of using VR? - How can we overcome such disadvantages?
Exercise #2
Once you have completely set up your VR and connected to WIFI, we wear VR headset and experience one of 36o degrees VDOs below. Upon reviewing these VDOs, please respond to the following question. What is your personal experience with VR technology in terms of immersion, perceived realism, and emotion. - Adidas NYC Flagship Store Virtual Tour (5.31 minutes) https://youtu.be/xxqKGOX6wlU?si=zgusSeFMOsYL6wv_ - Experience VDO 360Degree Retail Sneakers Room (1.31 minutes) https://youtu.be/8380wdPEneo?si=H-wch7kRePQ9Qs7U - Prada VR Epicenter New York (2.26 minutes) https://youtu.be/RQANS1OqjbE?si=IuuHq2VuOQKkBxtk
Virtual Closet
A Virtual Closet or Smart Closet technology services the unmet need for automated and personalized advice about the daily task of selecting an outfit (Liu et al., n.d.). Many people are unsatisfied with the outfits they select and the time and effort they spend on deciding them. Everyone has heard of the problem of ‘a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear’. Virtual Closets are contextually aware clothing recommendation systems. The systems use contextual information, the personal user profile, weather conditions, the user’s preferences and style coordination metrics to advise the user on their daily outfits (Liu et al., n.d.), even accounting for the wearer's mood (Dumeljic et al., 2014). Users can upload photos of the items in their actual closet and add items they wish to own, from various sources, such as brands and influencers.
Various applications like StyleBook, Your Closet, Cladwell, GlamOutfit, Pureple, Stylicious, Closet+ and Closet Space offer closet organizing and recommendation services mostly based on a subscription fee. They differ in the variety of features offered e.g., Pureple offers features like cataloging your clothes into categories by auto-populating and planning outfits by adding them to the in-app calendar; Cladwell offers option to create capsule wardrobe for different occasions and in-app shopping feature, while Closet+ offers a ‘packing list’ feature (Degree, 2021). The applications also vary in their relative disadvantages like presence of advertisements, absence of in-app catalogs, and inaccurate algorithms that suggest an outfit despite disliking it. Cladwell has notably partnered with Marie Kondo, the Japanese consultant on tidying up closets and best-selling author and claims that their users wear 95% of their clothes (Roshitsh, 2019). The apps leverage artificial intelligence and learn about the user with every ‘swipe’. They offer value by helping consumers save time and money by making use of their existing wardrobe and by making product discovery more authentic through smart recommendations. Consumer adoption intention of smart virtual closets is affected by three factors –social influence (subjective norm), personality traits (technology optimism) and product features (aesthetics) (Perry, 2016). All three factors affect consumers’ perceptions of ease of use and usefulness. Another view is that smart closets may not aid personal style because the recommendations cannot capture emotion and the recommended styles maybe too contrived or unnatural (Follows, 2020). The future of smart closets is tied with the Internet of Things (IoT). A smart closet is a system where the technology evaluates the environment and manipulates it according to a series of guidelines, like the functioning of an automatic door, while the IoT connects things to the internet to send and receive data. To have an intelligent and 'connected closet’ could mean incorporating hangers with sensors and incorporating RFID (radio frequency identification) chips in the clothes so that the closet automatically updates (without manual upload and categorizing of clothes) and tracks information, like how many times the garment was worn and if it needs laundry or replenishment (Burger, 2020).
Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality can be illustrated by an experience in which you are on a city stroll and you encounter historical figures or extinct or imaginary species. It is a physical world enhanced by digital objects (Levy, 2021). A more precise definition is that Augmented Reality (AR) is a “medium in which digital information is overlaid on the physical world that is in both spatial and temporal registration with the physical world and that is interactive in real time” (Craig, 2013, p. 20). AR is an interactive technology fueled by technology-dense smartphones and the rapid adoption of social media and online shopping.
The technology can have a significant impact on consumers’ affective responses and behavioral intentions as well as on cognitive responses, such as perceived convenience (Javornik, 2016). AR applications in retail can be categorized into three main types: online web-based, in-store, and mobile app-based (Caboni & Hagberg, 2019). In online web-based applications, the computer screen, through a webcam, becomes an AR mirror through which customers can immediately see how the clothes and accessories look on them. The AR in-store applications largely refer to the ‘Magic Mirror’ installed in the dressing room, where customers can virtually try-on clothes and share the image on social media. The mobile AR applications, which are the most recent, allow consumers to use their smartphone cameras to interact with digital content and try on clothes, accessories, or make-up (Caboni & Hagberg, 2019). Virtual try-on has been the most popular manifestation of AR technology in fashion, while the most recent manifestation is that of virtual fashion in the form of digital dress like Iridescence, a dress that sold on blockchain for $9500 (McCleary, 2021). Giving yourself a digital makeover is a growing trend, as is dressing up your gaming avatar in your favorite luxury label. Consumers are most familiar with virtual try-on for accessories like glasses, make-up, and shoes, which gained success as brands like L’Oreal, Warby Parker, and Adidas offer digital simulations of their products. Timberland has offered an in-store virtual try-on experience since 2014. Virtual try-on for clothes has been more challenging to develop, but things in AR clothing may be getting closer to reality with developments like Farfetch testing apparel try-on with a few Off-White jackets on Snapchat, the company that popularized the use of AR filters (McDowell, 2021). Beyond the entertainment value of cool AR videos, Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, believes it can help fashion e-commerce improve the conversion rate and reduce returns by improving the try-on experience. AR is also used to target a specific demographic, as the users of Snapchat are young digital natives. Facebook’s creation of the metaverse will also encourage people to buy and wear digital clothes. Other applications of AR in fashion include the gimmicky AR-enabled T-shirts (McCleary, 2021) and the functional See My Fit feature offered by ASOS that allows customers to see how a dress item would fit on 16 different model sizes (Kang, 2021). Despite the potential of the technology to increase consumer engagement, the adoption of AR technology faces challenges, such as the high cost of creating magic mirrors and the fact that virtual try-on superimposes the garment on the wearer in an artificial manner (Boardman et al., 2019). Form-fitting garments that conform to different body shapes and obey the laws of physics are still rare in AR clothing try-on, and there is room for improvement (McDowell, 2021). The roll-out of 5G technology with the promise of faster downloads and better real-time digital effects with minimal lag, is expected to enhance virtual try-on and other AR effects (McCleary, 2021).
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