Fashion retailers go online to help shoppers get great fit, perfect makeup and more
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The queen in "Snow White" may have had the right idea -- keep a magical mirror on the wall to consult about what makes a fair maiden fair.
The fashion and cosmetic industries are getting closer -- and more techy -- with Internet features designed to help consumers choose the right brands and styles for their body, pick makeup best suited for their complexion and discover their personal style through personality quizzes.
"Technology is changing in the fashion industry," says Stephanie Taylor, department chair of fashion retail management, fashion design and advertising at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
To keep students in touch with this evolution, Ms. Taylor invites professionals to the school to speak, tries to keep courses staffed by teachers fluent in the latest fashion technologies (not always an easy feat, even in larger cities, she says) and plans to incorporate new software into the fashion retail management curriculum.
"I think the bottom line is every retailer has to be abreast of the changes to technology now, or they're going to be left behind."
A lot of retailers are turning to the Web and social media to build relationships and gauge the desires of potential customers, says Samina Mughal, an executive technical design consultant based in New Jersey who has worked with Polo Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor and the Gap, among others. She'll be giving an introduction to technical design talk Wednesday for students at the Art Institute.
Ms. Mughal has been in fashion for more than 25 years and says a lot of what's happening now couldn't have been pulled off a decade ago. Technology is helping companies craft better fitting clothes for an array of shapes and sizes and fabrics that lend themselves to consumers' needs (think clothes with pockets for cell phones and iPods). And with more people buying online, technology that helps them find clothes that fit well on the first try is becoming even more important.
Here are a few ways to channel your inner geek to be more chic.
First Published November 15, 2011 12:00 am
