In a 1963 episode of The Jetsons, Jane Jetson has been invited to the theatre. To choose her outfit for the evening, Jane enlists the help of her daughter, Judy, and a futuristic projector. From the comfort of the family living room, the projector is able to enter “dress selector mode,” which maps outfit suggestions onto Jane’s figure in real-time to give her a glimpse into potential looks for her special night.
While deciding what to wear today isn’t quite as sophisticated as Jane’s dress selector (or even Cher Horowitz’s computerised closet in the 1995 film Clueless) this year saw a number of companies experimenting with new technologies that elevate and enhance the shopping experience both online and offline. From magic mirrors that make product recommendations to grocery stores where there’s never any lineup because there’s no checkout, the industry is toying with the idea of the enchanted.
(To read Electric Runway founder Amanda Cosco’s full article, head on over to Wareable)