Virtual try-on is technology that shows a customer how a product will look on them or in their home without physically trying it. It covers glasses, makeup, hair colour, jewellery, shoes, clothing and furniture placed in a room.
The software uses a camera plus computer vision to detect a face, body or room, then overlays a 3D or 2D model of the product. For clothing, AI can also estimate body measurements or generate images of a garment on a model of a similar shape. It can run in an app, a website or a smart mirror in store.
Beauty, eyewear and fashion retailers use it to increase shopper confidence, lift conversion and cut returns for items bought online. In store it can reduce queues for fitting rooms and keep stock on the floor instead of in dressing rooms.
Realism varies. Colour accuracy, fit and fabric drape are hard to model, so shoppers can be disappointed if the preview oversells the product. Check privacy handling of face and body images, device compatibility, and whether return rates actually fall. Measure before and after rather than assuming a result.
It matters most where returns are costly and shoppers are unsure about fit or shade. Start with your most-returned category, such as frames or foundation shades, so the benefit is easy to see in your numbers.