Google has just announced a new virtual shopping experience for search which lets you try on apparel virtually using some AI cleverness. Users in the US (only, at first) will be able to try out an item of clothing from a catalog if it has a ‘Try On’ badge on it in search. The service is starting with a limited number of brands including Anthropologie, Everlane, H&M and LOFT, and a limited repertoire of AI generated lady’s tops.  Virtual shopping is not new of course, but where this one differs is in the use of generative AI models for the items.

Clever Google. Not only are they offering a new feature which will capture more eyeballs on its own site, but it’s not even going to cost them that much money because they’re not using expensive real fashion bits, they’re just generating them on the fly.  Get used to the future, folks! The new service will take a single piece of clothing, and create a range of fitment images for different model types and sizes.

The company has at least used real human models ranging in sizes XXS-4XL, and representing different skin tones, body shapes, ethnicities and hair types. Which makes this a truly diverse catalog in action – nice change. We’re expecting this is the first of a range of new AI features we can expect to see in Google Search and other services over the coming months, as the company fights hard to convince the world it’s a credible AI player against Meta and Microsoft.

Watch this space.