Dress in the Third Dimension

Abstract

This article is an analysis of how digital technology and the Internet are changing how we engage in practices of dress and appearance in the 21st century. An exploration of the technologically-assisted ways we see and interact with images of self and the clothing we wear is presented. Applications of body scan images for individuals and businesses to improve fit are examined as well as the interactive technologies being developed that allow individuals to view and dress their own body scans for virtual-try-on, virtual-fit, and virtual-reality applications. Although issues surrounding consumer comfort with, availability of, and profitable business models for these technologies still prevent broad-based adoption, we pose questions about the potential advantages and challenges for the digital, interactive third dimension of dress. Will dress in the third dimension have the same self-defining role that our dress has now in our everyday lives? Will the ability to create imaginary and symbolic virtual worlds affect our relationship to the world where we interact in person with others every day? Will the ability to see ourselves in three dimensions increase acceptance of normal body variations and counteract the popular media images of what constitutes a beautiful body? These are the questions we need to study as interactivity helps us become involved with our dress in new ways.