GoKawiilRyan Haines / Android Authority
My partner has filled up my Instagram DMs with outfit ideas that I should get myself. I have to admit that they do look good, but there are so many that if I were to buy every single one of them, I know I’d end up returning at least half of them. The only downside of online shopping is that you cannot try something on before putting down your money.
However, Circle to Search on Pixels has found a way to let me try those outfits before I enter my credit card details. And so far, it has saved me from a handful of bad purchases — and added just a bit of friction to my shopping spree.
Would you use a virtual try-on tool before buying clothes online? 8 votes Yes, every time 38 % Only for expensive items 13 % Maybe, if it's reliable 38 % No, I'd rather try in person 13 %
AI decided to be my virtual trial room
As always, I received a new outfit idea in my Instagram DMs one random evening. I instantly pulled up Circle to Search to look it up like I always do, but this time, when I opened a matching photo in Google Search, I saw a new option called “Try it on.” It asked for a full-length photo of mine, and within a couple of seconds, I had that sweater on me — almost like I was actually wearing it in that mirror selfie.
If not for this feature, I would have bought that cardigan. It looked oversized online, but on me, it was oversized in all the wrong places. Circle to Seach saved me from an impulse buy that I would have ended up returning anyway because it just didn’t work on me. And this exact script was repeated more than once.
Circle to Seach saved me from an impulse buy that I would have ended up returning anyway.
While eyeing an outfit that was way out of my league in terms of coolness, I was ready to hit the purchase button without thinking twice. But I thought, maybe let’s give Circle to Search a try. And seeing the entire gear on myself changed everything. The outfit out-cooled me by a good margin, and it was obvious within seconds that I should drop the idea right there. It was much better than embarrassing myself in person.
The same thing happened with a pair of baggy Korean trousers. On screen, they looked like a perfect, trendy purchase. But on me, they pushed the “relaxed fit” limits. Turns out there’s a limit to how baggy I can go, and I wouldn’t have figured that out without actually trying them on.
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