Sometimes, trying on a wedding dress is a disaster waiting to happen.
Picture it: you have a fitting. Something is churning in your stomach. You have a sudden need to go to the loo. It suddenly hit on you: you shouldn’t have eaten at the Brazilian steak restaurant earlier on. It’s now making your body so angry that you have a feeling it’ll expel in two ways.
This is not a jinx. I’m merely describing the classic scene from the hit movie, Bridesmaids. It probably won’t happen to you. Or, will it? Suffice to say, shopping — or renting — for a wedding dress alone is enough to drive a future bride up the wall.
But, great news! You no longer have to worry about ruining your wedding dress — at least, not during your fittings.
Microsoft Kinect Cameras + 3D Virtual Fitting Software
Because you’ll be trying on a virtual one.
Teo Pei Ru, the owner of La Belle Couture Weddings, recently invested in a 3D virtual fitting room system that eliminates the hassle and time spent on shopping for wedding gowns. According to The Straits Times, it’s called the FXMirror and it costs S$45,000.
FXMirror is an electronic mirror merged with an XL digital display. The Microsoft Kinect cameras are integrated with 3D virtual fitting software. It’s also equipped with a movable stand that’s customisable according to the shopper’s specifications.
Here’s how it works:
It Takes Two Seconds
Distributed by Richmond Tech, a widely recognised IT & Business consulting company, the FXMirror virtually recreates the shopper’s appearance based on the examination of the weight, height, and feature points. It then shows the 3D fitting simulation in real-time.
On its official website, it states that the automatic and accurate body measurements take ‘within two seconds’. Thanks to its fuss-free feature, Pei Ru shared that it requires 25 minutes on average for brides-to-be to try on at least 15 dresses.
If it weren’t for the FXMirror, it would have taken two hours.
Virtual Technology At Its Best
It was also revealed that La Belle Couture Weddings is the only bridal shop in Singapore that bought the FXMirror. Could this boost sales and bring in new customers? I have a feeling it could. This was a smart investment move on Pei Ru’s part.
There are many ways a wedding can go wrong. Like an organist who forgets how to play the wedding entrance song, for instance. But shopping for the perfect gown? It shouldn’t be one of them. The invention of the FXMirror goes to show how much technology can lighten our burden.
Now, if only our local fashion stores have the FXMirror. I can’t be the only one who dislike waiting for the long queue and the cramped fitting rooms, right?
Featured image credit: The Straits Times Alicia Chan
