The Rise of Virtual Try-Ons: Reducing Fashion Waste Through AR Marketing

The fashion industry has long struggled with its environmental footprint. From mass production to excessive returns and overstock, it’s responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of wastewater, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.(Source: www.unep.org)

One of the key contributors to this waste? The disconnect between how items look online and how they fit or feel in real life—leading to high return rates, discarded products, and unnecessary emissions from logistics.

Enter Augmented Reality (AR) virtual try-ons—a technology transforming the fashion (and beauty) shopping experience while addressing one of retail’s most unsustainable pain points. Virtual try-ons allow consumers to visualize products on their bodies or faces using mobile or desktop devices.

Beyond enhancing user experience, they’re proving to be a powerful tool for reducing product returns, minimizing overproduction, and creating more conscious buying behaviours.

This blog explores how AR try-ons are reshaping sustainable fashion marketing, with real-world examples, stats, and strategic insights for brands.

Why Returns Are a Sustainability Problem

Online fashion shopping offers convenience, but also a costly reality: return rates are as high as 40% in apparel e-commerce.(Source: www.statista.com)

Reasons include:

• Poor fit or sizing

• Colour or material mismatch

• Style not matching expectations

Returns mean:

• Additional transportation and emissions

• Items often discarded instead of resold

• Increased packaging waste

• Overstock and markdown cycles

Virtual try-ons reduce these disconnects by offering more informed, immersive, and personalized experiences.

How AR Virtual Try-Ons Work

AR try-ons use a device's camera and AI algorithms to:

• Detect facial or body landmarks

• Overlay 3D or 2D garments, glasses, makeup, or shoes in real-time

• Adjust perspective and lighting dynamically

• Simulate realistic fit, drape, or style

Advanced platforms integrate body scanning, motion capture, or size prediction tools to improve accuracy.

Sustainability Benefits of AR Try-Ons

1. Lower Return Rates

Customers who try before they buy—even virtually—are more confident and less likely to return items. This reduces:

• Transport emissions

• Reverse logistics operations

• Waste from unsellable returns

2. Reduced Sample Production

Designers and buyers can visualize collections digitally, reducing the need for physical prototypes and sample shipping.

3. Inventory and Overproduction Management

Data from try-on sessions provides insight into:

• Which sizes and styles are most engaging

• What inventory to scale or discontinue

• Predictive analytics for better production planning

4. Consumer Education and Conscious Shopping

Virtual try-ons allow shoppers to spend more time evaluating a product before buying—promoting intentional purchases over impulse buys.

Case Study 1: Gucci’s Virtual Sneakers

Gucci launched a virtual-only sneaker—the Gucci Virtual 25—available for try-on in the brand’s app and via AR filters on platforms like Snapchat.

• No physical product manufactured

• Sold as a digital item for avatars and social content

• Targeted Gen Z buyers interested in sustainability and self-expression

This experiment showed how digital fashion can reduce physical consumption while meeting style needs.(Source: www.gucci.com)

Case Study 2: Warby Parker’s Eyewear Try-On

Warby Parker’s AR try-on lets customers view frames on their face using face-tracking technology in their app.

• AR try-on users are 50% less likely to return products

• Significantly reduces over-ordering and restocking

• Creates a lower-carbon path to eyewear personalization(Source: www.warbyparker.com)

Case Study 3: Zalando’s AR Fitting Room

Zalando piloted a virtual fitting room in partnership with Snapchat and AR developers, allowing users to view how clothing items fit on body types similar to theirs.

• Reduced return rates

• Increased confidence in sizing

• Provided data for refining size charts and inventory strategies(Source: www.zalando.com)

How Fashion Brands Can Integrate AR Try-Ons for Sustainability

1. Start With Accessories and Cosmetics

These are low-barrier categories to pilot AR try-on:

• Sunglasses

• Jewellery

• Hats

• Lipsticks, eyeshadow, foundation (already popular on platforms like Sephora)

Platforms to consider:

• ModiFace (used by Sephora and Estée Lauder)

• Perfect Corp (used by MAC and NARS)

• Wannaby (used by Gucci and Farfetch)

2. Integrate AR into E-Commerce and Apps

Embed AR directly into:

• Product detail pages

• Mobile apps

• Social commerce platforms (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok)

Offer real-time try-ons that are shareable, interactive, and seamless.

3. Use Try-On Data for Demand Forecasting

Analyze:

• Which products are tried on most

• Drop-off between try-on and purchase

• Popular styles by region or user type

Use this to reduce overproduction and tailor drops to actual interest.

4. Offer Fit Intelligence

Combine AR try-ons with sizing algorithms (True Fit, Fit Analytics, etc.) to reduce sizing uncertainty—often the top reason for returns.

Let users input their measurements or sync with past purchases to get smarter recommendations.

Challenges to Overcome

• Tech limitations: AR accuracy for clothing drape and motion is improving, but still not perfect

• Consumer access: Not all users are familiar with or comfortable using AR tools

• Cost and integration: High-quality AR features can be expensive to implement

• Digital fatigue: AR must add real value—not just be a gimmick

That said, these hurdles are shrinking as platforms improve and consumers demand digital-first, sustainable experiences.

How AR Try-Ons Can Complement Broader Sustainability Strategies

AR is not a silver bullet—but it’s a powerful tool when integrated into:

• Sustainable product development (using digital samples and mood boards)

• Low-impact logistics (reducing returns and delivery attempts)

• Carbon reporting (measuring emissions saved through digital trials)

• Consumer education (interactive sustainability storytelling)

• Circular fashion initiatives (helping customers visualize secondhand or upcycled pieces)

Metrics for Success

When implementing AR try-ons for sustainability, track:

• Return rate reduction

• Carbon emissions saved (via reduced shipping and packaging)

• User engagement time per product

• Conversion rate from AR views

• Number of digital-only products sold

• Satisfaction or feedback scores from AR users

Final Thoughts

The rise of virtual try-ons is more than a tech trend—it’s a strategic response to the urgent need for more sustainable, personalized, and low-waste shopping experiences.

By helping consumers try before they buy—without the environmental cost—AR offers a win for both business and the planet.

As fashion brands seek to balance growth with responsibility, augmented reality presents a way to cut through the clutter, connect with purpose, and deliver value beyond the screen.

The brands that lead in this space won’t just be fashion-forward—they’ll be future-forward, too.