Google brings its AI-powered virtual clothing ‘try on’ tool to UK shoppers

Online shopping can be highly rewarding, but it is also not without its risks. All too often, a product can look great on a retailer’s website but fail to live up to the customer’s post-purchase expectations. This risk can be especially pronounced with fashion shopping.

Clearly, online stores want their clothing products to look as visually appealing as possible on the website. So, those clothes will typically be shown worn in a way that casts them in their best light. Unfortunately, though, the same apparel might not sit so well on the customer.

Still, how is a shopper supposed to know this before hitting the “buy” button? Thanks to Google, they will now have a clever new tool at their disposal.

Using AI, it enables the shopper to virtually “try on” clothes they see in online product listings. This raises an important question: how could this feature shake up the UK’s fashion ecommerce scene?

How does Google’s virtual clothing ‘try on’ tool work?

This feature was unveiled at Google’s I/O conference in May 2025 and subsequently made available to the US public. Having received a favourable reception stateside, the AI tool has now gone live in the UK, too. So, how can online shoppers actually use it?

They can start by searching for clothes on Google. Google’s Shopping Graph is responsible for billions of apparel listings on the search engine’s Shopping tab. Some of these listings support Google’s virtual try-on technology.

So, when the shopper sees an eligible listing on Google, they can tap the accompanying “try it on” icon. Next, they will get an opportunity to upload a full-length photo of themselves. They can then see an AI-generated representation of the clothing as it would look on them personally.

The clever tech behind Google’s virtual ‘try on’ feature

When the customer sees a particular piece of clothing, they might think they can easily imagine how they would look wearing it.

In practice, though, how well the attire does hang off the prospective purchaser will depend on various factors - including their specific body shape and type, as well as the fabric of the clothing.

For example, different materials - like cotton, wool and denim - fold and stretch in different ways. However, Google has developed a custom AI model accounting for all these factors. So, whether a given store is selling shirts, trousers, dresses or skirts (or all the above), they can be covered.

What this all means for your own fashion business

When you enable Google’s virtual “try-on” tech for your online store, you can help your customers more easily figure out which pieces they ought to buy. This, in turn, should help cut down on returns, enabling your business to save both time and money.

At the same time, many of your competitors will likely flock to support this exciting new feature as well. So, the onus remains on you to figure out other ways for your brand to stand out. As a digital marketing agency for fashion brands, we can help your store to break this deadlock. Simply reach out to our strategic and creative experts today to learn more about the “how”.

Sources:

• https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/google-launches-virtual-apparel-try-on-tool-in-the-uk-and-india/2025120385179
• https://techround.co.uk/news/uk-googles-ai-try-on-feature/
• https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/google-expands-ai-powered-virtual-try-on-to-more-regions/806955/