Close
Search
Menu Menu
[gtranslate]

Is digital clothing the future of fashion?

By
London, UK
0 energy + Add Energy
What is energy?
Want to show your appreciation? Give an article β€œEnergy” and it will help us know what you like.
0 comments
0 comments

An outlandish concept that successfully tackles growing concerns of sustainability, is digital clothing the answer to Instagram-inspired over-consumption?

Virtual reality is more than just a gaming platform. The industry, which has exploded in popularity over the last decade, is beginning to provoke some revolutionary changes in the world of fashion.

If you read our recent article onΒ the virtual restaurants you’ll never visit, you’ll know that nowadays, thanks to the never-ending growth of technology, we don’t really need to leave the house to enjoy a nice meal – or in this case, take an Instagram photo in the new trousers we just bought.

The future of dressing is here. Gone are the days of ordering a bunch of stuff online just to return it a few days later. Now from the comfort of your own bedroom, you can buy and ‘wear’ clothing that you never physically touch.

Digital clothing is exactly what it sounds like. Drawing inspiration from our love of dressing characters on videogames likeΒ FortniteΒ andΒ The Sims, digital clothing is available online as a 3D digital model that can be overlaid on any photo of a body – a guaranteed perfect fit.

Morten Grubak, creative director of digital clothing brand Virtue Nordic, is at the forefront of the campaign. β€˜In the last decade, fashion has moved from the streets to social media,’ he says.

As people continue to live their lives online and #outfitoftheday dominates our timelines, it’s become the norm to order what all the influencers are repping on social media or to buy a knock-off version of our favourite celebrity’s get-up in their latest post.

The fast fashion trend is having a drastic impact on climate change and this throwaway culture of wearing something once before storing it at the back of our wardrobes is incredibly wasteful.

I’m not saying that we should stop shopping altogether, but last year one in ten Brits admitted to buying clothes β€˜for the likes’ and it’s a problem we need to solve. Every second the world wastes one garbage truck full of clothing, and if we’re going keep expressing ourselves this way, we shouldn’t do it at the expense of our environment. That’s where digital clothing comes in.

β€˜I really love this idea because firstly, it’s environmentally-friendly and secondly, clothing nowadays is more like an art form for social media,’ says influencer Daria Simonova. β€˜Digital clothing is super convenient, and the design potential is huge because it’s way cheaper.’

Tell me more!

Imagine this: while browsing the internet you come across an amazing sweater unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. You won’t receive a physical version of the item though; you’ll send in a photo of yourself and the same image will be sent back to you with your new sweater edited on. This is what digital clothing brands do.

Trust me, when I first heard about it, I thought it sounded mental, but there’s no doubt: digital clothing is set to change the game and hopefully work towards eliminating disposable fashion for good.

Leading the revolution is Carlings, a Norwegian retailer that believes β€˜it is really important to minimize our negative impact on the environment, and at the same time take care of our social and ethical responsibility.’

The sizeless, genderless pieces on their website are created using a combination of 3D design, 2D garment pattern-cutting and rendering software. It’s not that expensive either. The collections are β€˜e-fitted’ for between 10 and 30 euros and all proceeds from the project are donated to Water Aid, a charity working to get clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to everyone, everywhere.

β€˜In reality these clothes cost thousands and will usually be worn once due to their recognisable design, so we’ve sort of democratised the fashion industry by selling the digital collection at Β£15 per piece,’ says Grubak. β€˜We’ve also opened up a world of taking chances with styling without leaving a negative footprint.’

There’s a long way to go before we have a fully sustainable fashion industry, but we should be striving to consume less, and this seems like a pretty great solution to me. It’s totally natural to feel sceptical about clothes you can’t actually wear, but the next time you feel like doing it for the gram, why not save the planet in the process?

Feature Media Manager & Senior Writer London, UK

Sofia (She/Her) – I’m the Deputy Editor & Media Partnership Manager at Thred, specialising in exclusive articles and live interviews, fashion and beauty with a focus on sustainability, women’s rights, psychedelics, and Latin America. I studied Spanish at the University of Exeter and International Journalism at City, London. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

Popular

Keep up with thred by signing up to our planet-positive newsletter!

More from thred.

Gloucestershire’s β€˜Wear Not Waste’ campaign is encouraging clothing reuse
Credit: Wear Not Waste
Fashion + Beauty

Gloucestershire’s β€˜Wear Not Waste’ campaign is encouraging clothing reuse

The organisation wants you to think twice before tossing that jumper. As far as environmental catastrophes go, your wardrobe may not be the first culprit that comes to mind. But Gloucestershire Recycles, a coalition of the country’s councils, is here to remind us that our favourite fast-fashion impulse buys are part of the problem. Their latest campaign, β€˜Wear Not Waste’, is encouraging people to start thinking of clothes as renewable...

By Brighton, UK
Is the hype around adaptogenic drinks too good to be true?
Credit: Thred
Wellness

Is the hype around adaptogenic drinks too good to be true?

As Gen Z abandons beer and tequila for non-alcoholic drinks, β€˜functional’ beverages containing plant-based adaptogens are hitting the market at rapid speed. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that mushrooms are having their moment in the realm of wellness as of late. Scrolling on social media, you’ve probably seen advertisements for mushroom supplements, mushroom tea, or even mushroom coffee. If not in the form of hot drinks, you...

By London, UK
Is dopamine fasting a wellness trend actually worth trying?
Credit: Unsplash
Wellness

Is dopamine fasting a wellness trend actually worth trying?

Feeling nothing for a day in order to feel more later on is all the rage on TikTok, but does it actually work? Over the last decade, β€˜wellness’ has become such a ubiquitous part of mainstream culture that in 2024, it’s pretty hard to imagine life without it. A term coined in the 50s when people started realising that there’s more to health than simply treating illnesses reactively, it involves conscious...

By London, UK
Should fashion brands make pro-Palestinian clothing for profit?
Credit: Thred
Fashion + Beauty

Should fashion brands make pro-Palestinian clothing for profit?

Fashion companies using the emblems or slogans of social justice movements to sell clothing is nothing new. With support for the Palestinian cause growing globally, are brands treating the conflict as an opportunity to make sales? What happens when supporting a cause becomes β€˜cool’? Β More often than not, companies move to swiftly capitalise on it. There are a few examples of this in recent decades, but one that sticks out is...

By London, UK
Accessibility