While we all may have very clear visions of Carrie Bradshaw running around Manhattan in Manolo Blahnik heels and spending hours playing dress up in luxury stores, the real life style icon Sarah Jessica Parker, today, is opting for quick and efficient online shopping with the help of Google.
“I don’t consider myself a very good shopper because I’m seduced by imagery and what looks great on somebody else. But there’s a truth about my size and what colors look good on me,” Parker exclusively tells Refinery29. And thanks to Google’s “Try On” feature, Parker can actually envision herself in pieces before hastily carting them up. “I think this is one use of [AI] that feels not only benign, but potentially quite helpful. It creates clarity about how things may or may not look on you.”
While I’m personally quite weary of AI in general, as I was speaking to SJP, I knew I had to try this feature for myself. Because although I wax poetic about all the best fashion to shop online, I find myself gravitating more towards in-person shopping because I’m unsure how many pieces will fit my petite-yet-curvy body. With that, I used some of SJP’s best holiday season dressing advice to see how her favorite styles actually look on myself through Google Try On.
The technology came out earlier this year, but it’s just gotten a refresh with SJP’s new holiday campaign. According to Google’s blog, the virtual try-on technology allows “shoppers to try on billions of items of clothing from our Shopping Graph. It’s powered by a new custom image generation model for fashion, which understands the human body and nuances of clothing — like how different materials fold, stretch and drape on different bodies.”
Again, I was skeptical but excited at the same time.
Self-declared “lousy shopper” Parker explains: “I just think it’s really helpful and really user-friendly, and I’m hoping it kind of cuts out some of the chaos and hysteria around shopping,” adding: “I think this idea of Google Shopping with the ability to actually see it on your person takes some of that intimidation away, but also you feel more assured that you’re purchasing something that will likely really suit the occasion and your person.”
It works by searching for fashion items on Google and clicking into a product suggestion before seeing a “try it on” pop-up button. Then you can upload a full-body image of yourself and the AI technology realistically adds the clothing onto your body. It also has a follow-up feature where you can save and send the image to your group chat if you need a second opinion. (And if you’re wondering, SJP says she would definitely text looks to longtime collaborator and Sex and the City costume designer Molly Rogers for fashion help).
As SJP went on listing her favorite festive attire — from houndstooth and platinum to “chiffon big skirts from the eighties with a leotard” (à la Carrie Bradshaw) and jewel-tone tights paired with patent leather Mary Janes — I put some to the test with Google Try On.
After uploading a couple of full-body photos of myself wearing fitting clothing as suggested on my phone, one photo worked best and saved into Google so it could be reused for every new product I selected. (I think in the future I’d opt for a tank top and biker shorts for the most accurate depiction of my body, especially for skin-baring pieces, but I was pleased with how Google auto-generated my body, especially in mini dresses (see below).
“I went to a party the other evening and the host was wearing a pinstripe suit, but the pinstripes were all sparkly, and I loved it,” Parker says. And so I searched for just that and clicked on a suit from Sandro via Nordstrom, which I could see myself standing in within 10 seconds. (It’s important to note that the feature doesn’t work on the first sponsored products that pop up on the search page, and not every single retailer offers it.)
I also wanted to virtually try on a vintage-inspired party dress after Parker declared: “I personally love plaids and tartans this time of year. It’s really old fashioned, but I see more and more of it and it’s really exciting.” Eager to try a Free People dress with a drop waist and bubble skirt (both trendy yet polarizing silhouettes), I was pleasantly surprised by how it looked on my body. The feature even styled me in the same shoes that the model is wearing.
And when she isn’t attending lavish soirees, SJP is opting for humble winter wardrobe staples. “My day-to-day, I’m in waffle-cotton Hanes men’ s leggings in white. And I’m in 20-year-old cashmere cardigans from J. Crew.”
I’ll spare you the unflattering image of me wearing Hanes’ men’s leggings. But hey, thankfully I could try them virtually before assuming just because SJP loves them that they’d also look good on me, and wasting my time and money! But it was fun playing around with how more practical cardigans — as well as more elaborate styles, like gowns that I may never actually wear — looked like.
“I just think people can have things on their body that they might never have had a chance to try,” Parker explains, adding: “It feels like it’s a nice way for people to have some more assurance and also a touch of fantasy.”
So, if you’re needing some festive outfit inspo and fantasy (from the comfort of your couch), consider it sorted.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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