With big tech investing heavily in generative AI, it’s no surprise that more AI-powered tools are emerging to help you spend your hard-earned money. All kidding aside, the shopping tools Google began rolling out on Wednesday could make it a little easier to find the clothes and makeup you’d be looking for anyway.
Vision Match
Once a small experiment in Google Labs, Vision Match has gone mainstream. The AI feature, which is rolling out to testers in 2023, lets you describe the clothes you draw in your own words and find the best matches. If that sounds like “Google it with extra steps,” it is. But the AI-generated images serve as a link between your words and the products you might end up buying, hopefully yielding results that are more in line with your intentions.
Say you’re looking for a specific outfit you saw on a stranger. With Vision Match, you describe the garment as vividly as possible (Google example: “colorful midi dress with large daisies”), and the Gemini-powered AI tool will return multiple images that match the description. You can refine it from there if what you see doesn’t quite match. Once you select one, you’ll see actual products that you can order.
You can find Vision Match in a few places, but only on your smartphone. One option is to search for the garment on Google (like any other search term) and then tap the “Can’t find? Create” prompt in the results. You can also find it in the left-hand panel of the Google Shopping tab under “Create & Shop.”
Augmented AR Makeup
Google’s augmented reality beauty features let you “try on” makeup by showing a digital image of it on your face in real time. Today, the company added the ability to analyze how multiple makeup products (rather than just one specific brand) will look on you when you search for terms like “spring makeup” or celebrity looks.
“For example, a search query like ‘soft glam’ could give you a choice of neutral lashes, pink blush, and a subtle lip gloss that practically applies to your face,” Google explained.
You can try augmented AR try-ons by tapping “See your look” when searching for makeup trends or those inspired by celebrities or influencers.
Virtual Try-On: Pants and Skirts
Finally, Google’s virtual try-on tool, which launched in 2023 with tops, now supports pants and skirts. Instead of showing you in augmented real-time, the feature shows you how the clothes will look on models. Luckily, they cover the entire human spectrum of shapes and sizes, from XXS to XXL.
“Whether you need a pair of comfy skinny jeans for a night out, a silk skirt for the office, or comfy linen pants for summer, you can find the style you need with just a few clicks,” Google said.
You can try this feature out by searching for specific pants or skirts on your mobile device or computer. Look for results that have a “try on” icon. From there, you can select the style that most closely resembles you (or the person you’re buying for) to get a clearer idea of what it might look like when it arrives at your door.
