Dive Brief:

• Wacoal, an intimates brand, on Tuesday launched its mybraFit app, which uses AI technology to assess customers' bra sizes and recommend Wacoal bras based on their needs. The company also released additional sizing tools and fit guides on its website, according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive. 

• After customers take a hands-free body image and answer four questions about their body and breast shape, they are emailed information regarding their size and Wacoal bra wardrobe recommendations. Size information is stored within shoppers' profiles for future in-store and online purchases. 

• The company said that virtual imaging is secure and it does not save customers' photos within the app, only the size and product recommendations.

Dive Insight:

Wacoal noted that the app launch is part of the brand's overall effort to recreate the in-person fitting experience online. The app aims to remove the measuring tape, math calculations or knowledge of one's current bra size from the fitting process entirely. 

"The hard truth is that the intimate apparel business relies on antiquated practices that have not changed in decades. For too long, the industry has relied on the consumer to provide the information needed for accurate sizing," said Miryha Fantegrossi, vice president of merchandising and design at Wacoal America. "The mybraFit app brings ease to the fit experience, delivering a tailored size assessment within a matter of minutes."

The company has been working on perfecting the bra size assessment process for some time. In 2019, the company acquired intimates startup Lively for $85 million upfront (plus up to $55 million more in performance-based payments).

Wacoal also has a reputation for being focused on sizing. "We're about millimeters in terms of fit," Kristin DiCunzolo, vice president of marketing and direct at Wacoal America, told Retail Dive last year. Prior to COVID-19, a team of around 80 fit consultants routinely went to stores to talk with customers about products, conduct fittings and teach associates about Wacoal products. 

Meanwhile, other retailers have tested out technology to tailor their bras, too. In 2019, Soma, an intimates brand owned by Chico's FAS, teamed up with b8ta to release the "SOMAINNOFIT​" bra in select b8ta stores to enhance the bra fitting experience. Earlier this year, ThirdLove introduced a 3D online fit quiz titled "The Fitting Room" to provide accurate fit and size recommendations for customers.