TIPS FOR ONLINE SHOPPING

Online shopping can be disappointing if the clothes you ordered do not look or fit as you thought they would. 62.3% of internet customers bought clothes and sports goods, however, “unfitting clothes” affect shopping negatively.

According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) data, 49% of online shoppers returned wrong or damaged goods during the 12-month period until March 2017. As 76.3% of females bought clothes and sports goods online, only 51.7% of males shopped for clothes and sports goods. 51.7% of females and 47.1% of males reported they purchased wrong or damaged goods.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Arzu Vuruşkan, Lecturer, Department of Fashion and Textile Design, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), stated that the most important criteria in online shopping was the fitting of the clothes. “In order to increase customer satisfaction in online shopping, the shoppers need to know their body shape and size well, and choose clothes that will fit them best,” said Asst. Prof. Dr. Vuruşkan and reported that female body shapes could be grouped as hourglass (X), triangle (A), inverted triangle (V), rectangular (H), and oval (O). Vuruşkan pointed out the importance of knowing one’s own body shape and she said, “Women with inverted triangle body shape look best in V-cut blouses, dresses, and blazers in order to get the attention away from broad shoulders. In rectangular body shape, the waistline is not very apparent. In order to create a balance, you need to make definition in upper and lower body. Oval body shapes have large bust, large belly, and narrow hips. V necklines are recommended as well as long necklaces and scarves that are draping down, this will elongate the body and create an illusion of a slimmer silhouette. Finally, females with triangle body shape have wider hips and narrow shoulders. So they should focus attention on the upper half of their body.”

‘Choosing clothes via smart systems’

Asst. Prof. Dr. Vuruşkan stated that they were carrying out the “Development of Clothing Design Platform via Smart Systems” titled TUBITAK project in order to increase customer satisfaction in online shopping and that the project allowed women to find the clothes that fit their body shapes the most via smart system. Asst. Prof. Dr. Vuruşkan said that the system called, “ShopShape”, finds out about design choices, body shapes of the users, and offers design recommendations that fit the criteria. Vuruşkan reported that they were in the last stage of the project, which was important in terms of using smart systems in fashion design. Asst. Prof. Dr. Vuruşkan stated that the project was tested with users on a web-based platform and they had positive feedback so far.

Vuruşkan reported that Prof. Dr. Ender Yazgan Bulgun, Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Türker İnce, Head of Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Prof. Dr. Cüneyt Güzeliş also took part in the project.