File:Intel 3-D graphics architect Nola Donato shows augmented reality dressing room.jpg

English: We want to create a real-time experience where you can answer, "How does this look on me when I'm standing, twirling or walking, and does this style suit me, does this go with something that I already have?" said Nola Donato, a 3-D graphics architect at Intel Labs.

See more: Can Augmented Reality Change How You Shop for Clothes? Personal avatars, real-time clothing simulation and virtual closets could alter fashion retailing.

Instead of stepping into a fitting room to try on new clothes, shoppers may soon activate an augmented reality body double on a retail kiosk or their personal device. Parents could carry around avatars of their children, making it easy to buy clothes that fit and match with other clothes already hanging in the closet at home.

Experiments with so-called digital dressing room technology have been around for years, including the multimedia bathroom mirror from the New York Times Research and Development Lab and the Magic Mirror avatar experience developed by Intel Labs researcher Nola Donato.

Recently, Nordstrom's CEO said technology innovations such as digital fitting rooms will change the way people shop for clothes. It's a trend that European retailers Tesco and Zalando are pushing ahead, as is Bodymetrics, which is using Microsoft Kinect technology to create full-body scanners to help Bloomingdale's shoppers find the perfect-fitting pair of jeans.