Remember that iconic scene in Clueless where Cher scrolls through her wardrobe on a computer, trying out different clothing combinations, before arriving at the peppy plaid outfit of her dreams, grinning as her computer renders up an image of her in it?
Well, welcome to 2025, where Cher’s dreamy tech closet is basically real, except instead of limiting us to a closet in Beverly Hills, AI is opening up your wardrobe to 8,000+ brands, all from the comfort of your phone. Then there are virtual try-ons and smart mirrors, turning your camera into a full-length fitting room before you even click “add to cart.”
From fashion to furniture, the rise of AI-driven shopping platforms is flipping the traditional online shopping experience on its head. Instead of typing “black dress” and selecting various filters for price and style, then sifting through 97 pages of results, platforms like Daydream let you chat with a stylist bot and build a wardrobe that lets you serve looks tailored to your vibe.
Over in India, Flipkart’s got Flippi, a ChatGPT-powered shopping assistant, while Glance AI just went global, letting users upload selfies and get ‘hyper-personalised’ styling and shopping recommendations.
And of course, Amazon couldn’t stay behind. Rufus, their AI assistant, is already pulling in massive profits by gently nudging you toward that must-have hair dryer or the perfect pair of genie pants. Plus, there’s a hush-hush feature in the works called “Interests,” where you basically tell it about your dream product (“flowy linen pants under Dhs 300”) and it texts you when your dreams go on sale.
What’s exciting (and maybe mildly terrifying) is how seamless it’s all becoming. AI now co-creates outfits, compares prices, and even auto-generates product descriptions.
The future of retail isn’t search-driven – it’s suggestion-driven. And it knows you better than you think.
Sure, there’s a lot to think about – privacy, algorithms, and how we’re all slowly outsourcing our taste to machines. But if it means skipping the endless scroll and getting a dopamine hit from a perfectly styled cart?
Honestly, Cher Horowitz would approve.
