For every online shopper, a clothing size profile via webcam

UPcload has devised a way to assess shoppers' sizes via webcam before they buy.

A full 40 percent of the clothing purchased online ends up being returned, and most often the reason is that it doesn’t fit. That’s according to Berlin-based UPcload, which has devised a way to assess shoppers’ sizes via webcam before they buy. To get their fit measured by UPcload, consumers need only have access to a webcam and a CD for calibration. Specific measurements of their arm length, chest circumference and more are then calculated and converted into reliable clothing size recommendations by UPcload’s software development team. UPcload will also take textile characteristics into account when making recommendations. Users can then shop at any participating store on the web using their private UPcload profile to ensure a consistent and reliable fit. Soon, UPcload aims to get its profiles accepted at bricks-and-mortar stores as well. It also hopes eventually to incorporate social shopping recommendations, enabling consumers to find out what others with similar sizes have purchased. Currently in beta testing with the North Face brand, UPcload is free for customers; stores will pay to participate in the service, which will launch in North America in 2012. Clothing retailers around the globe: time to get involved? Spotted by: Murtaza Patel