Why digital-only clothing could be the future of fashion

A fascinating new trend is taking over the world of fashion: digital clothing and accessories that only exist virtually. Customers can purchase a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes online and have it augmented onto a photo of themself using a process called digital tailoring.

Again, the garment doesn't exist in real life and you can't actually wear it — what you receive is only a photo.

While digital-only fashion may seem bizarre or ridiculous to some, it's creating some very interesting possibilities for the future of design and retail. Particularly for those who live their lives online and consume fashion rapidly, this type of technology could solve one of fashion industry's biggest problems: its environmental impact.

Watch the video below to see how it works:

Our fashion columnist Mosha Lundström Halbert joined q's Tom Power live from Miami to tell us more about this innovative new trend and the opportunities it creates.

"If you look at the videogame world, this idea of creating stylized avatars has been around for a while," said Lundström Halbert. "Players of games like Fortnite regularly purchase skins, which are virtual outfits, and fans recently shelled out $4,500 for a special hat to be worn in the game. So this already exists in a big way, but its [application] in the fashion world is where things get really interesting."

If you want to hear more from Lundström Halbert, check out her podcast, A Different Tweed.

Tell us, would you wear a piece of digital-only clothing? Sound off in the comments below or tweet at us @cbcradioq.

Download our podcast or click 'Listen' near the top of this page to hear the full conversation.

— Produced by Cora Nijhawan