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Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Me-Ality: when technology becomes the “fashion police”

There’s almost nothing you can’t find at a mall.

Just last Friday, some of my friends and I discovered a few gems at Mayfair Mall. We found massage chairs that relaxed every part of our backs and played with pens that could also be used for touch screens and had lazer pointers. But there was one item that really made us do a double take and ask, “What the heck is that?”

It’s called Me-Ality, and at first glance, it looks like something you’d find in airport security. To use it, customers empty their pockets and taking off  belts than step inside a large, circular glass case. They are then instructed to put their arms over their heads and slowly lower them, flexing their wrists so they touch their hips with their fingers. As they stand perfectly still in that position, the “vertical wand” on the inside of the glass rotates around the customers and uses low power radio signals from its 196 tiny antennas to take exact measurements of the victim, uh, individual. A computer then matches up the measurements with best clothing options available in the mall, which it prints out in a nifty booklet.

Essentially, Me-Ality tells you what to wear and how to wear it.

The designers at Unique Solutions certainly did their research while designing this machine. The company’s website has numerous statistics showing how irritated shoppers are when they can’t find the right size. According to them, 58% of women shoppers think that clothes sold in popular stores aren’t made for “real” bodies.

But Me-Ality makes shopping a win-win situation for everyone. Since the booklet of perfect matches contains clothes that are sold in the mall, it provides free advertising, and potential profit, for mall stores and shoppers get a quick, painless experience and a collection of clothes that actually fit well.

Only 80 malls across the country have a Me-Ality station. So next time you’re at Mayfair Mall, try it out. It won’t cost you a dime, and you might find some great fitting outfits.

You may look ridiculous, and your friends may post pictures of the whole thing on Facebook, but it’s all for the sake of fashion, right?

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    Joel McLeanNov 8, 2012 at 8:36 am

    Great article, Claire! I posted about it at The Retail Life and encouraged readers to come read your story!

    Reply