At my core, I am a writer. I love this industry, and I love what I do for a living. Because of that, I have a complicated relationship with AI. The truth is, it is here; it isn’t going anywhere, which means we have to adjust what we do and how we do it. That doesn’t mean I have to like it; outside of the ethical arguments surrounding the use of AI, I believe that if you are good at what you do, you will always have a job. Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the good uses of AI.
Trying on suits is a slog. While I love going to the showroom, meeting with an expert, and having them walk me through a process I have become deeply familiar with and fond of, you are limited by what they have on the rack or in the book. Recently, I have become a fan of Hockerty. I have multiple suits from them, including a double-breasted pinstripe that ushered in the return of the power suit. Their online measurement and order system has worked flawlessly for me, save for a small alteration here and there. For an online service, it is as good as they come. But now they have taken it a little further, and I can use their AI try-on system to put myself in any suit I design and see how it looks before I order it.
Try something new
I have been wearing suits for a long time. I have worn or designed virtually everything under the sun, except for a mandarin suit. For some reason, that has always eluded my grasp. I have always been a little hesitant about them. I wasn’t sure what the rules were for them. I didn’t understand the Asian culture they came from and was unsure if I SHOULD wear one. And, at the end of the day, I had no idea if they would look good on me or not. That is where this service comes in.
I got an opportunity to design a mandarin suit and upload a photo of myself that the system would use to make a mock-up of what I would look like in my creation. The result? I am buying one immediately. AI is here to stay, and that means we all have to find ways to navigate the new world of artificial intelligence. This is as good a use as I have found, and it resolved a years-long struggle I have had with a suit.
