A new fitting tool offered on the website of clothing retailer, Zara, is being heralded as a meaningful breakthrough in the way that people order fashion items online, according to Hello Magazine.

The tool was created in partnership with Fit Analytics and takes advantage of specific information about each customer in order to present them with the most appropriate size to order when looking at products on Zara’s site.

As well as being asked to provide their measurements, customers are given even more bespoke sizing tweaks depending on how they like to wear the clothes they buy. So whether a shopper prefers tighter fitting items or those which can be worn loosely, they will be able to find something that suits their tastes.

This sounds like excellent news for fans of fashion and shopping online, but it also has advantages for Zara itself.

At the moment, millions of Brits order several different size versions of the same product to try on at home, returning the unwanted clothing and keeping the one which fits. This is expensive for retailers to handle, as well as being an administrative nightmare, so introducing sizing tools makes a lot of sense and could help companies make big savings.

A whole host of different online fitting room technologies are being trialled and championed at the moment, with Zara’s system being amongst the simplest of the lot in terms of its technology and interface. More advanced and, perhaps arguably, more intrusive options are in the works, many of which require customers to upload pictures of themselves so that software can scan their dimensions and provide a virtual image showing what they will look like wearing clothing before they make a purchase.

Online shopping is evolving and fashion retailers are definitely leading the way when it comes to optimising the customer experience.