The landscape of social interaction is undergoing a profound transformation with the increasing prevalence of virtual reality (VR) systems. Similar to the rapid adoption and evolution of social media platforms, VR environments offer an enticing prospect of self-expression, albeit in a more immersive manner. Notably, major industry players such as Meta and Apple have made substantial investments in integrating virtual worlds into the daily lives of their users. Consequently, the proliferation of alternative identities across diverse virtual and augmented realities, analogous to the multifaceted social media profiles becoming more and more widespread and turning into daily realities.
However, in contrast to conventional social media, VR platforms afford users the unique opportunity to express themselves through avatars with markedly distinct appearances and personas. This novel dimension, however, raises pertinent questions concerning identity congruence and the potential emergence of identity-related disorders (such as depersonalization or derealization) resulting from pronounced disparities between one's virtual and physical manifestations especially after immediate use. Thus, although these disparities do not indicate long-term problems, they suggest that individuals actively engaged in virtual environments find themselves in need of solutions that can concretely link their authentic physical selves with their virtual alter egos.
For this reason, virtual reality users seek a spectrum of objects, services, and solutions that can seamlessly bridge the divide between their virtual and real lives. Our previous studies put forth that one of the most important future facets of virtual reality interaction is wearables that can act both as virtual and real clothes. It is precisely within this context that the VirtuFashion Project emerges as a pivotal player, addressing the intricate and evolving interplay between our digital and corporeal existences.