What is nista?

nista is a free Chrome extension that adds a virtual fitting room to online clothing stores. You create an avatar from a few photos of yourself, and a "try it on" button then follows you as you shop, so you can see how a piece of clothing looks on your proportions before you buy it. nista's tagline sums it up: "virtual fitting room — try it on before you buy."

Key takeaways

• nista is a Chrome extension, not a separate shopping site; it works inside the stores you already use.
• Your avatar is made from a few photos of you and keeps your real body proportions.
• nista is designed to work on any online clothing store, including Zara, Aritzia, SSENSE, Pinterest, and Depop.
• nista is free; partner brands cover the cost because try-ons lead to fewer returns.
• nista is operated by Love & fury Inc.

How nista works, step by step

Using nista takes three basic steps:

1. Install the extension in Chrome, starting from nista.com.
2. Make your avatar by uploading a few photos of yourself. The avatar keeps your real proportions, which is what makes the try-on useful for judging fit.
3. Shop as usual. When you open a product page on an online clothing store, the "try it on" button is there. Click it to see that item rendered on your avatar.

Because the button follows you from store to store, you don't need a separate account or tool for each brand. If you want a full walkthrough of trying clothes on before you buy, see how to try on clothes online before buying.

What problem nista is trying to solve

Buying clothes online usually means guessing. A size chart tells you measurements, and a model photo shows the garment on someone else's body, but neither shows you how it will look on you. That guesswork is a big reason people order several sizes, keep one, and send the rest back.

nista's approach is to put the garment on a version of you first. Seeing the drape, length, and proportions on your own avatar helps you decide whether an item is worth ordering at all, and which size to start with. That is also why brands partner with nista: when shoppers try things on first, fewer items come back.

Which stores nista works on

nista is built to work on any online clothing store. The stores it names as examples include Zara, Aritzia, SSENSE, Pinterest, and Depop, and the brands shown on its homepage include:

Seeing a store listed here doesn't mean that store has a formal partnership with nista; it means these are sites where you can use the "try it on" button.

What else nista can do

nista also describes an optional wardrobe feature. If you choose to connect Gmail, nista can look for clothing purchase receipts and add items you already own to a wardrobe, so you can mix and match outfits with clothes you have. Gmail access is opt-in and read-only. This feature appears on nista's waitlist page, so it may not be available to every user yet. Read more about how nista handles your photos and email in is nista safe?.

What nista is not

nista is honest about its limits, and you should be too when you use it:

• It isn't a sizing guarantee. nista describes its fit as "very close": your avatar keeps your real proportions, and much of its research goes into rendering each piece of clothing accurately. It still can't promise a perfect fit, so check the store's size chart. See how accurate is nista? for details.
• It isn't a store. nista doesn't sell clothes; you still buy from the retailer.
• It isn't a paid subscription. nista is free, with no hidden paywalls. Here's how nista makes money.

Getting started

If you shop for clothes online in Chrome and want to see items on your own proportions before you order, nista is a quick thing to try. Make your avatar and add the extension at nista.com.