Stitch Fix Uses Algorithms, Machine Learning To Dress Its Customers Sci-Tech Today

At least, that could be the case if the fashionista is a customer of one of several services that offer fashion delivered on demand, such as San Francisco-based startup Stitch Fix. Using data analysis software and machine learning to match users with personalized clothing choices, Stitch Fix is ushering the fashion industry into the age of Big Data. For customers who don't pry too closely into the startup's inner workings, the service is intended to feel like magic. "All they're seeing is they order a box of clothes, and presto -- it appears," said Eric Colson, Stitch Fix's chief algorithms officer. Companies in a variety of industries are relying more heavily on data to provide personalized recommendations -- think Netflix using algorithms to find movies or TV shows users might like, or Amazon suggesting additional purchases based on what's in someone's cart.