In 30 seconds:
- We’ve got the low-down on Roblox Layered Clothing, their latest feature.
- The metaverse is essential for fashion brands. Grab a virtual coffee and we’ll explain why.
- How can you get involved with Roblox Layered Clothing? We’ve detailed what your brand can do.
Roblox layered clothing has landed. The online gaming platform is pegged as an early version of the metaverse and it’s getting even more realistic with the introduction of layered clothing. Fashion brands should listen up.
Last year Roblox hit a milestone of 202 million monthly active users, and with the metaverse around the corner, more and more people are joining the immersive world. It’s no wonder the company are upping their game.
Why is Roblox’ layered clothing update important? It’s bringing a whole new level for fashion brands to interact with Gen Zers on the online virtual scene. But before we get into the Layered Clothing feature and what it all means let’s start with unwrapping the foundation of it all.
Roblox, Gen Z and the metaverse
What makes Roblox so appealing to brands? We wrote about how Roblox is Gen Z’s gateway into the metaverse, so if you’d like to learn about the Roblox Metaverse, this link is the article for you.
In 2021, Roblox generated total revenue of over $1.9 billion. The online game has created its own virtual ecosystem and financial structure and is thriving. And who is the backbone of this growing network? Gen Z. The youngest and most powerful generation yet is helping this online world thrive, which is not about to change.
88% of Generation Z play a video game that brings them into a virtual world. What’s more, Gen Z spends real money on these platforms. 75% of Gen Z have bought virtual items in a game, and 60% of these young shoppers think that brands should sell their products on metaverse platforms.
Roblox understands how important it is to create quality immersive experiences that brands can use to access this market. With layered clothing, that’s precisely what they’ve done.
Roblox and fashion
More and more fashion brands have been getting involved with Roblox in recent years. The pandemic forced fashion brands to think outside of the box to reach consumers, and many key players stepped up. From fashion shows to changing rooms, virtual reality became a safe space to showcase new collections. 2 years on, the virtual fashion world is booming.
Roblox is a key part of this story. Gucci’s Gucci Garden Experience on Roblox notably included a virtual “Dionysus Bag with Bees” selling for 350,000 Robux. 1 Robux equals US 0.35 cents or £0.2776, so the grand total was $4,375. This was more than its real-life retail price. Take a look at Roblox influencer, SharkBlox’s (@SharkBlox) explainer below:
It’s not just Gucci harnessing Roblox’ fashion power. Other brands are creating their own worlds within Roblox: Vans’ Vans World is an immersive “Off The Wall” Roblox experience that allows users to explore a massive skate park. Nike created their own virtual environment called Nikeland, based on its goal to turn sport and play into a lifestyle. Last winter, Ralph Lauren debuted its first fashion line on Roblox, offering a “Winter Escape” experience. Players could go ice skating while shopping for retro sportswear from the label’s 1990s collection.
The one thing all of these Roblox experiences have in common? They’re all outlets for self expression. More than half (57%) of Gen Zers said they feel freer expressing themselves in games than in real life, and that’s the beauty of Roblox. Users can experience deeper engagement with brands and get creative with the way they present themselves.
The way an individual interacts with fashion – in the real and the virtual world – is incredibly personal. Fashion commentators have long discussed the semiotics in the way we dress, and Roblox’ ability to let users and brands craft experiences around interests speaks to the same impulse. Naturally, the more options for personalisation that brands can provide, the more interest consumers will have.
Enter Layered Clothing.
What is layered clothing on Roblox?
The Roblox layered clothing update took place in April. Here’s what Roblox had to say about it:
“Players can now mix and match an incredible range of body styles and outfits. It mimics the way apparel fits and drapes on people in the real world. Shirts, dresses, sweaters, jackets and pants are now worn in layers that affect and interact with each other.”
Imagine that you’re trying on a new jacket in your favourite brand’s store. If you style it over your thick wool jumper, it will fit differently than if you tried it over a cotton t-shirt. Roblox’ Layered clothing helps emulate these nuances of fabrics in clothing items in the virtual world.
On Roblox, gameplay requires the gamer to embody a Roblox avatar. There are different kinds of avatar bodies that players can choose (including fishman, rock golem, or a human space explorer). Players could customise their avatar’s look, but often different avatar body types didn’t mesh well, causing clipping or breaking of garments. The layered clothing update is a significant improvement.
Roblox worked with a group of developers to start working with the system and creating more realistic 3D clothing. They then brought the creator community along for the ride to get feedback and help with honing the technology. Over 2,000 user-created clothing and accessories were submitted to the Avatar Shop by the community in the few weeks leading up to the release. Some are free and others can be purchased with Robux, the online universe’s virtual currency.
Layered Clothing lets clothes work on almost any kind of avatar body, as it stretches to fit. The only requirements are that they be bipedal humanoids. Developers can create 3D clothes and accessories that can be styled with any combination of other layered clothes.
Roblox layered clothing gives you the option to create a realistic look and feel within the universe – or to experiment with incredible styles that couldn’t exist in the real world. It opens up the floor to dream up fashion creations that really excite people and get their imaginations going.
This is great news for fashion. Virtual reality is where creativity can thrive and capture willing and ready customers. Whereas real-life customers may feel daunted by wearing certain pieces, virtual reality can give them the freedom to dress without as many parameters. Virtual fashion designers hold the key to unbridled self-expression.
Can Roblox Layered Clothing garments be bought as NFTs (non-fungible tokens)?
Answer: perhaps, but there isn’t much point.
Owning a virtual clothing NFT effectively would mean you owned a skin that you could use in other virtual environments. The thing is, most online companies want you to stay in their environment. So it would be difficult to use them in other applications, especially now that we have layered clothing. It adds a level of realism that is not easily transferable.
Vice President of Avatars at Roblox Bjorn Book-Larsson stated: “NFTs, created in a vacuum, that are not connected to a good gaming experience from the beginning, are interesting, sort of, but they’re not actually enhancing or making the experience better.”
Layered clothing changes the way brands should think about virtual environments and the items they create within them.
How can fashion brands use Roblox Layered Clothing?
The system Roblox has spent so much time honing is made for developers and creators on the app. But that doesn’t mean Fashion brands can’t utilise it.
If you want to allow Roblox Layered Clothing, all you need to do is:
- Open Roblox studio
- Click file, then Beta Features
- Tick the ‘3D layered clothing box’
When creating layered clothing, the basic rules are that developers need to:
- Make a custom build body and model
- Create texture
- Build cages
- Make skins for their custom avatar
- Build the garments
You can see a full rundown for developing layered clothing here.
There is even an upcoming Accessory Tool to fit and refine garments and make layered clothing look even more realistic in the future. This is soon to be released as a public Beta.
Now, of course, for the ins and outs of how to build layered clothing to get involved as a brand, you’ll need to work with a developer. Devforum is a community where developers share thoughts, ideas and knowledge about Roblox systems. This is a great place to find a partner to create immersive experiences. Alternatively, you can find professional Roblox Developers on most hiring websites.
When working with a developer, make sure you research their past projects. Have they worked with a fashion brand before? Do they understand the end goal for your brand? It’s important to reach a shared understanding around the interaction between textiles and technology. This is a new craft, so communicating the nuances of fabric will require a unique skill set. Once you’ve reached your goal, however, there’s a huge opportunity to create products that Gen Z overwhelmingly covet.
The final step? Market your product. Gen Z responds exceptionally well to influencer marketing, so this is a great route to consider to drum up interest in your layered clothing product. If you’d like to understand more about marketing your virtual products to Gen Z, get in touch with us.
The Roblox metaverse is advancing
With the world moving closer and closer to the metaverse, fashion brands have an excellent opportunity to harness virtual reality, speak directly to consumers, and create new products that they’re excited to consume.
Platforms like Roblox are advancing to accommodate a more intricate online world. Thus far, fashion brands have mainly been able to craft spaces and games on Roblox to make headlines, but the layered clothing update marks an exciting step towards incorporating highly covetable, original fashion goods as part of the Roblox experience.
And there’s more to come. Roblox are constantly developing their technology with new features like dynamic heads (a new avatar head type that supports facial animation), VR facial expression tracking and voice chat in the development process.
How can fashion brands navigate a world with so much change? Thinking of new ways to connect with customers, create immersive experiences and new digital product offerings will be the way forward. Roblox – and other new digital platforms – are primed for this, as well as becoming a space for innovative marketing campaigns that drum up engagement and build brilliant brand awareness.
We happen to be ideas people. Our team is fuelled and ready to go with fresh, creative campaign ideas that convert young audiences. Get in touch to find out how we can shout about your fashion brand through the metaverse and beyond.
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