Modcloth is rolling out a new feature within its iPhone application that ties in with the company’s data on users to create more personalized search results.

The online retailer has added a feature called Fit for Me within its iOS app to leverage Modcloth’s data about clothing measurements as a way to contextualize mobile content. The feature only integrates with Modcloth’s clothes products, but the goal is to roll it out across shoes and other product categories as well as expand it to other apps.

“From one perspective, this really does a great job personalizing the app – it’s allowing customers to basically filter down all of the current products that Modcloth has and just bring it to what is most relevant to them,” said Fontaine Foxworth, product manager at Modcloth, San Francisco.

“In general, personalization is a key part of mobile that we’re really excited to tap into,” she said.

Getting the right fit
Modcloth claims that 80 percent of its products have user reviews, and 55 percent of those reviews include measurement information.

Shoppers can access the Fit for Me section by clicking on the menu button in the top left-hand corner of the screen.

From there, consumers are prompted to enter up to four measurements: Height, bra size, waist size and hip size.

The more information that consumers enter, the more refined the search filter becomes with reviews that other customers have rated highly.

There is also a recommendation feature that can be toggled on approximate measurements, which expands the number of search results.

The crowd-sourced information appears at the top of a page and gives a detailed review of the product. It can include a picture of how a clothing item fits on someone as opposed to a mannequin.

Moreover, the section lets consumers write and upload their own reviews straight from the section.

“We’re really bringing to the forefront the content that is most relevant to you in both the reviews themselves and then also the images that go along with those reviews,” Ms. Foxworth said.

Mobile-first mentality
Modcloth also recently rolled out an Android app and reports that 50 percent of traffic comes from mobile.

The brand initially launched a commerce-enabled iPhone app in February, followed by an iPad app in April (see story).

Modcloth was also one of the first brands to integrate a mobile sharing Pinterest tool into its mobile app earlier this year (see story).

A few months ago, Modcloth added a feature to its app that lets consumers add a review with a picture. By adding the feature, Modcloth saw the number of photos being uploaded increase by 30 percent.

Additionally, Modcloth plans to capitalize on mobile this holiday season by offering mobile-only deals.

“I think Modcloth has a real advantage in that it ties thousands of reviews from thousands of customers on thousands of products,” Ms. Foxworth said.

“We found that our customers often reported that they found the reviews of people who are their measurement to be the most helpful,” she said.

“So, we tried to find different ways that we could elevate the product and those reviews that are most relevant to any given customer.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York