Stitch Fix Taps AI to Redefine Its Business Model … and the Consumer’s Wardrobe

Personalization has long been the holy grail of retail, with brands seeking to tailor the shopping experience to each customer’s unique needs and preferences.

And you can’t spell “personalization in retail” without the two letters “A” and “I” — as in artificial intelligence.

“AI has been part of our journey since day one,” Noah Zamansky, vice president of product and tech and client experience at online personal styling service Stitch Fix, told PYMNTS during a discussion for the When Chatbots Go Shopping 2025 Series. “We believe that at the heart of our experience is that magic we provide when science and our stylists come together.”

At the heart of Stitch Fix’s own platform is its Client Time Series Model,  which continuously learns from billions of data points, Zamansky said.

“Every interaction, from stylist notes to item returns, refines our understanding of each client’s style preferences,” he said, adding that these insights inform everything from recommendations to inventory management, enabling stylists to focus more on creating personalized experiences and less on searching for items.

This commitment to innovation extends to re-engagement strategies like the StyleFile , an AI-powered tool that helps Stitch Fix clients discover their unique style personalities. The model analyzes client ratings of outfits and individual items and scores their compatibility against nuanced style types such as “boho” or “modern” to create a multidimensional style identity for each client.

“It’s become a great conversation piece between clients and stylists,” Zamansky said. “We help people discover the styles they love, that fit perfectly, and make them look and feel their best.”

A one-size-fits-all never worked in fashion and apparel’s analog age, so why should it now in the golden era of personal styling?

From product recommendations to loyalty rewards, retailers strive to answer the customer’s unspoken question: “What’s in it for me?” Retailers are no longer just selling products; they’re selling experiences — ones that feel tailor-made for each customer’s unique vibe. AI is increasingly the engine making it all happen, transforming personal styling from a luxury reserved for celebrities to a scalable service available to the masses.

Dynamic styling is a hallmark of Stitch Fix’s approach, ensuring every client interaction is unique.

“As models and client preferences evolve, we can provide a more personalized experience that’s truly dynamic,” Zamansky said. “While humans remain deeply involved in the creative process, AI ensures quality and agility.”

This adaptability is powered by tools like the Outfits model, which recommends ensembles and outfits based on the client time series model. But AI can also play a role in inventory management.

“Our proprietary tools help predict demand, ensuring we deliver not only the styles clients want today but also the trends they’ll desire tomorrow,” Zamansky said.

The result? Shoppers save time, avoid decision fatigue and most importantly, feel seen, he said. By sharing these insights with partners, Stitch Fix strengthens its ecosystem while optimizing inventory planning.

Looking ahead, Zamansky said he is enthusiastic about the possibilities AI holds for retail. Key areas of focus include multimodal AI, predictive inventory planning and dynamic client engagement.

Multimodal AI, for example, could combine imagery, text and voice to inspire new ways for clients and stylists to communicate.

“Imagine a stylist helping you visualize a new style through photo-realistic imagery,” Zamansky said, adding that this could revolutionize how clients and stylists collaborate on wardrobe choices.

For Stitch Fix, AI isn’t just a tool — it’s a cultural cornerstone, he said. The company fosters innovation through hackathons, where teams experiment with emerging technologies to solve client problems. One hackathon resulted in a widget allowing clients to rate styles directly from their phone’s home screen.

“It’s an innovative way to gather feedback and evolve our understanding of client preferences,” Zamansky said. “These models are contextually aware.”

Ultimately, the use of AI in styling isn’t just about selling clothes; it’s about creating moments of delight — those “How did they know?” moments that keep customers coming back for more, he said. By blending data with intuition, AI helps take personal styling from a high-touch luxury to a scalable, accessible service for every shopper.

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