And there's the one big unanswered question. We have this technology raring to go but are we psychologically ready for it? Do we want a clothes hanger bossing us around? It's one thing to ask yourself, "Does my bum look big in this?", but when you can see yourself from every angle in virtual reality the truth may be overwhelming. Our human vanity may just get the better of us. We may not want to discard our clothing, step into a scanner and discover who - in material terms - we really are.

Colin McDowell, the fashion writer and historian, believes that other human varieties will be uncovered in the future, leading the top designers to change their rules. If a £300 suit from Topman is indistinguishable from one costing £3,000 in Jermyn Street, how do you show the world that you are a man of wealth and taste?

"If well-fitting clothes become affordable, the designers will have to change how they think," he believes. "What will happen is that high fashion will become richer and exotic, more baroque. It will have to look expensive. The minimalists - the Calvin Kleins, Helmut Langs and Armanis - will have to do a lot of rethinking. High-end fashion will become much more decorative to show it is actually high fashion."

What is clear is that fortunes are to be made in this new era. In a global business that employs millions worldwide (2m work in manufactoring in the EU alone), the implications are enormous.

"The retailer who finds the formula stands to make millions, and it's a huge challenge for the industry," says Juliet Warkentin, a creative strategist and former magazine editor. "There is a desire for products that fit, and an emotional need. I think customisation will happen gently and slowly and small companies will roll it out."