Pinterest makes women’s fashion searches more inclusive

The social media platform is launching a new tool allowing users to select the body types they want to see in their search results.

Pinterest has launched a tool that gives users the option to select the body type they want to see in their search results.

Users can now choose from four body types while searching for content regarding women’s fashion or weddings. Pinterest originally introduced the function in the U.S. two weeks ago, and during its debut, the platform showcased different fashion brands in curated sections that highlight recommendations from fashion experts. Eloquii, Mara Hoffman, and Osei Duro were among the featured brands.

The body type setting is part of a broader effort to incorporate AI-powered technology on the platform and help it achieve its objective of being more inclusive, according to the social media giant. The tech behind the new tool recognizes the figure, size and shape of the body types that are featured in the platform’s more than 3.5 billion images.

“We are leveraging AI to bring greater inclusion to our product design. With body type ranges, we’re connecting people to content that represents them because we know that they don’t always feel that their bodies are represented online,” a company spokesperson tells MiC. “Body type ranges also gives Pinterest users more intentional choice and control over what they see on Pinterest.”

Pinterest introduces this feature after running previous tests that showed that users who used body type ranges had a 66% higher engagement rate per session on the platform than those who did not use the tool.

The company has been updating the platform to make it more inclusive. In 2021, it unveiled two features that allow users to select the skin tone and hair type they want to see when searching for content on the platform. The tools, according to Pinterest, have been a success: the use of the skin tone setting jumped 190% year on year, while the hair type setting increased 225%. Gen Z people are the users who have used the tools on the platform the most.

“On Pinterest, we strive to create a platform that has meaningful intent and we want the experience to feel additive to users. Pinterest’s mission is to help users create a life they love and that starts with providing content that is useful. That means users show up on Pinterest with intent,” the company says.

Pinterest plans to launch the body type tool in other countries in the coming months, and expand it to cover men’s fashion-related searches.