Webcams in the dressing rooms? Magic mirrors that show customers how they’ll look in new clothes without undressing? Instant communication with a salesperson to bring in more clothes if the first choices don’t fit so well? Text messaging your friends to get their opinion on the clothes you chose?

If you’re a clothing retailer, you should look at this article on InsideBayArea.com. All of the above and more are coming to a department or clothing store near you. The fact that huge tech firms like Cisco Systems and IconNicholson are helping to shape the future of retail is exciting to me. And it’s not just because of the “gee-whiz” factor.

An IconNicholson exec says the system the company developed the system to complement “the social nature of the way people shop, and kick that up a notch.” That should tell you how important it is to connect with all the text-messaging customers who can help spread great word of mouth about your store.

But the tech part has some great advantages as well. A Japanese department store chain uses a system like the one described above. It reports about a 50 percent drop in customer wait times for merchandise, and a 30 percent drop in the time workers spend looking for inventory.

It’s all so pricey now that no one quoted in the article would reveal how much it costs. But you can bet it won’t be too long before price points bring it all down to affordable levels.

If I had a clothing boutique, I’d consider adding webcams outside the dressing rooms so that so tech-savvy spenders could show off their clothing choices to friends you contact for them online. Or encourage them to use their cell camera phones to get their friends involved in the buying decision.

Come to think of it, this could work for gift shops, luggage stores, shoe stores or anyplace where merchandise might warrant a second opinion. It’s a small step toward blending the real and virtual worlds. And you don’t need a Cisco or IconNicholson to try it.