In 2018 just 27% of all clothing purchased was done online. With the majority of clothing still purchased in physical stores, we know there is a definite correlation between apparel and people’s willingness to buy before trying-on. Online retailers continue to experiment with ways to make consumers feel confident they’re buying the best fitting item. Advances in technology and machine learning are allowing for improvements in this area, Tailored is one such company who has developed an automated garment measuring technology. Providing clothing measurements is one way they envision improving consumer confidence and it’s showing signs of promise.
Why Knowing The Clothing Measurements Helps
Why would viewing the measurements of a garment for sale be valuable to shoppers? For comparison purposes of course. It makes sense because we use measurements to guide us through most other purchases (think eye glasses, hats, jewelry, appliances, furniture). It especially makes sense because clothing is one of the only consumer purchases where a good fit is subjective.
To test this theory, the largest internet-based clothing reseller in the US recently conducted a study. For three months they did not provide the physical measurements of clothing items listed for sale. The response from consumers? Chaos.
The Easiest Way to Measure Clothes
The reason retailers haven’t gotten into sharing clothing measurements online is because it’s difficult. Measuring clothing by hand is extremely laborious and not all that accurate. This is why Tailored created Capture, an automated measuring software for fashion retail. Whether you’re in traditional retail or clothing resale, Capture will help you solve issues around returns, conversions and efficiency.
The success rate at which consumers are able to purchase a garment online they won’t return is slowly improving because of improvements to the information provided and the tools at their disposal. We hope this trend continues along with the increased willingness of retailers to display clothing measurements online.