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Custom Fashion: Should You Jump On The Bandwagon?
For years, clothing and jewelry retailers flogged us mass-market items, dressing them up to look more like what you might see on the catwalk. But thanks to changes in the economy and increases in wealth, things are changing. Consumers want fashion products that are just for them. They need exclusivity.
Of course, custom clothing has been around for a long time. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans were into it. But only a small segment of society could ever really afford to get their clothes made to size. Throughout history, people have worn generic garments of one kind or another, unless they lived in a tribe and made their own.
People Don’t Want To Start From Scratch
But while people want designer clothes, they don’t want to start from scratch. That’s a little too daunting for most. Playing designer is not in their repertoire. And even if it was, it would take way too much to pull off properly.
The real game seems to be taking a style that they know from an existing designer and doing a twist on it. It’s a way of being both unique and a part of a club.
Many brands are following up with this idea. They’re investing in product lines and customization options that let people play around with colors and textures without altering the garment’s fundamental designs or properties. They’re also innovating by creating “mass tailoring” which is where they make custom clothing production line-friendly.
Something similar is happening in the jewelry market, too. Jewelers don’t expect patrons to come up with their own designs - that would be too complicated. But what they can do is customize existing options to develop something unique. B2C Jewels reviews highlight this process in action. Customers are choosing loose diamonds to put in their rings, necklaces, and brooches, choosing things like the diamond’s cut, size, weight, and clarity. Stockists are holding literally thousands of individual diamonds, allowing customers to find stones that meet their style and budget requirements.
The Role Of Technology
Technology is making it considerably easier for consumers to customize their fashionable items. Websites, sliders, uploading tools, and wizards are all making it easy for people to get exactly what they want.
However, in 2022, it goes beyond even that. Some brands are using AI matching algorithms to suggest the colors and accessory combinations people should buy. These algorithms simplify the shopping experience and leave less to chance.
Making all of this happen has proven extremely challenging. Manufacturing and customization do not go together well. In fact, they conflict directly. There isn’t a single production line in the world that can make something unique for each customer.
With that said, firms are trying to improve customization options without adding to complexity or their underlying costs. At the moment, they are tinkering around the edges. Perhaps in the future, full customization will become available. But then what is the difference between designers and consumers? Consumers will need to work to produce garments and accessories, which isn’t what they want generally.
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