A workshop organized by Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry (ASBCI), titled ‘The Fit Factor – World class wisdom on fashion sizing and fit’ will bring together experts from Marks & Spencer, Tesco, C&A and Debenhams to share their expertise on size and fit. To be held in UK this March, the workshop will look at fit-related issues faced by the industry and focus on specific challenges for the lingerie, tailoring and plus-size sectors as well. Ed Gribbin, President, Alvanon will emphasize on ‘rethinking, redesigning, reinventing apparel sizing and fit strategies,’ with ideas on how the fashion industry can learn new strategies for product design, development and customer communication from other industries. Julia Mercer, Technical Manager (Lingerie), Marks & Spencer, will present the brand’s case on tackling the issue of women wearing the wrong-sized bra, in ‘keeping abreast of regional bra sizing differences’. Alan Wragg, Technical Director, Tesco Stores will discuss ‘how F+F use 3D virtual fits to become more efficient and improve lead times’. ‘Realizing the opportunities of the plus size market’ will see Helen Jack, market and customer’s insights, JD Williams advising attendees on the importance of constantly listening and responding to consumers’ ever-changing demands. Fiona Graham, head of quality assurance at Debenhams, will focus on ‘Fit for the Future’, offering solutions to the challenges of communicating size to online customers, developing fit strategies for the growing market, and customer returns.
