apparel sizing
apparel sizing
 
Do you or someone you know suffer from size-a-phobia? Or worse — is your online brand imprint muddled with sizing complaints resulting in negative customer reviews.
 
It's time to stop focusing on the size and pick up your mobile phone. There's an app for that.
 
U.K. computer programmer Anna Powell-Smith has collected the official apparel size data and built a data visualisation to assist the women of Britain and the US navigate the sea of sizing options sold at various shops. The end result is a web app called What Size Am I?.
 
The application, inspired by The New York Times article: One Size Fits Nobody: Seeking a Steady 4 or a 10, lets you put in your measurements (bust, waist and hips) in inches and cm and recommends brands and sizes that would fit the best. Due to the three unique datapoints, the results favor different body shapes flattered by different stores.

What Size Am I?
 
"I tested the app with friends, and while some felt that fit also depends on fabric and cut, we were all interested to see the variation between shops... I also adapted it to display nicely on mobile phones, so you can use it on the move," said Ms. Powell-Smith within a datablog post on The Guardian website. "I'm surprised no-one has explored the data or built a similar site before, but then being a computer programmer and a fashion fan is… unusual. Coders get an unfair press in some ways (I find most are articulate and charming) but when it comes to fashion, the clichés are largely true. Tech conferences are a sad sea of baggy black T-shirts," she continued.
 
In an industry where virtual fitting rooms are the latest lure to dress the average woman, What Size Am I? provides a simple non-augmented solution based on official measurements published online by each shop: closest sizes estimated with least squares.
 
We love the motto: "Finding clothes that fit shouldn't be so hard. Add your measurements here to find out which high-street sizes are best for you," and hope manufacturers and retailers take note.
 
{source: Guardian.co.uk}
click and collect
After years of trying to drive customers to their e-commerce sites, retailers like Sears, Nordstrom and Wal-Mart have all instituted programs that let you order an item online and then pick it up at a brick-and-mortar location.
 

 
This strategy to get shoppers to set foot in their stores and breaches the divide between e-commerce and real world sales as competition grows from Amazon and other online retailers. The convenience, for both consumers and retailers assists in streamlining inventory because many stores had previously offered different selections online than in store. In a world where shoppers are becoming accustomed to browsing digitally, it just makes sense to sync the Web and in-store experience.

Examples include:

  • Wal-Mart announced last week that it would expand an old program with a new one called “Pick Up Today" from 2,000 items in less than a quarter of its stores to 40,000 items (by the fourth quarter), including baby items, toys, electronics, video games and appliances in an initiative expected to reach nationwide (3,600 stores) by June. When the order is ready, customers will receive a text message or e-mail alerting them when their orders are ready.
  • Wal-Mart will now let consumers refill prescriptions and order photos via its mobile website.
  • Nordstrom recently combined its inventory so that if the online stockroom is out of an item, a store that has it can ship it to the Web customer as part of their "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" service offering.
  • Best Buy, Ace Hardware, JC Penney and Sears are among the others offering “ship to store” programs.
 

By motivating customers to visit brick-and-mortar, the retailer increases the chances that they’ll pick up another item or two on the way to the checkout - increasing retailers UPT (units per transaction). "Click and Collect" services can also decrease labor costs, in addition to shipping, if employers tap in-store employees during down sales hours.
 
Intriguing trends & hand-selected stories...

FOOD

  • Coca-Cola Freestyle’s new self-serve soda fountain that allows customers select drinks based on brand, calorie content or caffeine levels, all through the system's touchscreen interface that can dispense up to 100 different drink flavored teas, waters, juices and soft drinks (via Springwise)

 
  • We love these hilariously absurd Superego podcasts featuring improvised “character studies” like California Cooking with Claymore Cleveland (via Flavorwire).
  • Double pop: A pop-up popsicle concept that might give the ice cream man a run for his money.
  • A visual exploration of 11 crazy potato chip flavors from around the world.

 
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FASHION
  • Five lifestyle-enhancing future of shopping applications that augment the online and traditional retail experience.
  • Standard hotels & Quiksilver collaborate on a swimsuit vending machine that distributes '70s-style trunks for the guys, and a black bikini for the ladies. First there was the (remember the flat shoe vending machine).
  • Le Bon Marché in Paris to sell Balenciaga Edition- a selection of clothes carefully chosen from couturier Cristobal Balenciaga’s original designs (via WWD).
  • Claw Money pops at Fred Segal with all new creative products and never-before-seen pieces (unlike some of those other pop-up stores that are just clearing out old inventory).
 
Carefully cultivated and constantly pruned news...

{photo: BrandImage}
FOOD

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FASHION

 
  • Behind-the-scenes video from Vogue May 2009 issue and interview with Steven Meisel.
  • Department Store sues mall owners for allowing it to deteriorate into "ghost town" (over built & over consumed).
  • The “Your Message Here” installation by artists Shauna Alterio and Stephen Loidolt closes at Fred Flare.
  • Photos from The Shelby at Colette (hi-low graphics meets curating and unity).
  • A trailer has been released for Coco avant Chanel- which premieres in Paris on April 22nd (no US date yet).
  • Merci: a delightful new charitable retail concept in Paris.
 

{photo: JamieOliver.com}
 
UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is embarking on a chain of food stores named Recipease that allows customers to create meals with the assistance of culinary professionals in London.

He believes the concept offers "solutions in the neighborhood that people need these days, as so many people were never taught to cook at home or in school. By having trained chefs helping the customers I think we can really get people excited about food. . . . I really believe that if the produce and product is exceptional and good value, then people will find this service dead handy."

While it's not a new idea here (see Designed Dinners, DYI Dinners, Dream Dinners), Recipease will be the first concept with the endorsement of a celebrity chef. And, unlike the American versions, customers can prepare or purchase ready-made meals.

 
So, why haven't other celebrity chefs backed this type of a franchise model in light of tough economic times? It's certainly better than frozen or packaged food and under this model one could control quality.
 
A chef like Alice Waters or Thomas Keller could even go so far as to demand sustainable organic produce be used to increase emphasis on their brand standards while educating customers about the best products from farm to table. It would take the DIY dinner concept from cookie party to gourmet.

{source: yumsugar}

 

{image: Kmart.com}
 
As credit shrinks, layaway is popping up in the most usual places. Listen to this commentary from NPR on the trend this holiday season.
 

 
We doubt that Carrie Bradshaw will be sipping a bottled Cosmo from "Cocktails by Jenn" but it's sure an interesting concept. Flanked by the Pina Colada and Blue Hawaii, the packaging does look modern and enticing at the ABC in Honolulu.
 

Places we dig: A creative salad company in Manhattan is elevating quick casual dining. Choose from two salad/sandwich options, over 60+ fresh ingredients and 28 dressings to create the dish of your dreams or pick a chef-designed alternative. All ingredients are then chopped with a double-bladed mezzaluna knife and served with flat bread. We were impressed with the on-trend & customizable approach to the bustling lunchtime scene.