New research reveals rising demand for custom made clothing and personalized
virtual experiences
PRESS RELEASE (CHICAGO, IL – NOV 13 2020) Consumers say they’re ready for the ultimate personalized shopping
experience for clothing, according to a new research study. A whopping 44% of consumers
surveyed say they are interested in or planning to invest in custom made clothing, with
women indexing higher at 49%.
The national survey was deployed in September, and some of the results are included in a
new fashion industry white paper from Balodana called Cultivating Custom . Because of the
pandemic, consulting firm Deloitte issued guidance in April accelerating its earlier
predictions for adoption of custom apparel: they said custom apparel will account for 30%
of the fashion market by 2030. This inspired Chicago startup Balodana to research not just
consumers but also the companies providing solutions that will help make “slow fashion
supply chains” a reality.
“We interviewed a number of companies who provide technology to the industry, from 3D
body scanners to factory automation, and it’s clear the space is heating up quickly,” said
Dana Todd, CEO of Balodana. “As a custom clothing marketplace we are obviously
interested in how we can capture and satisfy all that demand, and how our global network
of tailors can scale their businesses. What we found during our research not only
supported Deloitte’s findings but also indicated adjacencies in virtual showroom adoption
and modified shopping behaviors post-COVID19.”
Key research findings:
- Custom clothing is highly valued by consumers; three-quarters of respondents said
they valued custom clothing at 50% or more compared to mass-manufactured items - 63% struggle with inconsistent sizing in traditional manufacturing, wearing 2 or
more “standard” sizes - A surprising 52% said they’d be willing to wait up to 3 weeks for custom clothing,
and 32% said they’d wait a month - 90% either had a positive experience or were willing to try body measurement
technology via 3D scanning or AI - 62% are somewhat or very comfortable being measured in-person, providing proper
safety precautions are taken
Companies interviewed for the white paper included Gerber Technology, Shima Seiki (TSE:
SHSMF), and Henderson Sewing Machine Co Inc., who are each addressing demands for
sustainability and efficiency in clothing manufacturing. Leaders from these companies
will join Ms. Todd for a discussion panel at the Apparel Textile Sourcing Conference
on Tuesday November 17, 2pm ET.
A number of fashion tech startups also participated in the research: Plenari, Fit:Match,
3DLook, NetVirta, and meepl|Fision AG, recently acquired by Zalando (OTCMKTS: ZLNDY).
The full white paper is available for download at
https://www.balodana.com/cultivating-custom-white-paper
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About Balodana LLC
Balodana is the only multi-brand custom clothing marketplace that inspires and perfectly
fits women who want to master the art of the first impression. In an era in which
consumers expect personalized experiences, tailor-made clothing is not only personal but
the most sustainable way to buy new garments today. We curate designs and designers
worldwide who specialize in women’s made to measure clothing. Customers use their
centralized measurement profile to shop hundreds of custom style patterns in all price
ranges and categories. The company was launched in 2019 serving US markets, with
expansion plans to Canada and Europe in 2021. Balodana is based in Chicago.
