An empirical study on the market for customised clothing for Irish females

Abstract Most women purchase their clothing in a retail outlet however many consumers seem to have difficulty finding the proper fit to certain garments, whether it be with their upper or lower body. Therefore, consumers who are not the average straight-cut shape experience difficulty when shopping for clothes. Many apparel manufacturers still focus on one specific shape however they are four different shapes women can be. Apparel manufacturers are still living in the past in relation to body shapes. Body shapes have change drastically since the 1970’s due to women’s lifestyle now a days. Some department stores carry petite, sixteen plus and tall sections however there is only a limited variety for respondents to choose from within these sections. A prompt reasonable customised service could solve many women’s problems in relation to their clothing fit. As the present economic climate is looking dismal, the non standard sizes are being punished the most as department stores are closing their petite, sixteen plus and tall sections. This can have both a physical and mental effect on women. The lack of availability of properly fitted clothing can affect women’s confidence and self esteem. Recent research indicates that women are becoming bigger in size. Satisfaction levels are quite poor in relation to ready to wear clothing. Many women have to get alterations made to their apparel after purchasing it. With these both in mind a change is needed within the women’s clothing sector. The purpose of this study is to investigate: (1) if there is a market for customised clothing for Irish women, (2) to discover what garment of clothing women have most difficulty finding the proper fit for, (3) the percentage of women in Ireland who already avail of customised clothing services. (4) what method Irish women would prefer to buy their customised clothing, if the service was available, (5) if Irish women would buy customised clothing if the service were available online. Questionnaires were distributed to 60 women in the quayside shopping centre in Sligo town. The final database was 60 respondents. Data were analysed using frequency distributions to describe the characteristics o f the sample.Most women purchase their clothing in a retail outlet however many consumers seem to have difficulty finding the proper fit to certain garments, whether it be with their upper or lower body. Therefore, consumers who are not the average straight-cut shape experience difficulty when shopping for clothes. Many apparel manufacturers still focus on one specific shape however they are four different shapes women can be. Apparel manufacturers are still living in the past in relation to body shapes. Body shapes have change drastically since the 1970’s due to women’s lifestyle now a days. Some department stores carry petite, sixteen plus and tall sections however there is only a limited variety for respondents to choose from within these sections. A prompt reasonable customised service could solve many women’s problems in relation to their clothing fit. As the present economic climate is looking dismal, the non standard sizes are being punished the most as department stores are closing their petite, sixteen plus and tall sections. This can have both a physical and mental effect on women. The lack of availability of properly fitted clothing can affect women’s confidence and self esteem. Recent research indicates that women are becoming bigger in size. Satisfaction levels are quite poor in relation to ready to wear clothing. Many women have to get alterations made to their apparel after purchasing it. With these both in mind a change is needed within the women’s clothing sector. The purpose of this study is to investigate: (1) if there is a market for customised clothing for Irish women, (2) to discover what garment of clothing women have most difficulty finding the proper fit for, (3) the percentage of women in Ireland who already avail of customised clothing services. (4) what method Irish women would prefer to buy their customised clothing, if the service was available, (5) if Irish women would buy customised clothing if the service were available online. Questionnaires were distributed to 60 women in the quayside shopping centre in Sligo town. The final database was 60 respondents. Data were analysed using frequency distributions to describe the characteristics o f the sample.