Posted on Jun 27, 2022.

The article analyses the trends dominating the clothing industry, alternating between readymade and customized clothing.

Traditionally most people wore customised clothing as the availability and accessibility of readymade brands were limited. Readymade clothes were considered fancy because of their high price and less usage. However, as times changed, readymade clothes were whole heartedly accepted by people because they became cheap and easily available. With the readymade clothing business gaining momentum and utilising the economies of scale, demand started shifting towards it.

This drastic change in the liking and demand for readymade clothes have not come on its own. The shift can principally be attributed to the widespread modifications in business plans made by readymade brands which then rightly appealed to customers. This included increasing the variety, reducing the prices, and quickening the processes involved in the apparel manufacturing process. To bring this change, the raw materials were sourced from nearby locations, and the clothes were stitched in a mass-producing factory unit.

As the readymade clothing industry surged, the customisation clothing industry went downhill. A majority of people started finding customisation of clothes excessively time-consuming and expensive in the wake of the newly available readymade apparel. This extensive shift in demand resulted in the industry phasing out of the market little by little with time till tailor-made garments became a thing of luxury, meant only for small, concentrated sections of the society.

However, recent times have witnessed a commendable comeback for the customised clothing industry. The prices of readymade clothing, especially designer items have surged dramatically over the decade, but the demand and needs of the public have remained constant. Thus, in today’s day and age of fashionistas, an increasing number of people are looking to get their hands on their desirable designs and fits at economic prices. Ironically, these people are now turning towards customised clothes.

With technology and digitisation at an all-time high, bespoke clothing has also made its mark on the internet as the number of online options for tailor-made clothes have surged. Digital marketing and quick delivery services too have added to the growth. Lastly, the immersive technologies that are fast infesting the world are too playing a crucial role in the comeback. Now people can ‘try on’ tailor-made clothing before even placing the order by using 3D customisation apps and websites that are prevalent these days. The trial option not only assists the customers but also provides insights to the maker of the clothes who can then do a better job of making clothes suiting needs of the customer. The fact that all these processes are conducted online makes them completely contact-free which is just icing on the cake.

The clothing and fashion landscape has been changing constantly over the last few decades. The industry has gone from being customised clothes centered to readymade fittings taking their stead to bespoke clothing gradually making its way back to the throne and hopefully sticking to it. The trends and customer preferences that have dominated the fashion arena have kept on altering every now and then and are principally responsible for the several dynamic shifts in the industry. Basis the current trends, the industry is now escalating fast in the direction of bespoke clothing and is expected to continue in that direction for the foreseeable future. Truly, custom fit clothing is the future of fashion.

Original Post: Is custom fit the future of fashion?