Workshop — USTYYLIT

AGENDA

OPENING GROUP DISCUSSION

Tell us a bit about you and your business
Describe your hardest client to fit
- what made him/her difficult to fit
- how well did you do? Why did it go well or not-so-well?
What is the most important thing you hope you learn today?
Do you have any specific fitting problems that keep coming up with different clients?
In your opinion, what is the difference between Bespoke, Custom and Made to Measure?
Do you prefer to use Fit Tools or Garment Measurements?

HOW TO LISTEN TO THE CUSTOMER

“We were born with two ears and one mouth… we should use them in the same proportions”
Listening is often more important than what we say
You can make your fitting job much easier by starting the appointment with the right questions
- Are you easy or hard to fit into off-the-rack clothes?
- What are the common problems you have when buying off the rack, if any
- Have you ever had a custom garment before?
  - If yes, are you aware of any special adjustments you needed?
- What size do you normally buy off the rack?
  - Jacket / Trouser / Dress Shirt
Do you know the difference between Bespoke, Custom and Made to Measure?

THE ART OF PUTTING ON A JACKET

Sets the opening tone of the fitting
It’s a 2 second event that can resonate with customers for life when done properly
Shows the customer you know what you’re doing and you’re in charge (never let the customer put on his / her own jacket)
If the customer is wearing a long sleeve shirt, make sure to ask them to hold on to the cuffs so the shirt sleeves don’t ride up
Have the customer place their arms straight down at their side, and then put them just behind their body
Place both of their hands inside the armholes and then slide the jacket up their arms while keeping their arms still in place
Make sure to line up the center seam with the center of the customer’s head and neck at the top, and with the “v” opening between their legs at the bottom
Be sure to place the collar snugly against the customer’s neck
Placing your hand on the customer’s back / neck area can help the customer relax his posture
Do not place your customer in front of the mirror. This will often cause him to stand taller and “puff out” his chest
Be sure to wait until the customer has relaxed his posture before examining the jacket for fit

ACT “AS IF”

Act As If you are confident that the resulting fit will be good (even if you’re not sure that it will)
your customer will be more confident about purchasing with you if they feel you are comfortable and confident
need to convey an appearance like you do this all the time (even if you’re new) and you are confident about achieving a good fit
you’ve already off to a good start if you’ve listened to the customer and put on the jacket with ease and confidence
you don’t need to act like you know everything. just that you know you can produce a good result for your customer
Some other important things you can do
- Use a printed worksheet - don’t “wing it” on a blank piece of paper (even if you make many notes on the back)
- Take the time to observe your customer’s physique from all angles, making sure they are standing naturally
- Take pictures of your client with and without a jacket on
  - Front / Side / Back View… with and without jacket on
- Reschedule the appointment if your client is very rushed and is trying to rush the fitting

BODY MEASUREMENTS vs. GARMENT MEASUREMENTS

regardless of whether you’re using Fit Tools, every fitting should start with body measurements
- tells you important things about the customer’s body vs. a “perfect body”
- what is a perfect clothing body? (beach body vs. clothing body… often not the same thing)
analysis of a “perfect man’s” measurements
why does Trands use 1/2 measurements?
why do jackets and pants have the same size number for metric sizing?

FIT TOOLS: Getting into the Details

Choosing the right try-on size
- Jacket - Fit to Chest
- Trouser - Fit To Seat
- Waistcoat - Fit to Chest
Let’s dive into the Fit Tool Manual

GARMENT MEASUREMENTS