My feet are two different sizes, and while I buy two shoes that are the same size in the store, they don’t always fit quite right. Either one is slightly too small, or the other is a little too big.
On our January 30th/February 2nd show, I’m preparing an item on “mass customization”: how to get goods made with mass-produced efficiency/price, but customized to short, or even one-off production runs. Of course, nothing can replace the highly skilled, human-crafted work of an individual artisan, like a shoemaker or a cabinet maker, but few of us have the dosh to have an entire wardrobe of hand-tailored suits and custom designed shoes. The idea of mass customization has been around for decades, but now, we are making the next big leap in customization thanks to advances in technology.
So here’s my question. If you could have one thing in your life tailor made to suit you, what would it be? For me? You guessed it, shoes! Leave us a comment and we’ll try get as many as we can on the air. Thanks!
If I could have just one thing tailor made to suit my needs, it would be my next job!
Pants, and in particular jeans. It’s that damn gap in the back, you know, where your spine stops and your butt, well, juts out. On Wednesday I’ll be picking up three pairs of pants from the tailor. They needed a hem – that I can deal with, I get it, I’m not 5′ 10″ – but each were also getting their own nip and tuck around the waist. To the fashion industry I say; Have the nerve to design for girls’ curves!
I’ve had clothes custom-made here in China — including jeans — and am quite happy with them (They’re much cheaper than in Europe or the US). One thing I haven’t tried that I think I should is getting ties custom-made.
Ties I buy off the rack tend to be either too tight or not tie enough. I could try for skinny ones but they seem to be from luxury brands or small labels that charge way too much.
J.
Arggh, the tyranny of the low slung pants! I have been waiting for that trend to end for ages…
I’m basically greedy. I want a custom desk and chair–adjustable is not sufficient, as I have learned–and I want one of each in my workplace and my home office. I want a custom couch that my wife and I can both sit on, in comfort, for long enough to watch a movie. And oh how I want a custom driver’s seat in my car. Highway driving is amazingly uncomfortable if it lasts more than 20 minutes.
As for custom clothes: There is nothing that irritates me more about clothes more than having sleeves that are too short, and the shirts with sufficiently long sleeves make me look thirty pounds heavier… and those are the *tapered* shirts. I want custom shirts, pants, and jeans, and of course shoes.
Does the blog (and now the Wiki) make Spark a custom-fit radio programme?
Custom made pants would be my selection. The problem of course, is that among a group of women with the same waist size, you will have a range of hip sizes, as well as a range of inseams. Men’s pants are often made with 2 variables addressed – waist and inseam. Women’s pants are rarely available in more than one length, and have a fixed waist:hip ratio – so only one variable is addressed. The fashion industry DOES make pants to fit a woman’s curves; the problem is that they are made to fit one specific woman’s curves!
Jeans! Oh how much I would give for cheap custom made jeans…I am short and curvy and apparently that disqualifies me as a jeanswearer. They're always too long, too low, too small around the waist. My favourite pair of jeans have holes all over them, but the prospect of having to find new ones is just too discouraging.
And yet, when you go into the store, there are all these different types of jeans…and yet there isn’t much variation in the type of body they are supposed to fit. Just 20 different types of stitching on the back pockets! I hear you!
Please, let’s have gloves with fingers long enough for normal hands.
I have quite long hands, for a woman anyway, and I find the same thing! Those short fingers are very irritating!
Clothes I can deal with. Maybe it’s because I’m a guy, maybe it’s because I have lower standards, or I’m closer to the norm, but finding clothes that fit well and look good has always been a challenging adventure – but an adventure.
One thing I am looking at getting custom made is in-ear headphones. You can get them moulded to fit your ear. I work with audio a lot, and I want something that I can wear comfortably for a few hours. All that lies between me and then is a couple hundred dollars and the time to go sit down and get a mould of my ear (that’s got to be an interesting process).
I love reading this string because it’s so true that one size does not fit all! This is especially true when it comes to clothes or anything we wear. Take it a step further and think about the Web (ya, it’s not a fad — it’s here to stay). Why are so many e-retailers still giving us the same one-SITE-fits-all experience? Especially when it truly doesn’t have to be that way. Fortuntately, I have the luxury of working with several smart e-retailers (roots, danskin, etc) who use web personalization to make sure every visitor (aka potential customer) sees the right product/offer at the right time. Having every web site experience tailored to my specific needs and interests – now that’s what I want!
I love reading this string because it’s so true that one size does not fit all! This is especially true when it comes to clothes or anything we wear. Take it a step further and think about the Web (ya, it’s not a fad — it’s here to stay). Why are so many e-retailers still giving us the same one-SITE-fits-all experience? Especially when it truly doesn’t have to be that way. Fortuntately, I have the luxury of working with several smart e-retailers (roots, danskin, etc) who use web personalization to make sure every visitor (aka potential customer) sees the right product/offer at the right time. Having every web site experience tailored to my specific needs and interests – now that’s what I want!
Oh boy, would I ever love a pair of custom fit jeans! Every woman who posted here today feels like I do. I have not bought jeans since low rise became the fashion. They do not stay up! I refuse to keep tugging on the waist band to pull them up.
@Carolyn, I just started using iGoogle, the customized Google page, so it has my weather, calendar viewer etc, all customized the way I want. I love netvibes for the same reason. I think this is definitely a trend.
@Bev, I couldn’t help but notice how common this is for women. Our workplace is pretty casual, but it seems a bit much if I find myself hiking my pants up by your belt loops while talking to my co-workers. Suspenders!
Hi,
Just wanted to relate my experience buying online customized clothing. I recently bought a pair of custom jeans from makeyourownjeans.com, which is a company based in India. You basically input your measurements on their website (they show you where to measure) and then you pick the cut and the fabric. I wanted a pair of somewhat-lowrise bootcut jeans made from raw (unwashed) 14oz denim. The jeans arrived about 2wks after order, the hardest part of ordering was actually getting the jeans from purolator. They are exactly the style I wanted and fit perfectly. The other cool thing they will do is to clone your favorite pair of old jeans.
I not only wanted something tailor made, I had them tailor made; a set of motorcycle riding leathers. The pants I ordered from Lewis Leathers in England and the jacket came from Schott Bros in NYC. (Of interest, Marlon Brando wore a Schott, the Ramones wore Schotts, and even James Dean wore Schott leathers) As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. With riding leathers it’s best to buy quality as you wear them for long periods of time and you expect to have them for years. Don’t waste money on junk.
Thank you Alex! the website for custom made jeans I was looking at was much much more expensive and they didn’t do the cloning! (and all it time for my birthday