With the recent release of Vogue’s SS25 inclusivity report, our attention is drawn to the strides already made in this area in fashion but also to how much there still is to do. Sizing, gender, cultural inclusivity and so forth are big topics in fashion but for those of us within the workwear industry, there are additional considerations such as safety and productivity. Poorly fitted garments may not protect the wearer as required and discomfort, be it physical or emotional, can lead to a lack of productivity so workwear needs to fit well and feel comfortable, on everyone.
Earlier this month, Bodi.Me had the privilege of participating in a Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide (PCIAW) inclusivity round table. Driven by the changing demographics of the global workforce, the industry has made some really big advances in this area over the past few years. However, participants in the round table agreed that there was more work to be done. Considerations such as neurodiversity, cultural and religious requirements, and workwear for maternity and menopause were all covered.
One of the key areas the table looked at was the need for inclusive sizing terminology. Not only with size alone in mind, but also in terms of gendering or the non-gendering of garments. We agreed that fit-focussed workwear and PPE is an absolute must and moving beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all approach is essential.
At Bodi.Me we believe that addressing apparel sizing and fit issues will also help to improve sustainability and profitability, so in our view this really is a big area to build on. We are big advocates for changing the way we talk about sizing and fit, which was a major area discussed at the round table. We recently worked closely with a large government organisation to develop a specialist sizing system for their new catalogue of workwear. We developed our Size-Me 4.0 specifically to address this challenge, with great success. We believe that using the correct technology, such as our Size-Me 4.0 can help the industry to move away from potentially stigmatising terms such as “plus size” or “extra large”, as well as “men’s” and “ladies”, in favour of more inclusive systems.
In terms of fit, many one-size or “gender neutral” designs and sizing systems are based on a cismale-fit and don’t work for the cisfemale build. The group discussed how garment manufacturers should look to offer their products in a male-based fit and female-based fit but using alternate terminology to avoid gendering the garments. Our Size-Me system delivers just that. When using Size-Me 4.0, employees can fit what they require without the need for gender-specific or stigmatising sizing. Using some basic measurements that they may already have to hand, a 3D avatar is created, which shows them how the garment they choose may fit them. They can then make the necessary adjustments to their selection to ensure that they get the right fit for them, first time.
The biggest business issue discussed during the session was that while everyone agrees that advancing inclusivity within the workwear industry is an absolute must, producing and maintaining a stock of alternative fits can be an added expense. Addressing issues such as minimum orders and fair pricing for alternative fits is a big consideration. Again, technological advances such as Bodi.Me’s Size-Me system can help manufacturers to better plan future stock requirements, helping to reduce costly waste. In turn this alos supports manufacturers and their customers in achieving ESG goals and staying on the right side of sustainability legislation.
In conclusion, participants in the PCIAW round table discussion all agreed that creating inclusive uniforms, workwear and PPE changes people’s lives and supports businesses so it is an essential area of development for our industry and we believe that using the right technology to support your business in this area, is essential if you want to get ahead. We continue to develop our technology to address these challenges and to support our customers with easy-to-use, adaptive systems such as Size-Me 4.0.