[TC]² Technology Communicator
[TC]² Announces Expanded 3D Body Scan Virtual Fashion Content Creation Using V-Dresser
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
First released in 2009, the [TC]² Virtual Fashion component of the NX-16 3D body scanning system is now being expanded to include an addition source for 3D garment content. Garments can soon be visualized on the 3D body scan-created avatar using the V-Dresser software package. Today, the widely recognized Browzwear V-Stitcher and OptiTex 3D systems can be integrated within [TC]²’s software, in addition to content from Virtual-Fashion Pro.
According to [TC]²’s David Bruner, “Our intention is to make it as easy as possible for our 3D body scan clients to be able to visualize their garment content on the NX-16 body scan-created avatar in real time for their customers. With Browzwear V-Stitcher and OptiTex 3D, clients are able to use a virtual sewing and draping process to create 3D garment models. With Virtual-Fashion Pro they are able to directly model garments in a 3D environment. Now, with V-Dresser, customers can create 3D garment content directly from garment photos, providing yet another way to create content for the NX-16 Virtual Fashion system. This new resource is valuable in those instances where garment samples might be accessible, but garment patterns are not. It also is useful when large volumes of garment content need to be created at low cost but still with high quality. In some cases, photo assets used for web page illustration can serve dual purpose to create 3D models of the garment.”
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Sample 3D Garments Created with V-Dresser |
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For questions regarding V-Dresser, please use our contact form.
Seminar Offerings at [TC]²
Grading for Fit – March 16-18
Proper grading ensures good fit of a manufactured garment. Learn basic principles of fit and grading. Hands-on projects include deriving grade rules and manual grading of three basic garments.
Seminar Highlights:
• Analyze designs to determine where grading is needed |
This seminar is designed for technical designers, product developers, patternmakers, and small business owners/entrepreneurs.
Apparel Specification Components - April 28-29
Seminar Highlights:
Learn critical points for developing technical specifications:
• Fabric – characteristics and selection |
This seminar is designed for technical designers, product developers, patternmakers, and small business owners/entrepreneurs.
For additional information or to register, call Debra Gill at 919.653.3501, or use our contact form.
When is a bargain not a bargain?
When you don’t wear it
By Kim Anderson, [TC]²
Apparel companies try a variety of strategies to grab and retain the consumer’s attention:
• Replenishing the shelves with new items keeps the consumer frequenting the store.
• Keeping up with cutting edge color forecasts and trends keeps the consumer intrigued.
• And, competitive pricing keeps them buying.
In today’s sluggish market, where parting with a dollar is increasingly difficult to justify, what’s swaying the consumer to buy or pass on purchasing a new piece of clothing? A concept coined “cost per wear” (CPW) is gaining traction and consumers are using it to make the ultimate decision—to buy or not to buy.
CPW is a concept that rationalizes the expense of a garment—regardless of the price. CPW is calculated by dividing the number of times a garment is worn by its original cost. For example, a $3,000 suit becomes a $1500 suit after two wearings, and after one hundred wearings— only $30 per wear.
Everyday basic clothing has a lower CPW than other types of garments. Items with a high CPW are those that are seasonal, trendy and worn on special occasions. And, those that end up being uncomfortable and unflattering have the ultimate CPW.
• Seasonal Items
Seasonal items are those that are worn in specific seasons. Seasonal apparel can be subject to a high CPW. For instance, a person might love high boots and scarves but lives in Southern Florida. These items could only be worn a few weeks out of the year. Regardless of the original price, these items would result in a high CPW.
• Trendy items
Younger consumers are especially susceptible to the vagaries of trendy styles. Trendy apparel is introduced every season at top dollar prices. However, just as they alight on the shelves, trendy items often fade into oblivion by the next season. Clothing that is so trendy that it is only worn when it is fashionable has a high CPW.
• Special occasion items
Special occasion items are some of the worst offenders. These items include prom, wedding dresses, christening gowns and communion dresses, which are usually purchased at a high price and worn once—giving them a very high CPW.
• Uncomfortable items
One of the main reasons shoes often have a high CPW is that it can be hard to determine if they are going to be comfortable just by trying them on in the store. And unlike apparel, you can’t give them a trial run—once they hit the pavement they’re rendered non-returnable.
With apparel, uncomfortable can be a mental state as well as a physical one. If you feel mentally uncomfortable when wearing something, whether it is the color or styling, you’re less likely to wear it.
• Unflattering Items
Often people buy clothes because they have been heavily discounted. However, if the garment doesn’t look good on or go with other things in an existing wardrobe, they often end up hanging in the closet with the tags still on.
Other Perspectives
There are other considerations that justify a high CPW.
• Not all clothing is purchased just to wear
Not all clothing is purchased based on usability. People purchase clothing for a variety of reasons—admiration of the craftsmanship, historic interest or simply beauty. In many women’s closets you’ll find an1890’s corset residing in a box with acid-free paper or an elaborately beaded size 0 sweater stored in a cedar chest, or the pricey bright gold Chinese silk kimono. It is likely that these items will never be worn resulting in cost per no wear.
• Unexpected Performance Issues
There are successes and failures at all levels. Even basic items can end up with a high CPW. Some fabrics will unexpectedly pill, shrink or discolor, resulting in a shorter life span—and ultimately a high CPW .
• Unpredictability and Maintenance
There is also an unpredictable factor involved with calculating CPW, making it difficult to know which purchases will result in a high or low CPW. For instance, the expensive two-piece suit where the jacket ends up being a favorite item but the pants end up at Goodwill. In addition, some garments require relatively expensive maintenance—such as dry cleaning. Dry cleaning not only adds to the maintenance cost but there is also a cost in the time and transportation entailed in getting it to the cleaners.
• Pure Pleasure of a Garment
Low CPW does not always reflect the pleasure a garment can bring when it is worn—even if that means wearing it once. The pleasure a garment brings to someone can counteract a high sticker price, making it a cost per wow. The Banana Republic suit might be worn 100 times more than an Armani suit but the Armani gives you 10 times the WOW of the Banana Republic suit.
Conclusion
The concept of CPW can be a good starting place to determine whether an item of clothing should be purchased. CPW revolves around the idea of putting your money toward a piece of clothing that you will continually wear while embracing the outlook that it is an investment. The more times you wear it, the better the return on your initial purchase.
[TC]² Activity
The Haitian Apparel Sector
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
As you may have read in our message last week, [TC]² has been working in conjunction with USAID and CHF International to develop a Haitian Apparel Center. Three of our staff members were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake on January 12th. They have returned home safely, and the work continues to organize and support the Haitian apparel sector.
Wanda Bianchini has lead [TC]²’s efforts to “train the trainers“ as part of the sewing operator training program in the initial start-up phase of the center. She has worked in Haiti for many years, and has a sincere desire to assist the population in any way possible. She and her husband, Fernando, with support from other musicians have organized a concert to raise money for Haiti. We are grateful for Wanda and Fernando’s initiatives to assist Haiti. An excerpt from an article in the LaPrensa newspaper in San Pedro Sula, Honduras describes their efforts.
Catrachos Singers in "Honduras is with Haiti"
"Honduras is in Haiti" is the name of a concert that some singers and musicians planned for the San Pedro Sula Sunday 7 of February. Diario La Prensa endorses the activity organized by singer Fernando Bianchini, leader of Cappuccino.
"The activity is created by Fernando, he brought together several artists and companies like the Hilton Princess, Credomatic and Sula Bottling to make this possible," said Luz Victoria Ortega, one of the organizers.
Many national artists in Honduras have agreed to participate on a voluntary basis, with the proceeds being processed through the Ruth Paz Foundation.
Member Profile - TEXbase
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
Since 2002, TEXbase, of Bozeman, Montana, has been delivering superior technology solutions to the textile and apparel supply chain. TEXbase provides material suppliers and brands/retailers with the strategies, technologies, and applications needed to precisely manage material innovation and product integrity.
For brands and retailers, TEXbase offers three main components: Material, Lab, and Color. For apparel development and sourcing teams, TEXbase Material offers a collaborative software application that enables teams involved in apparel design and development to more effectively manage their material innovation and sourcing processes.
TEXbase Lab enables Quality Assurance teams to more effectively collaborate with product development teams, as well as supply chain partners, to increase overall product quality and compliance while TEXbase Color streamlines the process of color approval.
On the supply side, material vendors and technology innovators utilize TEXbase Marketing Manager to increase market share and maintain brand equity. Suppliers are able to manage their demand chain, organize fabric libraries and collaborate more effectively with their apparel brand customers. Specifically, TEXbase Connect allows suppliers to expose their fabric libraries to brand partners and collaborate in real-time on lab test requests, performance specifications and other critical business processes.
The key benefits to using TEXbase collaborative software are to improve quality; accelerate product life cycles; and reduce operating expenses. Customized solutions can be designed to fit specific applications. To learn more, visit www.TEXbase.com.
Annual Meeting of Members and The Board of Directors – [TC]²
April 13, 2010
[TC]² cordially invites all members to attend the annual meeting at its Cary, NC facility on April 13th. The meeting will commence at 9:30 a.m. with updates on [TC]²’s activities, followed by industry presentations. Chuck Millsaps of Great Outdoor Provision Company will discuss the retail business environment from his perspective. Fred Jackson of American & Efird will talk about “Going Global when Global wasn’t Cool.” A&E has for years conducted joint ventures in other countries, and Fred will explain how domestic manufacturing can take place anywhere.
Representatives of GeniSys Networks will demonstrate the company’s IT products and how global communication can be improved. And, Susan Nichols of Apparel Magazine has invited SAS, a global supplier of Business and Analytics and Business Intelligence software, to share some of their innovative practices.
Following the meeting, lunch will be provided. To help us make luncheon arrangements and to plan seating, please RSVP by April1st via our contact form or call Debra Gill at 919.653.3501.
We appreciate your continued support, and look forward to seeing you in April.
SPESA EXPO 2010 Attendee Registration Opens Online
Free online registration is now available for attendees of SPESA EXPO 2010 online at http://www.spesaexpo.com. Executives and professionals from every business segment of the diverse fashion and sewn products industry can now register to attend the world’s largest and most comprehensive industry event of 2010 to be held on May 18-20 in Atlanta, Georgia (USA). As an integral part of Textile and Sewn Products Industry Week, SPESA EXPO attendees will need to register only once to gain entrance to all three co-located trade events, including Techtextil North America and ATME-I/Megatex.
In addition to show registration, the newly launched site also enables registrants to purchase discounted advance registration in the thirty industry issue workshops and seminars offered in the SPESA EXPO Forum. Other valuable tools available to attendees at the site include event schedules, local hotel information, business visa information and invitation letters for international travelers, and other important event and local area information.
“The SPESA EXPO registration site has been redesigned to make registering for the 2010 event easier while providing more information than ever before,” noted SPESA President Benton Gardner. “By registering in advance, attendees can also save money through discounts and package pricing on our comprehensive educational programs. Of course, the fact that a single badge gives attendees access to three major industry events is the ultimate convenience.”
Important Dates
February
16-18 |
MAGIC Trade Show, Las Vegas Information at www.magiconline.com |
March
10-12 |
AAFA Executive Summit, Washington, DC. For details visit www.apparelandfootwear.org |
16-18 |
Grading for Fit Seminar at [TC]². Click here for details. |
23 |
Apparel Tech Conference West, Los Angeles. For information or to register, go to www.apparelmag.com |
April
13 |
Annual Meeting of Members and the Board of Directors, [TC]² Cary, NC office. |
28-29 |
Apparel Specification Components Seminar at [TC]². Click here for details. |
For detailed information about industry events, visit www.techexchange.com
Thanks to the techexchange site sponsors
Apparel Magazine, Gerber Technology, Lawson, Lectra, Methods Workshop and Reach Technologies.
A Look Ahead in the Newsletter
SPESA Expo 2010 Updates
View previous editions of this newsletter
[TC]²
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www.tc2.com
Phone: 919-380-2156
Fax: 919-380-2181
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