Developing sizing & fitting for Asian men’s shirts

How can success be ensured for this market entry?

Shirts are one of the most demanding segments in the menswear product range. Each shirt manufacturer pursues its own sizing & fitting philosophy. A wide range of sizes coupled with a variety of different fits ensure the availability of a large selection in the men’s shirt segment, where the basic size table forms the basis for the correct fitting of this sophisticated product. When a customer has discovered his optimal individual size & fit, he will usually remain loyal to that manufacturer for the rest of his life.

However, how do you proceed if you have little or no knowledge of body shapes and size & fit, despite years of experience on the market? Product development is characterized by expert knowledge, and this is why entering a new market such as Asia represents a major risk, one that’s plagued by uncertainties and questions such as “Which shirt sizes must I offer on the Asian market? What are the ideal body proportions shown in the grading? What does my target customer actually look like? Can the existing European size table be used, or does a completely new table have to be developed?”

Avalution conceived and developed the international body measurements portal iSize, which answers all these questions by enabling users to analyze and compare worldwide body dimension data. It’s true that body proportions in the Asian market are very different from those in Europe – but Avalution identifies necessary adjustments to the existing European size table and develops a shirt size table that ideally reflects the proportions of Asian men. A before and after comparison of the market shares achieved clearly illustrates the market gains and shows the range of sizes with which a company must launch a sales campaign in Asia. The result is a size table for shirts that will fit all Asian men perfectly – and that is the best possible starting point to minimize the risk of market entry in this highly promising region.