Selling made-to-measure clothing online sounds like a contradiction: made-to-measure is born from the contact between tailor and customer. Yet more and more ateliers and brands offer made-to-measure or made-to-order garments on the web. The hard part is not the configurator or the payment, but the measurements: how to collect them from people who are not in the store, without errors.
This guide covers the made-to-measure models, how to structure measurement collection and what happens next.
Ready-to-wear, made-to-measure and bespoke
- Ready-to-wear: standard sizes, the customer picks the closest one.
- Made-to-measure from a base: you start from a sized pattern and adapt it to the customer's measurements.
- Bespoke: the garment is built on the person's measurements.
The closer you get to bespoke, the more complete and reliable the measurements must be.
A structured form, with units and checks
If measurements come from a form, structure matters: one measurement per field, the unit always shown, a drawing or short video for each measurement point, checks on out-of-range values. A free text field produces data that is hard to use in production.
Before or after payment
Collecting every measurement before payment lengthens the purchase path. Many prefer to ask for a few details at checkout and complete the measurements right after, with a confirmation before production starts. Either way, someone needs to check the data.
Smartphone-guided measurements
A guided scan reduces tape measure errors: with ScanFlow the customer scans a QR code with their phone and follows the instructions, then an operator reviews and corrects the measurements before saving them. The profile stays available for reorders, so the customer does not have to measure again.
From data to production and 3D
Measurements are needed by the people who cut and sew, but also by product development. Exporting them directly to CLO3D, as the ScanFlow plugin allows, avoids copying them by hand onto the avatar and speeds up pattern development.
Common mistakes
- Asking for the customer's «usual size» instead of measurements.
- Not explaining how to take each measurement.
- Starting production without a human check of the data.
- Not keeping the profile, forcing the customer to start over on reorder.
For ateliers and showrooms, a booth like the 3D Body Scanner collects full measurements in a few seconds. We compare the two approaches in the guide on the 3D body scanner in store.
Frequently asked questions
When should you ask for measurements in made-to-measure online?
Many ask for a few details at checkout and complete the measurements right after, with a confirmation before production; either way someone needs to check the data.
How do you reduce errors in measurements taken at home?
With a structured form, one measurement per field and instructions for each point, or with a smartphone-guided scan validated by an operator such as ScanFlow.
Can the measurements be used in CLO3D?
Yes, with ScanFlow measurements export to CLO3D through the dedicated plugin, with no manual copying onto the avatar.