Tag Archives: business

Take a number: A small history of clothing sizes

 

Pick a size, any size!

So one thing I really struggled with when starting my business was determining what my size chart would be. Because sometimes I wear a size 3, or a 4 or a 6, and sometimes when I’m sewing, I wear a 14. I’m 5’10” and while slender, you don’t grow to be 5’10” without some girth. Logically, (and assuming we’re keeping the current 0-20+ system) I’m sure I should wear something closer to a 14 and save the single digit sizes for petite women.

Otherwise we’re seriously looking at negative sizes. But there’s also the emotional (and societal) attachment to smaller sizes and impact on self-worth and a whole host of things that can be tied to that number…

Ranting didn’t get me any closer to having my own size chart. So I thought about who I wanted to reach- a broad range of women in different shapes and sizes. And especially some with unique fit challenges. I finally blended together the size charts of several companies I respect, and I feel pretty happy about where I’ve landed (check it out here).

But it makes you wonder how we got here, right? To a point where everyone wears like 4 different sizes and dreads jean shopping because of 14 pairs you have to try on to find one that fit. If you’re lucky! I knew about vanity sizing, but I started to wonder what else was going on.

Turns out it’s only been in the last 150 years that all garments foreverandeveramen stopped being made individually for folks by tailors. Men’s sizes started standardizing during the Civil War (1860s), when uniforms were being mass produced (their sizes have the added bonus of being tied to actual measurements, think waist/inseam, etc.). Women’s clothing wasn’t mass produced until into the Industrial Revolution. Around the 1920s catalogs became super popular and that’s really when women started buying ready-made clothing. But it didn’t really fit very well (hmm… Sounds familiar…) Wikipedia says it’s because they tried to just use the bust measurement to guess at the rest of the body (like how men’s chest measurements are pretty good predictors of the rest of their proportions. But there’s a lot more diversity in women’s proportions. :))

{Image source}

I remember reading in an issue of Threads that at some point, girls’ sizes used to be associated with their ages (but now I can’t find the magazine… I’m ashamed at how many dust bunnies I found looking. Will update this post when it’s finally unearthed…:))

So there have been efforts to standardize sizes by the government in the 1930s and 1960s (after ladies stopped wearing corsets, their waists changed- shocking- and clothing stopped fitting again…), but Americans are also taller and heavier than they were in back then, so sizing just continues to be a wily thing! More recently, private companies have even tried to standardize sizing. But vanity sizing is so profitable and so companies are resistant to standardized sizing- there’s no competitive edge if you wear a size 6 at every store…

So it doesn’t look like there will be any changes to our sizing anytime soon. But there is a company that will invite you to step into their body scanner, which takes 200,000 measurements, then spits out a list of which styles at which stores in which sizes will be a pretty good match. Amazing!

And then there’s me. With a tape measure, or a piece of string or ribbon, or something you don’t stretch (even a laptop cord!), you can measure your hips and be pretty darn certain you’ll get whatever size Upitees will make your heart sing. If you have any questions, please let me know!

And stay tuned as I further develop my size chart… I’ve got big dreams for adding body types into the sizing mix, so you might wear a 6 pear or a 10 apple. :)  Can’t wait to go there with you!  

What are your thoughts?  Please comment below- I’d love to hear about where you find the perfect fit or what your frustrations are.  Are you a secret (or not-so-secret) scholar of fashion history or clothing sizes?  Does anything above resonate with you?  I look forward to seeing you in the comments :)

xoxo

Sources for this post that aren’t linked above:

Studio Dreams

My current well-loved, I-wish-it-weren't-so-messy-right-now studio :)

My husband and I have recently made one of the biggest decisions of our adult lives:  to become homeowners.  So scary and so grown up and so logical (?) in this market and with these interest rates.  And exciting.  Because we found a place we really love, have made an offer, and are waiting to hear back from the bank (we will be until May or so…).

I have to admit that I’m a little bit nervous about all the energy moving and becoming a homeowner is going to take.  How will it affect my business?  How long will it take to get settled in?  Will I still be able to give customer service I’m really proud of?  I’m trying to not over think it, but also trying to figure out what I can do ahead of time to ensure smooth sailing… :)  Any ideas for me?  Please comment below!  :)

But!  The super super fun parts that I’m getting really excited about are:  the garden (I have grand dreams for a gray water reclamation project- I am loving reading The Urban Homestead- scroll to the bottom), all the decorating, and.  The studio.  :)  Because there’s a whole room with a whole bank of windows just for me and my ideas.  I can’t wait.  I’ve made a board on Pinterest with ideas for sewing studios and details I love.

So what do you think?  I’d love to hear any wisdom you might have about moving or becoming a homeowner.  Any ideas for a badass sewing room?  Please comment below, and, if you pin, please include a link to where :)

xoxo

P.S.  Another big move coming up soon- we’ll be transitioning to our own [dot]com!   Stay tuned!  :)

Surveying the landscape

On their way!

Just a week after International Women’s Day, and all I can think about is what’s going on in men’s pants.  (Note:  I did think twice before typing that, but decided it wasn’t so racy since I’m actually talking about underpants.  :))

So I’m working on branching out into men’s undies.  My women’s boy-cuts are doing well (have you checked out the testimonials?  People say funny things about underwear!), and women’s briefs are on their way.  But I’ve never bought or made boys’ undies before, so I’m looking for men who are open to answering a few questions candidly about their underwear triumphs and fails to help me get started.  It’ll take 5 minutes or so, and I’d love your help spreading the word!

Take the survey here.  Thank you so much!  :)

You can also swing by the La Vie en Orange facebook page and share from there.  And if you have fabulous, cheeky ideas for spreading the word via twitter (I’m @VieEnOrange), please, please, please do!  :)

xoxo

Market Research

Future clients?

Picture, if you will, my sister-in-law and I at a party on Saturday night. It was in a beautiful, I-swear-I-saw-it-on-Pinterest, super modern, yet way DIY loft in Portland, with 60+ gay men.  Did I mention there were only 2 other women in attendance?  A vision, right?  :)

This was my weekend.  But I had a wonderful time and learned so much over the course of several enthusiastic conversations even though they quickly turned into me being the person cornering my formerly enthusiastic conversation partner (Seriously.  At least 4 times during the night I realized I had trapped the person I was talking to.  I pretty much just looked at my partner and said, “Go.”  I couldn’t believe I’d become that person!  Part of my day job is saving our staff at social events when they get cornered…  Oh, how the mighty have fallen…  :)).

Anyway. Did you know that men (at least several in this group) have some of the same fit issues with their underwear as women?!?  I guess I thought that since they didn’t have birthing (or not-birthing) hips nothing would be out of proportion.  But alas, no such luck, and they face undies that fit in the bottom but bundle at the waist too.  No one is immune!

The men I talked to were floored about my passion for perfectly fitting undies (it knows no gender :)), and implored me to start making men’s underwear.  I’m feeling super energized and inspired.  So.  Stay tuned :)

Have you ever talked to someone about a passion or interest and been met with immediate excitement and acceptance?  I’d love to hear more about it- please comment below!  :)

Is that a story in your underpants?

There's definitely a story here! :)

How do you tell your story?  How do you choose what to leave in or out, what to emphasize?

We all have stories we fall back on, ones we love to tell because they get a great laugh (My best friend and I once got pulled over twice in one night for smoking cigars), or because of their shock factor or uniqueness (The toes on my right foot all died and came back to life.  For real.  Zombie toes.)

So now I’m working on telling my new stories, the ones about my business (why underwear?), my motivations (why tshirts?).  What I do and why, and why people should care (Thank you for caring!  Thank you for reading!).

Yesterday I met Christian from Boomba Chicken.  He’s a kind of professional story teller, a great communicator that helps business people tell their stories.  I’m really looking forward to bringing him into my journey and refining my stories and sharing my experiences.  With you :)

What about you?  What are your favorite stories?  Comment below to share :)

xoxo

The Anatomy of Custom Undies

This week, I bring you the custom undie, care of an amazing customer, A., who agreed to let me photograph the process for you, dear Reader!  :) A. took the plunge, emailed me just after Christmas asking about whether she could send me some tshirts to make undies out of.  Could she ever!  :) See below the amazing transformation of A.’s beloved tshirts. :)

More Cowbell? Yes, please! Keep that cowbell ringing for years!

A. and I emailed about whether to use the front or back of each shirt for the front or back of the undies (if it ever seems like it could get confusing, I include photos during the process to help clarify).

Party Fowl? Unpossible in these beauties! :)

With every customer, I encourage them to buy a pair in their size or use a tshirt for a trial pair before I go past the point-of-no-return just to make sure we’ve got the fit down pat before I cut into your most sentimental of tshirts.  A. had a Maui tshirt that we used first.  She was super pleased with the results so I had the green light to cut into the rest of her shirts (5 in all!).

I’m so grateful to A. for letting me photograph the process.  It was so much fun to see which tshirts meant a lot to her, and cool to help her clean out her tshirt drawer and replenish her undie drawer!

Thank you, A.!

Do you have a favorite tshirt you’d love to turn into some undies?  Any questions?  Thoughts?  Check out this listing in my shop on Etsy to learn more.

xoxo,
Kori

How much do you want to work?

So in the spirit of getting organized in the New Years and keeping up with resolutions, this week I thought I’d share the way I keep track of all that’s going on with La Vie en Orange. It helps me manage priorities and keep from feeling overwhelmed with all there is to do and all I could be doing. Check out the video below, or read on for a more detailed written explanation with photos :) I learned this great project management system from Jeremy Lightsmith at dotORG Weekend, a Seattle volunteer event where tech professionals, grant writers and attorneys donate 30 hours over a 3 day weekend to support participating non-profits’ needs. You can use it to break down big projects (like we did during the 30 hours we spent with our 6 person team), or keep track of lots of different things over a longer period of time, like I do for my creative business, or like we do at the office where I’m a fundraiser for a non-profit law firm.

Where the Agile Planning magic happens

Essentially, each project (or task) gets a card, and a rating for its size/difficulty. I like to rate mine according to tshirt sizes S-XXL or even bigger (I haven’t met a task that big yet :)).  Then, you move your cards left and right through various categories (I’ll start with the furthest right first…):

  • Accomplished – where all the cards eventually go :)
  • In Progress - what you’re working on right now
  • Pre-flight – tasks/projects coming up, that will soon move into In Progress
  • Ongoing – a category I created specifically because there were so many things going on that I needed to keep in mind, keep visible, and remain accountable for
  • Parking Lot – great ideas that aren’t yet ready for pre-flight, or that aren’t a huge priority wait here for their time in the lime light.

My Pre-Flight, In Progress, Ongoing & Accomplished projects

You can also put your tasks/projects/cards in priority order and move them up and down under their headings appropriately. I also keep a column for my overarching goals (both doing goals and being goals), and at work, we have columns to help keep our constituencies at the front of our consciousness.

I find this system to be very flexible, and I love how dynamic it is. I get lots of pleasure from moving things into the Accomplished category, and when I have a great idea that I want to revisit later, I love putting it in the Parking Lot, because I know it won’t get lost or forgotten.

I think this form of project management could also be super effective in a spreadsheet, but I’m a little bit more old-school :)

What do you think?  Would you adopt something like this? What systems or tricks do you already use and love?  Please comment below or email me at koriel [dot] jock [at] gmail [dot] com. :)  xoxo

A love letter

2012 Ahoy!

Thank you for helping to make my 2011 such an amazing year. You helped me start a business, work towards expanding my size range (sizes 0 & 2 coming soon, with 18 & 20 to follow!), improve my Etsy shop, and have been incredible support. Thank you for kicking butt!  :)

Thank you too for supporting my efforts (and making them our effort, really :)) to send a pair of super cute, sturdy, made-with-love Upitees to a women’s shelter for every purchase in the end of 2011. This month, I’ll be sending 21 pairs of undies to women’s shelters allover the United States:
- 1 pair to North Carolina
- 6 pairs to the Tampa area
- 2 pairs to the Detroit area
- 5 pairs to the Houston area
- 7 pairs to the Santa Fe area
(Check out the map of where all the Upitees in the world have gone here :))

Amazing.  So where to in 2012? Onward and upward! Exciting things are afoot in my little business world, and I’m newly committed to doing something creative everyday this year.  Man, for some reason (and maybe I’m not the only one?  Comment below… :)), even though I’m not so much for resolutions, I’m feeling more grateful for the excuse for a fresh start this year. Most exciting of all, I’m really looking forward to more opportunities to interact with and to get to know you.  I’d love to hear about what you’ve got cooking for 2012- anything exciting afoot? Please comment below!  :)

Thanks so much again for everything. Here’s to a fabulous 2012!

xoxo

It’s a two-for!

So I wanted to bounce an idea off of you. I read a blog post from Seattle City Council member Sally Bagshaw about women’s shelters really needing new pairs of underwear right now.

My first thought was, “I make underwear! Of course I can help!” But I feel a little sheepish about it, like I’m also trying to run a lucrative business, and this feels counter productive to my bottom line. But it’s not always about the bottom line (but it is always about bottoms, with me :)). This feels so important, and I’ve been wondering how I could help ever since I read about the GotGinch program where two men drove across Canada collecting undies for shelters.

So it’s official, I’ve decided that through the end of the year I’m going to make this offer to my clients on Etsy: I’ll send a new pair of Upitees to a women’s shelter in your hometown/region for every pair you purchase.

What do you think? Have you ever bought something because it supported another cause? I’d love to hear your ideas/thoughts in the comments section below.

xoxo

Mot-i-vah-shi-on

Feeling so motivated and productive after being sent this amazing link: 10 Awesome Videos On Idea Execution & The Creative Process

Making a label for the inside of my undies with care instructions, including, of course, the all important “Made in America” line.  Which means I’m one step closer to getting all the cut out undies out of my studio and on to Etsy!  Woo!  :)  Such a journey!  :)

So what makes you get off the couch as it were and stop procrastinating?