Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in

the demand for well-tailored menswear. Changing cultural norms

have encouraged men everywhere to pay more attention to and spend more on

clothing. Increasingly mature male consumers across the world are demanding more sophisticated

clothing that privileges quality construction and unique styling. The menswear market grew

by 3.1% in 2012 to $403.6 billion, making it the second most dynamic market for

apparel behind womenswear. This is clearly a market with potential,

but not without its own specific challenges.

High-end menswear requires a combination of precise fit,

considered styling and quality fabrics. As the demand for menswear increases,

providing this at volume and at acceptable price points becomes a challenge. Men’s suits

are elegant compilations of linings, interlinings, facings, fusing, reinforcements and outer layers;

each element must be perfect in order for the whole to lie perfectly and look attractive on

an array of male morphologies. A growing demand for easy care and wrinkle-free

fabrics makes achieving this even more challenging.

Men’s formal wear

lectra.comWhere fashion and technology meet.

Overview

Specific challenges

© Jack Victor

© Jack Victor

Lectra and menswear

Getting the right fit is fundamental to crafting fine menswear. Getting the right fit on a suit jacket or trousers — some of the most complicated garments to develop — can be a nightmare, and the number of master tailors passing on their craft is dwindling.

The demand for menswear is underscored by a desire for unique styling. Details like pockets, contrasting linings, sleeve closures, monograms and collars all add complexity to designing and developing garments.

Fabric choice is an equally important consideration when developing suits and dress shirts; it’s often the starting point for designs, with concepts inspired from the fabric itself. In addition to fabric choice, perfect alignment of stripes and plaids must be mastered for the best overall impression.

Developing and producing menswear requires juggling many details throughout the product lifecycle. Developing the right fit can require many fittings, each one drawing out the development process. Unclear technical information and the use of unsophisticated tools can degrade both quality and fit, resulting in lost time

and products that do not meet customer expectations.

Advanced pattern making and 3D prototyping solutions offer a powerful way to overcome fit challenges and streamline the cutting process. Pattern making, 3D prototyping, marker making and cutting benefit from dynamic pattern links that simplify the development of derived parts including linings, facings and fusings. Dynamic size charts enable easy pattern development for multiple markets and promise bespoke quality for specific measurements, body types and postures.

The visual nature of 3D prototyping delivers fabric rendering realistic enough to replace physical samples, even for complex woven and stripe patterns. Advanced production solutions utilize intelligent visualization and correction systems to automatically correct pattern piece positioning according to the inherent bows, skews and distortions in fabrics. Low and single-ply cutters afford the precision that bespoke-level quality menswear demands.

A PLM solution linking design, development and production, with calendar and workflow, makes it easy to track changes, simulate costing scenarios and communicate accu-

rately with suppliers, no matter where extended teams are located.

With 40 years’ experience in the fashion industry, Lectra has the technology and expertise to help menswear companies overcome style, fit and manufacturing challenges. Lectra’s design, development and production solutions are used in the world’s leading fashion companies, including the most

prestigious menswear brands.

$404billion2014 expected revenues for the global menswear market

A question of style and fit

Technology solutions for Men’s formal wear