California Apparel News

Entrepreneur Lori Coulter brings customized swimwear to the open market

The growth of Internet shopping has created a great convenience for shoppers, but it has also forced a dilemma, as buying clothes over a computer screen doesn’t always yield a great fit. Ironically, it’s the Internet and computer technology that designer/entrepreneur Lori Coulter hopes will be the answer to many fit problems consumers are facing.

Coulter, a St. Louis–based entrepreneur, has formed Lori Coulter LLC. The company is addressing fit problems using the latest in body-scanning technology, pattern-making and 3-D software to build, among other things, the perfect swimsuit.

Part of the problem, said Coulter, is that swimwear manufacturers are fairly generic with their patterns. One study she cited showed that some women visit up to eight stores and try on 25 suits before finding one worth purchasing. “Most women sacrifice either fit or fashion when buying off the rack,” said Coulter.

Coulter’s patent-pending TrueMeasure system aims to make it easier for those consumers to find not only a well-fitted garment but also one that is fashionable and enhances assets and hides faults.

TrueMeasure is a six-step system whose backbone is a 3-D white-light scanner supplied by Cary, N.C.–based [TC]2. The process starts in-store or in Coulter’s studio, where customers get scanned and then analyzed by the TrueMeasure software. The data is imported into pattern-making software from OptiTex USA Inc. before the final product goes to the cutting room in New York. The scanner takes into consideration the unique angles that sometime get overlooked.

“The bustline and hip are difficult areas to measure manually, and for our customer, it’s important to have a scan,” Coulter explained.

In general, the shape of the average American is changing. TC2’s Size USA survey, conducted among thousands of subjects coast to coast, confirmed that Americans’ bodies have changed shapes dramatically since the last size survey was taken in the 1950s. Basically, they’re bigger. According to one pattern maker, the average sample size at one of the country’s largest department-store chains is size 16.

TrueMeasure takes into consideration various design options, such as neckline, bra, leg height, tummy control and fabrication. The body scan takes only 10 seconds, which measures hundreds of body points and produces an electronic record of the measurement data.

The TrueMeasure then analyzes the figure and provides a body-shape profile along with recommendations on how to accent positive features and camouflage others. Users then choose fabrications and silhouettes based on personal taste and the system’s recommendations. The company releases two seasons of styles with up to 40 styles and 1,400 combinations.

The cost of the process and a suit runs about $225. Turnaround times take about two to four weeks. And the suits aren’t just about a good fit. “We’re all about personalized fashion,” Coulter explained.

Coulter is currently marketing the system to retailers and other industry partners. It’s a challenge to change an entire industry’s way of thinking. But Coulter has made inroads, receiving accolades from customers in her area. She has a scanner set up in her St. Louis studio and also also takes it on the road to trunk shows, where she usually books at least 30 appointments per day.

“The average sale runs about $280,” she said.

Now she hopes to partner with others to set up scanners across the country, in department stores and in other venues to promote her mass customization. She’s looking at licensing and franchising deals as well as partnerships. The 3-year-old company is funded by private investors, and many in the industry believe the concept can work.

“Lori’s operation is now fully digital, a thing that allows her to better cater to her customer needs as well as have her business ready to make quick changes when market conditions are changing,” said Yoram Burg, president of software company OptiTex. “I think that Lori Coulter has already proved to be a successful business. We have yet to see much more coming out of her.”

Coulter recently won an “All-Star” award from Apparel magazine, which singles out 10 companies each year that demonstrate growth and innovative use of technology.

The company also has an altruistic focus. It runs events to raise money for charities, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Despite the obstacles, the company has enjoyed growth, and consumers have embraced the TrueMeasure system.

“One of our customers just recently came back and ordered eight suits for herself and her daughter and has asked for additional style recommendations. Many women buy a swim wardrobe for their first, second and even third homes.”

Coulter said the main challenges come in communicating with and educating consumers as well as retailers. Levi Strauss & Co. experimented with body scanners by installing several on a temporary basis at companyowned stores across the country last year to help its customers with their denim purchases. Levi executives said they are exploring the program further.

“It’s an emerging industry,” said Coulter. “We’re developing a new luxury-product category—the mass customization of apparel. For us, swimwear is just a starting point. Eveningwear and bridalwear are other areas the company is exploring. We’re ready to grow.”

—Robert McAllister