Alpha Vs Numerical sizing, Which is Best for Your Apparel Brand?

By Graciela Martin

Just before the official start of fashion month, which begins with New York Fashion Week, the two biggest and most important fashion luxury conglomerates LVMH and Kering, announced they had agreed to ban size zero models from the catwalk shows of their respective fashion labels.

Does this mean sample sizes have to be made now to fit “real women”? Not exactly.

The charter published by the companies bans sizes 32 for women and 42 for men and explains that sizes 34 and 44 and up for women and men, respectively, will be accepted. Size 32 in France corresponds to size 0 in the United States.

As much as it may seem like a major move this won’t change things very much for designers and manufacturers. However, the size debate is indeed always a concern. It can greatly affect how your customers see your brand, it has an impact on your production costs, and depending on the system you choose for sizing can make it more or less complicated to manufacture garments, especially when it comes to selecting a factory that can cater to your needs.

Bigger sample sizes do imply more fabric and therefore greater costs. This has long been one of the excuses of many brands for not embracing plus size clothing or limit the sizing range of larger clothes.

Photo: Karly Santiago

Expert Oliver Knack of in touch quality says the fabric cost is the majority factor in the total cost of the garment, somewhere around 70–80%. “On that basis, yes, the more fabric required, the more expensive the samples will be. It depends on how many samples are being produced — the higher the quantity, then the bigger the impact on cost.”

The impact of the size zero model ban is yet to be seen, but it does bring to mind the reevaluation of what kind of sizing system works best for your manufacturing needs and your customers.

Many retailers have changed to what is known as “alpha sizing.” The less accurate system of ‘small,’ ‘medium’ and ‘large,’ instead of the numerical sizes ranging from 0 to 16, etc. Now many high-end designers are opting for this sizing system as well, combining two or three numerical sizes into a single letter size.

With Techpacker’s measurement cards setting up sizing charts and measurements for your garments is very easy. There is the option for numerical or alpha. You can change which is your samples size literally with a single click, so any further ‘size bans’ are super easy to handle.

Also it is very easy for factories or team members to track the changes made on a Techpack. So there is no miscommunication if your measurements need to be adjusted.

Now that you know that Techpacker has got you covered with the sizing, weigh in the pros and cons to see what is best for you:

Photo: Jennifer Burk

PROS

- It simplifies production. With fewer different-sized items to manufacture, there is simply less hassle and garments to handle.

- It makes online shopping easier for your customers.

- Men tend to prefer this system.

- In can make customers feel happier. As designer Michelle Smith said to the Wall Street journal “customers are happier to purchase an item if its sizing makes them feel slimmer. If customers have to go down a size, she explained, “they are not going to be upset. They feel skinny. If they have to go up the other way, they may not be too pleased.”

CONS

- Finding a good fit might become a chore for your customer, but it depends on your specific target customer and style of clothing. For instance, if your brand utilizes mostly stretchy fabrics or is more of a casual or athleisure wear, you might not need to have such specific sizing. But if you rely on tailoring for example, and are more on the high-end formal wear side, you might need a more accurate system for a better fit.

- Just as numerical sizing, alpha sizing can vary from brand to brand and make it frustrating for shoppers, your one XS may be somebody else’s M.