Technology is helping to make the suits that make the man. Paris-based Les Nouveaux Ateliers clothiers uses a 3D body scanner to make custom-tailored suits affordable. “We wanted to offer made-to-measure suits for the cost of ready-to-wear. And we wanted to make it fun, to break with the image of something a bit austere and elitist,” store cofounder Francois Chambaud told the Agence France-Presse news agency. “Traditionally, the whole process of getting measured up and coming back for fittings was quite drawn out. It could take up to three months.” The clothiers’ system takes 200 measurements of a male customer in a second, a task that would typically require 45 minutes with a tape measure. The client then selects the fabrics and details they want in their suit or shirt with a consultant’s assistance. The system sends this information to a CAD tool, which creates a pattern that workers at Les Nouveaux Ateliers’ Shanghai location use to create the desired suit within three weeks. The company has had more than 7,000 customers of all ages and sizes—including a professional basketball player—since opening. (PhysOrg)(AFP)
