Men’s online fashion brand Jacamo has introduced an ‘in-between’ size to its clothing range, in a bid to help men who struggle to find the right fit in clothing and improve men’s body confidence.
The new 1XL size is available in seven product ranges including outerwear, knitwear, sweatshirts and nightwear.
Research by the brand has found that more than a third (38%) of British men believe that wearing clothes that don’t fit correctly negatively impacts their body confidence and almost half (43%) find clothing sizes inconsistent - often upsizing or downsizing because of inconsistency and lack of clarity.
Although women’s clothing has developed over the years to include plus sizing, petite and tall ranges, men’s fashion is yet to catch up. According to recent research by Jacamo, 27% of UK men agree that the fashion industry should do more to cater for men’s varying body shapes.
Menswear brands have often adopted a ‘one size fits all’ approach that has left one in five men feeling less body confident and prevented 27% of men from wearing certain clothing.
The new size 1XL challenges traditional sizing and gives customers the option to shop with fit in mind rather than size – good news for over half of UK men who find that good fitting clothes boost their body confidence.
Jacamo has witnessed a shift in male consumer attitudes towards clothing, with more British men shopping on the high street, rather than relying on partners or family to buy their clothes for them. However, despite shopping more, nearly a quarter of men don’t know how to describe their body shape.
Currently, the lack of ‘in-between’ sizes means that many struggle to find the perfect fit and are forced to pay extra to have their clothes tailored or compromise with ill-fitting areas of garments such as a loose neckline or too short, or too long, sleeves.
This struggle is partly due to the shape of British males having changed significantly since the days of orlon sweaters. Men are taller and bigger than their elder counterparts. **With the average chest size of men increasing from 34 inches in 1954 to 43 inches in 2017, the ‘industry standard’ for men’s sizing needs to evolve accordingly.
Kenyatte Nelson, chief brand officer at N Brown Group which owns Jacamo, said:
“Our aim has always been to make men feel comfortable and stylish in the clothes that they wear.
“While there’s no doubt that the menswear fashion industry hasn’t made the same strides compared to its womenswear counterparts, progress is being made and we will continue to help drive this change.”
The research, carried out in association with YouGov, comes as Jacamo launches its new brand campaign, encouraging men to champion the values they resonate with - rather than being defined by their weight. The brand is aiming to raise the standard when it comes to fit and the new 1XL size is one of several product initiatives which are being developed.
Jacamo has also launched a partnership with True Fit, a recommendation tool that sits on the website allowing customers to input their details to get a size and fit recommendation, allowing them to choose their desired product, in the right size.
