Eliminating waste by paying attention to the waist
You can learn a lot by looking in unusual places. My current favorite unusual place is Kathleen Fasanella's excellent blog Fashion-Incubator. Not that I'll ever figure out how to dress well. But Kathleen writes about how she makes clothing. She has a marvelous feel for how things are made. Plus she is a great writer. And I learn a lot from her.
Today's post is titled yet another pet peeve: Waistbands. She describes in wonderfully clear language how a manufacturer can design in value for the end user by simply paying attention to design. In this case, by merely moving where on the piece of fabric the manufacturer cuts the waistband of the pants with respect to the legs of the pants, the pants can then respond to repeated washings with the waist "moving" in direct proportion to the rest of the pants. Simply put, the waist won't shrink any faster than the rest of the garment. All by how the waistband is cut.
If you are familiar with sewing it will make sense. If you are not, like me, you will appreciate that Kathleen proposes more value for the end user is there to be had with some simple thinking and tinkering. Even on something as mundane as a pair of jeans. And when the user says "Gee, this brand just fits better!" every day when she/he puts them on, guess what brand will be at the top of the list at the next shopping trip?
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