A new sizing system, great materials, sustainable production criteria and a fair price can make a difference for the environment and the customer.
This is the experience of SANVT, a German fashion label that in 2019 had developed what it considers “The Perfect T-Shirt”. This essential "ideal" apparel item was achieved after 18 months of studies and research, and is now available in 21 size variants, it combines premium quality, a perfect cut, a fair price and is made according to sustainable production criteria.
In the meantime, this basic item has been sold over 20,000 times, its product range has been comprehensively expanded, and annual sales in 2021 increased by over 300% compared to the previous year.
"To date, customers have only had the choice between low-quality mass-produced goods or expensive luxury products. We have recognized this gap and offer a basic collection that meets current customer needs: perfectly fitting, high-quality and sustainable products at fair prices. We can proudly say that we produce climate-neutral clothing, can offer individual fits through our sizing system, and that our demands for quality and transparency are paramount," explained Benjamin Heyd, co-founder and head of marketing, SANVT.
"We are aware that Corona played into our cards here, as the demand for basics was definitely stronger than for trendy collections, for example. However, our goal is not to stagnate, but to continue to grow in the coming years. Customer satisfaction with regard to materials and quality encourages us to do so - as does the disproportionate increase in regular customers," added Heyd.
SANVT is now betting on further expansion plans, like, for instance, a further development of its sizing system with the inclusion of live customer data. A start of retail plans and the expansion in new markets are also on its agenda for 2023 and 2024.
"We continue to see great potential in sustainable fashion. The industry is undergoing a major transformation, and the issue of transparency in particular is becoming increasingly relevant as a strong signal against greenwashing," said the manager. "We cannot avoid CO2 emissions, but we can deal with them openly and offset them elsewhere. For us, it was clear we wanted to offer only climate-neutral products since when we started, and we want to encourage this to become a key matter for other companies as well."
To meet the high demands for product longevity, SANVT has developed fabrics in long sourcing processes in collaboration with Portuguese production partners, which are now produced exclusively for the label. In doing so, the company does not use 100% synthetic fibers and tries to minimize the use of blended yarns.
Inspired by jeans sizing, SANVT is focused on offering an alternative sizing system where widths and lengths are considered independent measurements. During the development phase of the new sizing system, SANVT captured thousands of body scans and examined millions of data points, which were converted into optimized cut shapes using 3D software.
The result is that all SANVT products are available in 21 different size combinations.
In addition to developing its own sizing system, and the associated goal of also avoiding returns, the company has conducted its own study to measure the carbon footprint of each product. For example, its perfect T-shirt caused a total of 3.4 kilograms of CO2 emissions, which are completely offset with the help of climate protection expert Climate Partner.
The company also gives back saved costs when it comes to the sales price: thanks to a more direct business model, efficient structures and purely digital sales, SANVT can offer high-quality basics at fair prices as The Perfect T-shirt costs €38.
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