In the fashion world, where sizes rarely reflect the diverse reality of women's bodies, a seasoned systems analyst, Susan Spencer, found herself confronting a pervasive problem. As a woman with a keen eye for style and size outside the narrow range catered to by mainstream fashion, Susan recognized the systemic issues plaguing both ready-to-wear and home sewing patterns.
Inspired by her frustrations and armed with her expertise in systems analysis, Susan embarked on a mission to revolutionize the industry. The result is Seamly Systems, a groundbreaking company that seeks to transform the way we think about sizing, providing an inclusive platform for designers and consumers alike.
In this Q&A, Susan shares her insights into the challenges of the current fashion landscape and the innovative solutions Seamly Systems brings to the table.
How did you become interested in fashion design?
SS: My journey into fashion design and patternmaking is a bit of a unique adventure. I have had a great career as a systems analyst, working as a contractor with NASA, the US Air Force, and other government agencies. But I've always had this sewing bug that began when I was just four years old, learning to make clothes like my grandmother, great-aunt, and mother. Up until I was about 20 years old, finding clothing wasn’t a challenge. But halfway through college, I was a size eight and started noticing that a lot of the stylish and trendy clothes I liked just didn’t fit me well. I thought it was just me! I told myself that my arms were too long, my shoulders too wide, or my butt was too big. I think everyone has felt this way about themselves while trying on clothes that don’t fit.
Now, after raising a family, nothing fits anymore. I’m in the same size range as two-thirds of all women around the world—size 14 and above. I’m also the average height for women at 5’6”. I have the budget to buy almost anything I want. Yet, with all this going for me, I still can’t find clothes that fit. Seriously, you’d think fashion brands would be out there wanting my money, but less than 10% of fashion brands make clothing in sizes 12 and above. So most adult women have to look really hard to find clothes because fashion brands don’t make our sizes. I have more disposable income than any 20-year-old I know, and so does everyone in my friendship and business networks. We’re a great market, but we’re being ignored by the fashion industry.
So I thought about this: Why are we being ignored? What would cause the fashion industry to not want my money or the money from the majority of women around the world? I didn’t have an answer, so I just tabled it for later.
My technology enables designs to become any size you want without distortion and without requiring extra manual design efforts. My system is much more simple and cost-effective because it isn’t built around and dependent upon a hacked-up Victorian-era sizing system, and it doesn’t blindly rely on AI, which can generate a whole new set of problems on its own.
What inspired you to co-found a company?
SS: I decided to push forward and make my own clothes using home sewing patterns, but these sewing patterns didn’t fit me any better than ready-to-wear clothing. The sewing patterns’ poor fit surprised me because home sewing patterns are multi-sized, and you can redraw the lines to fit your measurements. When the multi-sized patterns didn’t fit, I started recognizing this as an industry-wide systems problem, and systems analysis is my area of expertise. I continued to pursue creating clothes that fit by using fashion design software to make my own patterns. As I suspected, current fashion design software had the same industry-wide sizing problem as sewing patterns and ready-to-wear apparel. Plus, existing fashion design software was anything but user-friendly, not to mention expensive and, frankly, pretty awful at making patterns.
That's when I decided to dive headfirst into research mode. I dug into over 150 patternmaking systems, trying to figure out why they all fell short. And you know what? I cracked the code. I came up with a fresh approach to pattern design and, as a result, created some seriously cool new software. It turns out that fashion isn’t available in my size because we’re using a really old sizing system that stops working when it’s used to make sizes around size ten and above. My technology enables designs to become any size you want without distortion and without requiring extra manual design efforts. My system is much more simple and cost-effective because it isn’t built around and dependent upon a hacked-up Victorian-era sizing system, and it
doesn’t blindly rely on AI, which can generate a whole new set of problems on its own. Seamly software creates a better fit for consumers and higher profits for brands because it’s built upon a good balance of product design, new technology, and common sense.
So, there you have it—my not-so-conventional path from systems analyst to fashion software developer. It's all about combining my tech know-how with my lifelong passion for gorgeous and creative clothing. The end result? Seamly’s game-changing solution that lets designers create killer outfits that are as comfy as they are stylish.
What does success look like to you?
SS: Providing designs across a wider range of sizes is proven to significantly increase sales rates by up to 300% and cut returns by half. So, better fit allows designers and brands to make higher profits and scale their business while preventing fashion waste from unsold goods and returns and increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction. I’d say that using Seamly software is a win all around for everybody—consumers, the fashion business, and the planet.
Find out more about Seamly Systems at seamly.io. Are you a startup based in or looking to relocate to Kentucky? Keyhorse’s current quarterly investment cycle is open! Apply now.
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