Continuous Development GM Product Knowledge Men’s Formalwear: Innovation retail What is formal wear? Paul, an M&S technologist, explains why Innovation is so important A Customer asks you the in Men’s Formalwear… following… find Every man should own at least one suit, a shirt and a tie (or equivalent garment) in a suitable option accordance with his heritage. They should be pressed, clean, and ready to go at a in your formal moment’s notice. shirt range: A formal working wardrobe needs to work with the customers lifestyle. Ideally a suit and the ‘I need a shirt that I can put in accompanying garments should look and feel as good at the end of the day as they did at my overnight bag and pull out the beginning. This is why we are always reviewing our formalwear package to make it an and wear the next day’ easy to wear, hassle free and comfortable purchase. ‘My shirt has visible sweat stains Starting with Shirts at the end of the working day, Sharon, a Customer Assistant on men’s formalwear at what can you recommend?’ Milton Keynes, asks about Stain Release formal shirts, Paul explains…Using the example of a white shirt, it looks great, but will pick up a lot of grime in a normal working day. We apply a fabric Grab your finish on key areas like the collars and the cuffs, which resist spills SSPR, Which & releases stains. We then test to M&S standards by treating 12 different stains as per formal shirt is wash instructions. This innovation is environmentally friendly as it encourages less washing, your current detergent and energy usage. best seller? Other innovations on our men’s shirts include: • Ultimate Non-Iron – the fabric is specially treated with a wrinkle free finish, seams are taped for smooth appearance and the fabric is classed as 100% cotton. To get best results it’s recommended the shirt is put in a tumble dryer after washing • Easy to iron - This is a chemical finish applied to natural fabrics, such as cotton, which are normally prone to creasing. It is designed to minimise the need for ironing after washing. It is not designed to stop creasing in wear. • Dri-Guard – uses Smartweave technology which keeps both the wearer and the shirt FRESH all day long. Smartweave draws moisture from the skin and into the inner side of the fabric, leaving the wearer cool and dry with no sweat. The fabric has a different appearance to our general shirts as there is a heavier fabric yarn count. In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, usually consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Often, suits are worn, as is traditional, with a collared shirt and neck tie. Suits also come with different numbers of pieces: a two-piece suit has a jacket and the trousers; a three piece adds a waistcoat Suits can be sold in three ways: • Bespoke, which the garment is custom-made from a pattern created entirely from the customer’s measurements. • Made to measure, in which a pre-made pattern is modified to fit the customer, and a limited selection of options and fabrics available; • and finally, ready to wear which is how we sell suits in M&S Page 1 © Marks and Spencer plc 2012 Continuous Development GM Product Knowledge Men’s Formalwear: Innovation retail DID YOU KNOW? Formal Trousers We have a proud Sharon asks if Stormwear trousers are water repellent? And if this is the case UK heritage & offer how are they machine washable? Paul explains... Stormwear is water repellent so traditional woollen & will allow rain water or a small spill to be brushed off or it will run off, but when it is put in the washing machine it soaks up the water and detergent just like any other material. worsted woven British fabrics sourced from Moons, Other innovations on our men’s trousers include: Alfred Browns, Robert The Active waistband – a hidden stretch waistband that moves with you for greater Noble & Harris Tweed freedom of movement and an improved fit Supercrease – the permanent crease for clothes. A specially formulated resin applied to the fabric means that the central creases last wash after wash, so they don’t have to be ironed back in. DID YOU KNOW? Our 2011 summer advertising campaign featured football pundit Jamie Redknapp and friends they wore water-repellent suits and got caught under garden sprinklers; the water just ran off the fabric! • Find a formalwear garment that has been treated with Stormwear+ look at the materials used and the care instructions. How would you advise the Customer to care for this product? • How many Stormwear+ garments do you have on your men’s formalwear department? Remember to check the M&S website to see all the options available... • Share your learning with your colleagues and customers Linen Miracle DID YOU KNOW? • Linen is traditionally worn in the summer months due to Did you know? We use Supima in a selection of its relaxed and cool feel. our cotton trousers. It is known as the world’s • Linen has many great characteristic, however it is also finest cotton and is renowned for its superior known for creasing, creating a slept-in look. strength, enhanced durability and soft sumptuous feel. • Linen Miracle™ jackets and trousers are made from a Only 1% of the world’s cotton can be called Supima fabric created by spinning linen fibre with polyester, the and is only grown in California and the South West of results are that the suit looks and feels just like linen, but boasts a fabulous finish that means fewer creases. America. DID YOU KNOW? A massive 97%of DeOdorTag® users experience a decrease in body odour Sharon asks Paul our M&S Technologist what he would recommend to a customer that liked a traditional look, but works in a warm office environment. Paul has an excellent innovation to share... Odegon DeOdorTags® are small pads inserted discretely into mesh sweat patches of the internal of a jacket underarm. The pads have a unique nano-porous structure that dynamically adsorbs body odour molecules. One pad has the equivalent surface area of a tennis court! Page 2 © Marks and Spencer plc 2012.