Idea to steal: outfit builders

Outfit builders are usually the preserve of fashion cataloguers. But I like this take from bicycles and accessories merchant Evans Cycles, which takes customers through what to wear when cycling during the winter.

I especially like the way Evans Cycles points to each garment and spells out the item’s benefit. For example, the copy for shorts and knee/leg warmers reads: “an alternative to tights or ¾ lengths you could wear a pair of shorts combined with either leg or knee warmers as this gives you maximum versatility for riding in variable temperatures.” (Whilst I love almost everything about this idea, one thing I would change is that I’d put page numbers next to each product so customers sold on a particular item could flick directly to it.)

Outfit builders shouldn’t be confined to party wear, I can see this working for every sport that requires specialist clothing. And why stop at sport—think health and safety catalogues, nursing supplies... In fact, the outfit builder could form a staple component of any catalogue selling industry-specific clothing.--MT