To celebrate the launch of its autumn winter collection, Tu Clothing teamed up with Drag Race UK star Kitty Scott-Claus to unveil the first ever dynamic changing room where customers could test out clothes on a treadmill after new research found that two thirds (65 per cent) of people confirmed they like to move around when trying on clothes to make sure they feel confident in them.
Six in 10 agreed standing still in a changing room often doesn’t do an outfit any justice, reasons for this included being unable to test out how clothes look in reality (47 per cent), the lighting being different to natural light (41 per cent) and struggling to understand how the items make them feel (33 per cent).
The dynamic changing room included treadmills to help guests better envisage how outfits would work in real life and was launched as part of Tu Clothing’s Power Studio.
Alongside the moving changing room, body confidence workshops led by School of Strut were offered to participants at the pop-up to boost self-esteem and show them how strut their stuff, with Kitty on hand to support sessions and help guests perfect their poses. Guests were then invited to test out trying on items from Tu’s new Autumn collection on a treadmill, using their new moves to feel their very best on the inside and out.
The inspiration behind the idea came from the discovery that almost half (48 per cent) of Brits avoid trying on clothes in changing rooms due to the tight spaces (20 per cent) and feeling insecure (15 per cent).
Kitty Scott-Claus said: “Body confidence is so important, and I want people to share how I feel as a Drag Queen, empowered and happy, strutting their own confidence with pride. Changing rooms can be a scary place and you need to feel good about yourself. It's important, babes.”
The research also found that when trying on garments, shoppers take an average of four minutes to decide whether to keep them or not, but people typically return 20 per cent of the items they buy.
Tu’s Director of Clothing, Emma Benjafield, said: “The experiment showed what a difference it can make to customers when trying on clothes and being able to move like they would in real life.
“While it was a fun event, there was also an important meaning behind it as we know that many people struggle with body confidence and how you feel in clothing can have a huge impact on that. Finding clothes that make you feel good and allow you to move with confidence is just as important as finding right shapes, colours and materials for you, and means you can walk out the door feeling great on the inside as well as the outside.
“It was great teaming up with Kitty to inspire people to try on clothes and see them in a different light.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Kitty Scott-Claus wore Pink Star Embossed Short Dress dress from Tu Clothing, available to purchase from here on tu.co.uk
*Online survey conducted by One Poll amongst 2000 British adults from 30th September – 4th October 2022
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About Tu
Tu has been inspiring fashion confidence since its launch in 2004, offering design-led, excellent quality and great value fashion across womenswear, menswear and childrenswear.
The sixth largest clothing retailer in the UK by volume, Tu helps customers fulfil their clothing missions everyday by offering everything from a broad range of lingerie, lounge and nightwear, the latest denim fits alongside key fashion pieces, everyday essentials and school wear. Tu also offers a range of specialist sizes with its own brand Petites and Maternity offers, as well as working with selected partners to keeps the whole family’s wardrobe updated with fashion that makes you feel good. Tu is aware of its impact on the world around it and has stretching sustainability targets to achieve, from key raw materials usage to greater transparency in its supply chain – all measured using the Higg Index. Tu clothing is available to buy online at Tu and Argos as well as in over 400 selected Sainsbury’s stores.