LEVI BUYS CUSTOM FIT COMPANY
By Adnews Staff
Levi Strauss & Company of San Francisco has bought Custom Clothing Technology of Newton, Massachusetts, the software company that provides the technology used by Levi to custom fit women's jeans. Levi started selling Personal Pair jeans last fall in computerized kiosks in its Original Levi's Stores. It plans to have have 25 stores in the U.S. and 55 in Canada offering the custom fit jeans next year. Levi bought the company because Custom Clothing was looking for partners in other areas of apparel such as women's shoes and bras; Levi wanted to make sure that Custom Clothing was dedicated to its products first. With a price tag about $15 higher than for off-the-rack jeans, the custom-fit jeans have been enjoying "phenomenal" sales per square foot, according to a Levi vice-president.