Method and system for providing fitting and sizing recommendations

Abstract

A method and system for displaying footwear information. The method and system utilize a database on a computer readable medium, the database including a plurality of footwear representations including various measurement parameters. A user inputs a selection of a reference footwear model. A footwear representation of the reference footwear model is loaded from the database along with footwear representations for a plurality of additional models of footwear. The footwear representation for the reference footwear model and the footwear representations for the additional models of footwear are compared to identify at least one of the additional models of footwear having similar measurement parameters as the reference footwear model. Additional models identified are presented to the user as a recommendation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of displaying apparel information comprising:
 maintaining a database on a computer readable medium, the database including a plurality of model representations wherein each model representation comprises data related to specific sizing information for an associated model representation;   receiving, at a processing device in communication with the computer readable medium, a user selection of a reference model;   retrieving, by the processing device, a model representation associated with the reference model from the database;   retrieving, by the processing device, at least one additional model representation for an associated at least one additional model of apparel from the database;   comparing, by the processing device, the model representation for the reference model and the model representation for the at least one additional model of apparel to identify comparison sizing information related to the reference model and the at least one additional model; and   displaying, on a display device operably connected to the processing device, a visual representation related to the comparison sizing information, the visual representation showing a fit comparison between the reference apparel model and the identified at least one of the additional models of apparel, wherein the fit comparison:
 highlights where the reference model is tighter than the at least one additional model of apparel, 
 highlights where the reference model is looser than the at least one additional model of apparel, and 
 highlights areas where the reference model and the at least one additional model of apparel have a same fit. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each model representation comprises data for at least the following plurality of data fields:
 full length;   tapering;   effective length; and   at least one width measurement.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the processing device, a user input indicating a comfort rating for at least one of the plurality of data fields;   in response to the user input, displaying an altered model representation for the reference model indicating comfort ratings for each of the plurality of data fields.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the altered model representation comprises color coded regions indicating the comfort ratings. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the comparing the model representations further comprises evaluating the comfort ratings for each of the plurality of data fields to determine the acceptable range for each of the plurality of data fields. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the tapering is a full width measurement as a percentage of full length of an apparel model being measured. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the effective length is an altered full length based upon an internal length measurement for an apparel model being measured. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each model representation is a three dimensional representation of an associated apparel model. 
     
     
         9 . A system for displaying footwear information comprising:
 a processing device;   a display device operably connected to the processing device, and   a computer readable medium in communication with the processing device, the computer readable medium comprising:
 a database including a plurality of model representations wherein each model representation comprises data related to specific sizing information for an associated model representation; and 
 one or more programming instructions for causing the processing device to:
 receive a user selection of a reference model; 
 retrieve a model representation associated with the reference model from the database; 
 retrieve at least one additional model representation for an associated at least one additional model of apparel from the database; 
 compare the model representation for the reference model and the model representation for the at least one additional model of apparel to identify comparison sizing information related to the reference model and the at least one additional model; and 
 display, on the display device, a visual representation related to the comparison sizing information, the visual representation showing a fit comparison between the reference apparel model and the identified at least one of the additional models of apparel, wherein the fit comparison:
 highlights where the reference model is tighter than the at least one additional model of apparel, 
 highlights where the reference model is looser than the at least one additional model of apparel, and 
 highlights areas where the reference model and the at least one additional model of apparel have a same fit. 
 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each model representation comprises data for at least the following plurality of data fields:
 full length;   tapering;   effective length; and   at least one width measurement.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising programming instructions for causing the processing device to:
 receive a user input indicating a comfort rating for at least one of the plurality of data fields;   in response to the user input, display an altered representation for the reference model indicating the comfort ratings for each of the plurality of data fields.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the altered representation comprises color coded regions indicating the comfort ratings. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more programming instructions for comparing the model representations further comprises one or more programming instructions for evaluating the comfort ratings for each of the plurality of data fields to determine the acceptable range for each of the plurality of data fields. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the tapering is a full width measurement as a percentage of full length of an apparel model being measured. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the effective length is an altered full length based upon an internal length measurement for an apparel model being measured. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each footwear representation is a three dimensional representation. 
     
     
         17 . A method of displaying footwear information comprising:
 maintaining a database on a computer readable medium, the database including a plurality of footwear representations wherein each footwear representation comprises data related to specific sizing information for an associated footwear model representation;   receiving, at a processing device in communication with the computer readable medium, a user selection of a reference footwear model;   retrieving, by the processing device, a footwear representation of the reference footwear model from the database;   retrieving, by the processing device, at least one additional footwear representation for an associated at least one additional model of footwear from the database;   comparing, by the processing device, the footwear representation for the reference footwear model and the at least one additional footwear representation for the at least one additional model of footwear to identify comparison sizing information related to the reference footwear model and the at least one additional model of footwear; and   displaying, on a display device operably connected to the processing device, a visual representation based upon the comparison sizing information, the visual representation showing a fit comparison between the reference footwear model and the identified at least one additional model of footwear, wherein the fit comparison:
 highlights where the reference footwear model is tighter than the at least one additional model of footwear, 
 highlights where the reference footwear model is looser than the at least one additional model of footwear, and 
 highlights where the reference footwear model and the at least one additional model of footwear have a same fit. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the processing device, a user input indicating a comfort rating for at least one measurement parameter related to the reference footwear model;   in response to the user input, displaying an altered apparel representation for the reference footwear model indicating the comfort ratings for at least one measurement parameter.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the altered apparel representation comprises color coded regions indicating the comfort ratings. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the comparing the footwear representations further comprises evaluating the comfort ratings for the at least one of measurement parameter to determine the acceptable range for the at least one measurement parameter.