Body-scan jeans at Selfridges

I experienced the Bodymetrics made-to-measure jeans service at Selfridges this week. It launched back in 2004, but I never got round to checking it out, maybe because I quite enjoy the whole experience of trying on different styles of jeans in different shops, seeing which ones tick all the important boxes. But I know that not all women enjoy this experience, and that buying jeans can be the nightmare of nightmares, particularly if you're unsure of your body shape or don't have the time to dedicate a whole day purely to denim. So perhaps this Bodymetrics lark was a good idea?

And so it was that, while on a personal shopping day with a client on Tuesday, we happened across this technological denim matchmaker service on Selfridges' third floor, in the heart of their jeans section. My client was quite enthused, so I thought it would be a fun experiment if we tried it out.

The Bodymetrics service uses an electronic body scanner to scan your body, capturing over 180 measurements, and produces a digital replica of your size and shape. The scan is then used to provide three services: made-to-measure jeans, Body-Shape jeans (available instantly from the shop floor) and online virtual try-on. You stand inside a hi-tech imaging pod in your bra and some paper knickers they hand you, with your arms out to the sides (so far, so spray tan). Then, after a few minutes, Digital You comes up on the computer screen outside, complete with your waist and hip measurements and your category (they've identified three body shapes - straight, semi-curvy and curvy, and have designed a range of Body Shape jeans to fit these three types). Once this is complete, an 'expert jeans fitter' determines your body shape and finds the jeans to fit you best.

Well. Let's just say our 'expert jeans fitter' wasn't exactly, er, expert. Or a fitter. She gave no advice on jeans styles that would suit my client's shape. Then she gave her two pairs that wouldn't fit, and even when the third pair did, they were most unflattering. We tried another style that looked better, but generally my client was left to fathom out for herself whether the size worked for her or not.

Also, I have another issue. What's with the 'three body shapes'? Women come in so many different shapes, it's impossible to define us in only three categories. What if you were pear shaped but bigger lower on the thighs than the hips? Or pear shaped with more width higher up on the hips? What if you were 'straight' but with a muffin top that needed a higher rise? Or curvy with short legs? All these are important considerations.

So while it's quite exciting to take part in a futuristic body scan that promises to find you The Jeans to suit your shape, I think it's just too impersonal and generic, not taking into account all the different shapes and sizes we come in - and also our personal preferences for what we want out of a pair of jeans, and how and when we wear them. These things are all important, which is why I believe you're better off finding a personal stylist to help you find your jeans (or even Gap's own jeans fitting service, which can be excellent if you like Gap jeans). In conclusion, I recommend leaving the science to Doctor Who, because while body scans might be great for health reasons, security-at-the-airport issues or checking for unidentified aliens (sci-fi geeks, that one was for you), when it comes to personalised jeans fitting, you're better off keeping it personal.