This demo pairs an illustrative sherpa zip jacket with a simple configurator. Pick one of four colours and a size, and the combination is logged for a quote request.
With sherpa, the texture is the product. Buyers want to know how shaggy the pile is, whether cream will stay cream, and if camel looks rich or flat. A lot of sherpa is also bought as a present, by someone guessing at the recipient's size. Both problems live on the product page. Better imagery and clearer choices ease both of them.
Fashion Configurator demo
Sherpa Zip Jacket
- Product
- Sherpa Zip Jacket
- Colour
- Smoke Grey
- Size
- S
Illustrative product. The design and images are generated examples, not a real model for sale.
What you can configure
Smoke grey, cream, camel and forest are live, and navy and rust fill out the range of six. Pile fabric is the reason every swatch loads a separate photograph: a tinted image would flatten the shaggy texture that people are paying for. Look for the high collar closed by the zip and the zipped pocket at waist height, which stay fixed between shots. S, M and L go into the summary without affecting the image.
- Colour: Smoke Grey, Cream, Camel, Forest
- Size: S, M, L
Why a configurator suits jackets
Textured fabrics are where a colour swatch is least useful. A small square of camel says nothing about how the pile catches light or how deep it looks. Nor does it show how camel compares with forest. Customers who cannot judge texture tend to order two colours and return one, or not order at all.
Gift buying adds a second layer of doubt. The buyer is picking a colour for someone else and a size by estimate. A configurator can offer a gift note and clear wording on size exchanges. It can also produce a link to the chosen build, so a partner or friend can confirm the colour before money changes hands.
Sherpa and fleece are strongly seasonal, peaking through autumn and the run-up to Christmas. Pale shades like cream can sell very differently from earthy ones from one year to the next. Seeing which colours people configure, and which they abandon, gives a clearer signal for the next buy. Sales figures only record what was in stock.
How a production version would be built
For sherpa I would shoot each colour separately with raking side light, so the pile reads as texture rather than noise. A close-up crop per colour, served as a second view, helps buyers judge depth. Layered recolouring is a poor fit for pile fabrics, because the shading of each tuft changes with the colour. The retailer supplies colour names, SKUs by size, stock and garment measurements. A shareable saved configuration suits gift buying, and the order itself can pass to a Shopify or WooCommerce basket.
Build sheet for this range
- Colours in the full range: 6 (4 shown in this demo)
- Size choices: 3
- Combinations to support: 6 × 3 = 18
- Images for one photograph per combination at 3 angles: 54
- Images if sizes can be shown as separate layers, at 3 angles: 27
- Data each of the 18 combinations needs: a SKU or variant ID, price, stock or lead time, and any dimensions or specification that change
Questions about jacket configurators
How do you photograph sherpa so the texture shows in every colour?
Low, angled light is the key. It throws shadow into the pile so the texture reads clearly. The same lighting must be used for every colour, otherwise cream looks fluffier than forest purely because of the setup. I would also add a close crop per colour, as the full jacket image is too small to show pile depth.
Can a gift buyer share the chosen jacket with someone before buying?
Yes. The configuration saves as a link that reopens the same colour and size. The buyer can send it to whoever knows the recipient best and ask them to check. The link can also attach to a quote or wishlist, so nothing needs re-entering when they come back to buy.
Will cream look clearly different from smoke grey on screen?
It should, and the gap needs to be accurate. Pale neutrals are easy to overexpose, which makes cream look white and smoke grey look silver. I check edited images against the garment under daylight-balanced light. Buyers then see the real difference between the two, which reduces returns from people expecting the other shade.
Can we change the messaging for the Christmas season?
Yes. Messages belong to the configurator data rather than the code. You can switch on gift wording, extended exchange dates or last order dates for Christmas delivery, then switch them off in January. Seasonal colours work the same way and can be hidden once sold through, without editing the page.
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A configurator for your jackets
This demo uses an illustrative product. If you sell jackets, I can build the same experience around your own range, photography and ordering process, connected to Shopify, WooCommerce or a quote workflow. I reply to enquiries within two UK working days.