'm under no illusions and I don't profess to be a model but this was one opportunity I couldn't resist.

When Bingley-based mail-order fashion firm Damart UK issued an appeal to find real women' from the district to try out their new styles I just had to volunteer!

I'm no fashionista. I buy clothes I like which I find stylish yet practical for their purpose. I suspect that is what many of us ordinary women do, and that is what Damart is tapping into.

Many people will associate the name Damart with thermals. The company's stylish tops and vests are far removed from the fuddy duddy' image of thermal underwear, and the company has quite a celebrity following.

Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and actress/presenter Denise Van Outen are said to be fans. And the company's stylish thermals are renowned among some of the stars of Coronation Street who rely on their Damart supplies to keep them warm during chilly outdoor filming schedules.

Thermals aside, (I wouldn't have volunteered so willingly had the assignment involved underwear), the company has, for many years, used agency models to promote its fashion range but now, for the first time, it is offering the opportunity to ordinary people to slip into the latest Damart styles - and get paid for doing so!

Damart's models' are required to be physically fit rather than photogenic. Sizing is the real issue here.

The company wants to develop a portfolio of women they can call upon to come into the Bingley firm to try on styles for all seasons. The women will be measured to make sure the garment sizing is correct and can also make comments on the comfort of the clothes as well as the fit.

The company's team of technologists include Sian Carroll and Angela Duce who, when me meet, are wearing the obligatory tape measures around their necks like a fashion accessory.

"We are looking for real women who feel proud of their figures," says Steve Donnison, Damart's quality control manager. "A lot of the industry still works on fittings from the 1950s and 60s. We revised that 18 months ago and we want to make sure we are right - we want real women involved to make sure a size 14 is a size 14."

The company prides itself on supplying quality and fashionable clothing for a variety of shapes and sizes, from size 10 to size 32. The average height its works on, to keep the clothes in proportion, is 5ft 4ins to 5ft 7ins. Then there are the four main body shapes to consider; pear-shaped; apple-shaped; cylinder-shaped (described as having no visible hips) and hour-glass shape.

"The agency models are the perfect shapes, but we want real women because we want our clothes to fit our customers," says Steve. "One of Damart's core principles is being passionate about the customer.

"It is also a business reason. Being a mail-order business, returns are always an issue. Everything we sell has to have home approval so getting it right first time is in our own interest."

Glancing round the rails crammed with some of the company's new collection, I feel excited and quite privileged to be here.

The technologists had already selected some outfits for Daisy Robinson, who works in Damart's press team, and myself to try.

I'm aware of the over-50s market that Damart specialises in. Daisy and I are nowhere near that age, and some of the styles in the company's look-book don't give the impression they are designed for the older generation. Then again, who says the more mature woman can't look modern? They say 50 is the new 40 and Damart is proving that you can still be stylish regardless of age!

I admit I was slightly envious of Daisy's beautiful, floaty polka dot frock. Her second outfit was a striking and stylish monochrome patterned skirt and black shrug.

I tend to wear trousers, so the long, sequinned skirt I was handed wasn't something I'd normally go for, but it was a refreshing change. I found it easy to put on, comfortable to wear and it felt pretty stylish too.

The embellished sleeveless top was also comfortable to wear and the addition of the low-slung belt gave it that hippy-ish' edge.

Our outfits are from Damart's latest collection but the team are now working on future collections. The fashion industry works months in advance so the women who come in to try on and size Damart's collections will be constantly ahead of the season's styles!

This season's key colours, according to technologist Sian, are earthy tones. Spots and embellishments are also a popular look.

"We always work six months in advance," says Sian. "We've just finished autumn/winter 2008."

I joke that time must fly in the fashion industry. "We're now working on Spring 2009!" smiles Sian, who was destined to be a follower of fashion - the 24-year-old's mother is a dressmaker.

Sian laughs when she tells how she was brought up with beads and fabrics. "Fashion was something I always wanted to get into," she says.

While this project is focusing on ensuring that sizing is correct, Sian and her team of technologists have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the finished product meets the company's high standards.

All this measuring and checking of widths, waistbands and hems is, I discover, part of a very technical process. The technologists are gathering information for the manufacturers of Damart's garments. Everything has to be accurate and any comments the women make are taken on board too to ensure perfection for the company's rapidly expanding customer base.

Damart was founded in the 1950s by French brothers, Paul and Joseph Despature, who patented Thermolactyl, dubbed the magical fibre', used in the production of the firm's quality thermal goods. Since its launch, the brand has developed and evolved.

Significantly, it has expanded its operations to become a leading international specialist, creating fashionable and functional ladies-wear as well as thermals.

Gleaning an insight into what goes on behind the scenes makes you appreciate the hard work that goes into creating the finished product we see on the rails, or that mail order firms like Damart produce, package and post into customers' homes throughout the world.

  • For more information about becoming a model for Damart call Angie Duce on (01274) 516840. The collection comprises tailoring from work-wear to essential basics. For more information shop online at damart.co.uk or mail-order 0871 8821111.