Page 103 - Anthropometry, Apparel Sizing and Design

66 Anthropometry, Apparel Sizing and Design

help establish fit, while apparel design teams and retail buyers are using 3-D virtual
body shapes and two-dimensional pattern wrapping techniques to remotely assess fit
and approve garment designs. And looking at emerging applications, 4-D temporal
techniques are being used to capture people in clothing for realistic virtual try-
on (3dMD).

3.3.4 Consumers

The aim of all regularly conducted clothing-specific size and shape surveys is to pro-
vide anthropometric data that can be used by designers and technologists to create
well-fitting, ready-to-wear (RTW) garments for all consumers in a population. Evi-
dence discussed (see Section 3.3.3) suggests that if all design and product develop-
ment tools (e.g., 3-D scans, sizing systems, patterns, avatars, and mannequins)
across the supply chain are created from the same segmented data, then consumers
of identified market segments could expect to find clothes that have an appropriate
fit. This is the case for purchasing RTW garments, in-store or online, and, in some
cases, mass customization where size and shape data are drawn from national surveys.
Consumers will only be satisfied with garment fit and subsequently maximize a
garment’s life use if the data produced for a survey accurately reflect the entirety
of a population that it is designed to serve, for example, for all ages, sizes, and shapes,
and if designers and retailers chose to use those data to embrace the concept of inclu-
sive design—a process that results in inclusive products or environments that can be
used by everyone, regardless of age, gender, or disability (CEBE, 2002)—a definition
that can be extended to address not only the criteria earlier but also, in the context of
sustainable practice, race, income, education, culture, etc. (Ibid). Addressing size and
shape in the context of inclusive design and sustainability has the potential to help
design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate
natural systems, principles of which point to the rise of the “conscious consumer.”

3.4 Planning a national anthropometric survey for
clothing

Running a national anthropometric survey is akin to planning and executing a military
operation. Even with the most thorough planning and preparation, some issues will
only appear during the survey and will need to be resolved.
There are several reports setting out the process of planning, executing, applying,
and reviewing anthropometric surveys. They describe similar stages, but the aims and
data to be collected vary. Studies conducted during the previous two decades include
l clothing-specific studies (e.g., SizeUK, 2018 and SizeUSA, 2018),
l clothing with automotive and health studies (e.g., Size Thailand, 2008),
l clothing with technological design (e.g., Size Germany, 2018),
l clothing with technological and automotive design (e.g., Size North America, 2018).