Page 114 - Anthropometry, Apparel Sizing and Design

National size and shape surveys for apparel design 77

3.4.4 Data storage, access and sales

A database can be organized for national, regional, and/or international use, comprise
a wealth of data, and be accessed for analysis through a variety of routes. A format and
set of contents for organizing a database are proposed in ISO 15535:2012, and
although the recommended measurement set would need to be reviewed (see
Section 3.4) and legal agreements may prevent raw and/or processed data being avail-
able in the public domain, the standard can serve as a useful guide.

3.4.4.1 National database
Storage—Many data are likely to be collected during a clothing-specific study using
3-D technologies. For example, each subject’s set of anonymized data could comprise
personal data (excluding name and home address), one or more 3-D scans, and as many
as 250 extracted and derived measurements. There may also be manual measurements
and, if used, information from a body composition monitor and data from a clothing
market research life style questionnaire. Each subject’s data could occupy 15–20MB
of storage. To protect raw and analyzed data, results need to be held in a secure server,
if appropriate, for the study to be accessed using appropriate software tools.
Access—Raw data are difficult to protect and, if commercially sensitive, would not
normally be released. SizeUK chose only to release processed data and/or analyzed
data. Options for commercial partners to access data could include the use of
l real-time, online software tools
l online national analyzed data
l a bespoke service
l complete population data set
A suite of real-time online software tools, such as those developed by SizeUK, can run
on a database server and be used to check data integrity, extract and analyze 3-D body
size and shape and associated marketing data, and compile body size measurement
charts for selected markets (see Figs. 3.5, 3.6, and 3.7).
Further analysis of the shape of the whole body and other body parts continue to be
developed for physical and digital applications (SizeUK; Ball 2011; ISO 18825-
2:2016).
In addition to an online suite of software tools, industrial partners may access
online analyzed data, request bespoke analysis, and (for companies with the requisite
statistical skills) use of the whole data set. There is also a new ISO standard designed
to aid individual company data analysis (e.g., ISO 8559-3:2018). However, despite
these opportunities, experience has shown that most clothing companies prefer
ready-to-use data, such as body size tables, and items developed using 3-D shape
analysis—block and graded patterns and physical and digital fit mannequins and ava-
tars (see Fig. 3.1). Such provision allows for consistency of fit throughout the product
development and quality assurance process, irrespective of the countries in which
clothing is designed and manufactured.
Sale of data—Central to the organization of clothing-specific surveys (such as
SizeUK and SizeUSA) is the sale of the data to clothing companies that did not