Page 18 - Anthropometry, Apparel Sizing and Design

New directions in the field of anthropometry, sizing and clothing fit 13

during activity. Garment designers can optimize thermal comfort and protective per-
formance of garments using these data.
Liu et al. (2019) used a motion scanner to estimate how the distribution of static and
dynamic ease of clothes changes at bust and waistlines with body movement. Static
ease distributions showed different patterns at different body landmarks. The fre-
quency and magnitude of ease variations increased with walking speed, although
the concentration areas of ease remained unchanged. This understanding can help
optimize patterns for high-performance sportswear and improve the dynamic fitting
process of virtual clothes. Effects of fabric properties, clothing sizes, and body shapes
on ease distribution can further enhance knowledge in this field.

1.2.4 Challenges
Even though a large volume of 3-D scan data are available now, most patternmakers
use only the linear measures extracted from the scans and disregard the shape data.
Some of the issues that need to be resolved before designers can make full use of these
tools are discussed in the succeeding text.

1.2.4.1 Skill gap
Designers and patternmakers trained in traditional 2-D methods are not able to inte-
grate vast amounts of 3-D data into the patternmaking process. Only a few people have
had experience of using and operating a 3-D scanner during their employment or edu-
cational programs. Strengthening the human interface between designers and technol-
ogy will be a critical area of focus in the future.

1.2.4.2 Location of body landmarks
Landmarks define the relationship between anthropometry and body morphology.
They are used to measure and map the body using the principles of triangulation.
A standardized method for locating, marking, and tracking landmarks on the body
is still not available. Correlation between manual and scanned landmarks has not been
established. There is no clarity on the exact point from which a measurement is to be
taken to which point. For motion tracking, body marks are used to identify the land-
marks, and the displacement of the same in x, y, and z planes is recorded. The pose or
posture of the body at the time of measurement can shift the landmark. Collating the
body landmarks with those on the pattern pieces is an issue still to be tackled. Errors in
landmark location can lead to problems in pattern design, sizing, and fitting.

1.2.4.3 Standardized data repositories
Currently, it is difficult for a designer to collate and reconcile anthropometric data sets
generated at different places and different times using different technologies. This
poses a major hurdle in the application of data for commercial purposes. Freely avail-
able standardized data repositories of measurements of international populations are
not available. Data sets of different populations with data tagging are a requirement.