Page 363 - Anthropometry, Apparel Sizing and Design

Sizing and fit for pressure garments 355

13.5.2 2D design of pressure garments

In the patternmaking process, the ease allowance is equal to the difference between
the corresponding garment dimension and the body measurement. First, when the
dimensions of the compression garment are smaller than the corresponding body
measurements the pattern block should be designed with “negative ease.” Second,
the dimensions of loose and semiloose fitted garments are larger than the body
measurements, so the ease has to be “positive.” Third, for close-fitted garments that
look like a copy of an avatar shape, the pattern blocks should be designed with
“zero ease.”
Pressure garments are mostly designed from knitted materials with negative ease.
Because of their good elasticity, it is easy to increase the length in one direction and to
shrink it in the opposite one. For example, in order to maintain the pressure distribu-
tion around the human body, the horizontal girth needs to be shortened and the vertical
length increased at the same time. Fig. 13.13 shows the shape of knitted materials

Fig. 13.13 Sample of knitted materials under an elongation test by KES FB-1 (A) and the
scheme of transforming basic blocks of woven loose garments into compression garments:
(B) top; (C) pants.