Currently there is no objective measure that can be used to help consumers determine and express
how they want garments to fit. Unlike menswear where sizing is based on body measurements,
sizing in womenswear is based on symbols that represent inconsistent sizing. Sizing standards in
womenswear are based on the Voluntary Product Standard if PS-42-70, which uses data from a
1941 study of women in the military. The inability of the consumer to find satisfactory fit includes variability of the human form from the standard pattern shape. Researchers in both the U.S. and at Nottingham Trent have documented that the majority of the females measured in their
studies would be best fit with a pear shape rather than the hourglass proportions currently used to develop women's patterns. Yet dated standards remain the basis for launching pattern
development. To compensate, manufacturers of womenswear develop standards for their
target consumers resulting in inconsistency of sizing in the marketplace. In addition to all of these external influences on consumer satisfaction with fit, personal influences ranging from the positive and negative feelings that women hold about the personal image to women's preferences for closely or loosely fitted apparel impact purchase decisions.
Technology in body scanning is developing rapidly with [TC]2 and in several European countries
including England and Germany. Software is being developed that can take body measurements
generated by the body scan and develop automated patterns. However, there are no programs
that define and consider how to interpret consumer's preferences for fit relative to their body
measurements. In the emerging potential for electronic commerce and as manufacturers and
retailers seek to differentiate products, understanding and fitting the female consumer better can offer a competitive advantage to firms.
Intelligent Systems
Sponsored by the
National Textile Center
