Size USA

How is it that a 5’8”, 150lb. woman, a 5’6,” 135lb woman and a 5’9,” 125lb. woman all claim to wear a size 8? This, and many other fitting anomalies are the reality today for the US clothing industry, where a comprehensive analysis of body shapes and sizes hasn’t been conducted for several decades. This lack of research, in addition to the growing practice of vanity sizing – adding inches to clothing to make it appear that a woman wears a size smaller than she actually does – has created a disparity between the clothes available to the consumer and their actual body shapes and sizes.

The Body Measurement System consists of 4 strategically placed sensors that use white light to register more than 200,000 data points on the body. These points are reduced to 40,000 and become a point cloud of the subject’s body. The body measurement system then extracts a pre-defined set of measurements. The results are 200 accurate body measurements in less than a minute.

In addition to body measurements on over 10,000 scan subjects; grouped into gender, six age groups, and four ethnicities, the survey obtained anonymous information including zip code, annual household income, marital status, lifestyle, education, employment status, and apparel shopping preferences. The survey consists of statistical categories that can be utilized in a variety of ways to support the needs of the manufacturer.

The study has provided some telling preliminary results. “I have shown several manufacturers the bust, waist and hip measurements of women who say they wear size 8-10, and they are surprised to see how much larger all three of the measurements are than their fit specs,” states Jim Lovejoy. Director of the SizeUSA project for [TC]² .

“From looking at the interim survey data, we can see the US population has grown taller and heavier, but we are growing heavier faster than we are taller,” he adds. “If you look at the grade rules for most manufacturers today, they do not reflect what we are finding in our size survey.”

In addition to giving a national composite, the data can also be used to look at ethnic differences in size and shape. The study may find that people of different ethnicities are different in body sizes and shapes, which could influence how sizes are stocked at retail.

Body size data could also be used for determining seating in airplanes and cars, for medical research, and for ergonomic furniture.

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5th Annual SizeUSA User Group Meeting
August 18, 2009 - 12 to 2 p.m. EST
**New Online Webinar Format**

The 2009 SizeUSA User’s Group Meeting will be presented via webinar format to allow for more attendee participation by eliminating the need for travel. The following presentations have been confirmed to date:

The program time will also include a special demonstration of [TC]²’s new Virtual Fashion Technologies for Garment Visualization in Static Poses and Animated Sequences.

Register for this event by contacting Debra Gill at 919-653-3501 or use our contact form. Registration is free for SizeUSA members and owners of [TC]² 3D body scanning systems. A registration fee of $50 will be charged to all other participants.

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[TC]²’s SizeUSA User Group Meeting - 2007

[TC]²’s SizeUSA User Group Meeting - 2006

[TC]²’s SizeUSA User Group Meeting - 2005

To review SizeUSA press releases, click here

Sizing up garment fit issues

The Measure of Mankind

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SizeUSA User Group Meeting - 2008

The fourth SizeUSA User Group meeting was held at [TC]² on June 18th in Cary, NC. Jim Lovejoy, Director of Industry Programs, opened the meeting with a brief summary of topics covered at the three previous SizeUSA meetings. SizeUSA  is a national sizing survey of over 10,800 people conducted by [TC]² in 2002-2003 using 3D body scanning.

Dr. David Bruner, Vice President, Technology Development, began the presentation session by detailing the latest upgrades to [TC] ²’s body scanner. He also shared with the audience [TC] ²’s recent research in the development of “digital humans” also known as avatars. [TC] ²’s research staff has developed a way to morph a generic avatar to a body scan image to create a replica of the scanned subject. The total process takes about 3 seconds. Dr. Bruner also discussed some of the latest ways body scanning technology is being used, including predictive weight loss and size prediction.

Dan St. Louis, Director of the Hosiery Technology Center, gave a presentation entitled Hosiery Sizing Breakthrough using Volume Data. St. Louis has worked with key sheer hosiery professionals to develop a standard method for testing the size of sheer hose. St. Louis and his colleagues used SizeUSA data to develop two forms—one used to test the size of the leg part of the hose and the other to test the size of the panty. Although there is still some minor tweaking to do on the panty form, both forms have been deemed successful and will be available for less than 1000 dollars.

Dr. Cindy Istook, Associate Professor at NCSU College of Textiles, has been using data collected in the SizeUSA survey since it was completed in 2003.

Dr. Istook recently re-defined the waist position and re-examined the prevalence of different body shapes within the population. She utilized the doctorial research conducted by Karla Simmons under Dr. Istook’s supervision. Simmons defined nine body shapes and investigated the prevalence of each. Using the re-defined waist measurement, Dr. Istook found that the rectangle shape was still the most predominant shape in women. However, she discovered that the oval shape came in second instead of the spoon. The bottom hourglass was the third most predominant—not the inverted triangle as was previously assumed. Dr. Istook says she continues to find new ways to use the SizeUSA data to investigate body shapes.

Dr. Karla Simmons, Associate Professor at Auburn University, reviewed her recent research. Dr. Simmons and her colleagues are investigating the body shapes of tweens—adolescents between the ages of 9-14 years old. All scanned subjects are required to complete a questionnaire. Utilizing the data, Auburn researchers hope to shed light on adolescent body shape and want to investigate the correlation of body shape and shopping preferences of adolescents.

Dr. Lynn Boorady, Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri, and Dr. Nancy Schofield, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin, have used the SizeUSA data to investigate the correlation between actual body measurements and the apparel industry’s sizing practices of men’s dress shirts and suits. Dr. Boorady took key measurements of name brand shirts and suits that are currently being sold in retail. Dr. Schofield plotted the data collected by Dr. Boorady with pertinent SizeUSA data. It was discovered that 34% of men are not being served in the shirting category and 42% are not being served in the suiting category. It was also determined that because there are numerous big and tall shops, larger men were being better served than smaller framed men.

The meeting concluded with a lively attendee discussion of desired parameters for future sizing surveys.

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SizeUSA User Group Meeting - 2007

The third SizeUSA User Group meeting was held at [TC]² on June 28th in Cary, NC. Jim Lovejoy, Director of Industry Programs, opened the meeting with a brief overview of the topics discussed at the SizeUSA User Group meetings held in 2005 and 2006.

Kim Munro, Manager of Product Development, introduced the SizeUSA Automatic Analysis Tool—a software recently developed by [TC]². The primary goal of the tool is to allow SizeUSA users to automatically identify the body measurements and shapes of their target customer.  Munro used the seat measurement as the primary selection criteria to demonstrate how the software can be utilized to recommend size and shape specific body measurements. After designating a seat measurement range for a specific customer demographic, the software searched and extracted measurements from all the women scanned in the SizeUSA study that fell into the specified range. Munro showed how the software can then extract additional information such as the lower body shape and secondary body measurements from women with the specified seat measurement—allowing for size optimization.

A variety of charts which show the percentage of women that fall into a specified size category can be generated from the data. Munro says further research will include using bust measurements as the primary search criteria to do upper body analysis. [TC]² researchers also plan to use the software to investigate male body shapes and sizing strategies. The new software tool drew interest from both academicians and industry professionals.

The price for the new SizeUSA Automatic Analysis Tool will be $25,000 for the full database, and $15,000 per gender. Current SizeUSA license holders can apply the cost of their original data purchase to the purchase of the new automation tool.  SizeUSA 3D Scans or point clouds are also now available for purchase. [TC]²’s Body Measurement Software is included with the purchase of the 3D body scans. The combination of the SizeUSA Automatic Analysis Tool and 3D body scans will place the ability to optimize sizing and fit strategies based on statistically valid anthropometric analysis and visual 3D assessment into the hands of the apparel industry.

Additional meeting highlights will be posted in [TC]²’s Technology Communicator newsletter.  To subscribe, click here.

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[TC]²’s Second Annual SizeUSA User Group Meeting

The second annual SizeUSA Users Group meeting was held at [TC]² on June 28th 2006 in Cary, NC. Three years after the SizeUSA survey was conducted, both industry professionals and academics are still tapping into unique ways to utilize the data.

To read the entire article, click here.

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The SizeUSA User's Group Meeting - 2005

The SizeUSA User's Group meeting, held on June 29th, 2005, was attended by a blend of both industry professionals and academics. Over 55 people came together to share the ways they've used the arsenal of data collected in the SizeUSA survey. Using [TC]² 's body scanner, which is capable of collecting 3D measurements, combined with measurement extraction software, over 200 crucial body measurements of each subject were swiftly and accurately collected. To add additional meaning to the data, subjects were grouped by gender, age and ethnicity. A questionnaire given to the scanned subjects revealed valuable information, such as zip code, annual household income, marital status, lifestyle, education, employment status, and apparel shopping preferences.

The day before the official User's Group meeting, a series of educational presentations were given by Tim Curran and Kim Munro of [TC]². Curran demonstrated how the data can be manipulated in both Excel and Access to determine the measurements of a target customer. Munro showed that the information can be further distilled to target specific measurements for specific products, such as hip measurements for jeans. David Bruner, also of [TC]², demonstrated how the data can be customized. Bruner explained that at times “atypical measurements” need to be extracted. For example, the ability to extract extra surface areas in addition to linear measurements was demonstrated.

The official SizeUSA User's Group meeting was kicked-off on Wednesday with a welcoming introduction and agenda overview by Jim Lovejoy, Director, Industry Programs at [TC]².

Brad Beal, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations at Jockey International gave an energetic presentation. 128 years ago Jockey specialized in ‘door to door' sales of socks. Jockey has evolved into an international company specializing in undergarments. Beal stressed the importance of comfort and fit in undergarments. The SizeUSA data has enabled Jockey to develop underwear that is so comfortable you “forget you have on underwear.”

Five years ago Jockey entered the bra market. Beal stressed the challenges associated with producing a comfortable bra. The #1 complaint from customers is “the bra doesn't fit”- and why? For one - “women's bodies are asymmetrical.” To enhance the design, fit and comfort of their bras, Jockey enlisted the help of SizeUSA.

Beal contends that the scanned data is more precise and accurate than manual measurements or fit models. The folks at Jockey refer to this level of precision as “exactitude.” The SizeUSA survey enabled Jockey to extract data to determine “what fits and what doesn't.” With the help of SizeUSA, in February of 2005 Jockey re-launched a re-designed line of bras focused on improved size, shape and proportions. Although Beal admits, “there is no perfect fit,” he believes they have increased their customer base to include 85-92% of their target market. Jockey will continue to tap into the valuable data supplied by SizeUSA and apply it to future product developments.

Beal closed his presentation with a forceful message: SizeUSA enabled Jockey to “make true changes…price is the driver of apparel but it shouldn't be…comfort should be and SizeUSA made it possible.”

Andy Van of JCPenney opened his presentation where Beal left off – “Don't be the cheapest guy in the market.” The main impetus for JCPenney's interest in SizeUSA was threefold: to attain the perfect ‘JCPenney' size 8; improve grade rules; and perfect their body forms. Van emphasized that the old industry adage ‘if it measures right it must fit right' is…wrong! Van went on to elaborate on the conundrums of fit, “People wear clothes in unusual ways… pants below the waist…where is the waist?”

Van's colleague, Mike Hannaford, elaborated on how JCPenney has used SizeUSA data to understand the role that proportion and shape play in sizing and grading. JCPenney has now adjusted their standard size 8 and plan to change their traditional grading.

Tim Curran and Kim Munro gave a demonstration on how to methodically weed through and interpret the plethora of data generated by the SizeUSA survey in order to zero in on the target customer. Munro emphasized the importance of grading not only to body measurements, but grading to product type as well. Munro pointed out that traditional grading has been altered linearly because it is fast and easy. SizeUSA data has confirmed what patternmakers have long suspected – linear grading is not always the best way.

Munro demonstrated [TC]² 's in-progress research on 3D to 2D patternmaking. In this impressive demonstration, the SizeUSA data was used to create slopers in three different sizes from a 3D visualization model. The slopers were brought into another program and stacked. No doubt, after seeing this demonstration patternmakers might take a closer look at traditional grading rules.

David Bruner gave a presentation highlighting the new and improved scanner features – low cost, safe, private and able to archive a large amount of data.

Panel Discussion Moderated by David Bruner :

Brief presentations were given by academics from four universities. The presentations were followed up with an open panel discussion between the panel and the attendees.

After a brief introduction, Susan Ashdown from Cornell University professed that she felt body scanning and the SizeUSA survey are the most important technological introductions in the apparel industry since the sewing machine. She and her students are using [TC]² 's body scanner to analyze fit in a rather unconventional way. They're looking at what's happening in the dressing room. Ashdown and her students scan customers with clothes on, as opposed to being outfitted with ‘scannerwear.' Conclusion - a size 8 has to accommodate a huge variety of body shapes. These scans provide an excellent visual tool for designers, patternmakers and graders.

Lenda Jo Connell and Pam Ulrich from Auburn University opened their presentation with “common beliefs need to be exploded…and SizeUSA offers an unprecedented chance to do that.” The advent of Connell and Ulrich's research began before they had access to a body scanner. From a series of focus studies they have found that “the same size does not equal the same shape” and most definitely “one size does not fit all.” With the aid of the body scanner, Connell and Ulrich are tackling the financially explosive 'tweens' market. Using a mixture of tools, including questionnaires and body scanning, they are zeroing in on information that will help to better understand a market loaded with ever-changing fit and shape issues.

Karla Simmons, from the University of Missouri, is “passionate about body scanning.” Simmons has developed innovative projects that meld real life and academics. Students are assigned the formidable task of creating a clothing line targeted to a specific market. Before the design process begins, the students are required to thoroughly research their chosen target customer. SizeUSA has been an invaluable source for gathering data.

Su-Jeong Hwang Shin and Cindy Istook, from North Carolina State University, sorted the SizeUSA data to investigate the possible differences in body measurements between people of different age and ethnicity. Shin and Istook compared and contrasted the data to find that indeed there are peculiar differences in body measurements, depending on age and ethnicity.

A lively discussion followed the presentations.

Q: Why were Hispanics and Mexicans separated in the SizeUSA survey?

A: Curran commented that “the two groups can be merged or separated.” However, it was acknowledged that a wider ethnic breakdown would be interesting. Istook remarked that there is a diverse mix in Mexico alone, which can't be dismissed as merely ‘Hispanic.' This important and growing market is a melding of Hispanic, Indian and Chinese heritages. And as we all know the U.S. is a notorious ‘melting pot'. This kind of diversity must influence body shape.

Other challenges were discussed including the necessity to use the average or median measurements. Although average measurements are skewed by the extremes – very small and very large body types - it was acknowledged that averages or medians must be used unless you want to take on the challenges of mass-customization. Beal, from Jockey International, pointed out that you can't be everything to everybody. Hannaford, from JCPenney, agreed with Beal, stating that apparel companies have to “homogenize” however, and “try to adjust.”

 A similar study to SizeUSA was recently conducted in the U.K. Andrew Crawford, from Bodymetrics, reviewed the SizeUK study. The impetus for the study was similar to the SizeUSA survey – an archive of outdated body measurements. The goals of SizeUK were to: improve the product through better fit; increase customer satisfaction; increase sales; and increase the target customer base. After considering the pros and cons of a number of scanners, [TC]² 's body scanner was selected for the SizeUK study. Over 11,000 body measurements in three regions of the U.K. were collected and evaluated.

Jeni Bougourd from the London College of Fashion opened up with - “…SizeUK wouldn't have been done without [TC]²." Bougourd reported that 60% of people in the U.K. have trouble with fit. She also highlighted some interesting findings that surfaced from the SizeUK survey:

•  People in the U.K. are taller and larger than they were in the 1950's.

•  50% of the population can be considered normal; 12% underweight; and 38% overweight.

•  Men in the U.K. are shorter and weigh less than men in the U.S.

•  Women in the U.K. are taller and weigh less than women in the U.S.

•  Young men have more muscle tone than older men regardless of their weight.

•  Many people do not know their body measurements.

Cindy Istook, from North Carolina State University, gave a heartfelt presentation on the disparities of the ASTM standards on sizing. She encouraged industry professionals to get involved with the ASTM review panel to encourage much needed change in the current standards.

Robert Holloway, from Archetype Solutions, opened with praise for [TC]² 's scanning technology, remarking that he has seen “nothing better.” Holloway is using the scan data generated by the SizeUSA survey to help retailers solve the riddle of fit. He began by showing an advertisement for pants juxtaposed to five real-life customers trying on the pants. The advertisement captured the frustrations retailers are feeling when it comes to fit. The advertisement clearly illustrates how the pants were intended to fit, but unfortunately, how the pants actually fit different customers. Holloway pointed out that retailers have become quite astute at predicting the right style, fabric and color, but fit remains a pervasive problem. He pressed the point that to conquer the anomaly of fit, retailers must deal with different body shapes. Fit will always rear its ugly head until retailers realize that although a group of customers might be categorized as a size 8, unique body shapes will prevent all of them from fitting it. Now that the problem has been identified, Angelique Augereau, Holloway‘s colleague, addressed the question “Do you change fit?…If so - how?” She explained that at this point the SizeUSA data “becomes incredibly valuable.” The bottom line – choose the customer you want to fit and know what customers you can't.

An open discussion designed to solicit ideas for upcoming research followed the presentations. Topics of interest were:

•  Make the SizeUSA User's Group meeting an annual event.

•  Collect data similar to SizeUSA on a global level.

•  How to acquire 3D visualization models generated by [TC]² 's software.

•  Collect children's measurements, age 4-12.

•  Invitation for the submission of research articles to the [TC]² Techexchange.com web portal.

•  More data measurements on people 45 and older.

•  Collect measurements on older women (60+) when body shapes begin to vary dramatically.

[TC]² gratefully thanks all the presenters during the SizeUSA User's Group meeting for making this event a success.

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Sizing up garment fit issues

9 August 2007| Source: just-style.com

Given the wide array of size labelling in garments, consumers are often left feeling confused about their actual size, and frustrated by inconsistent fit. But help is at hand for apparel companies to deliver better fitting garments and grow their business in the process – with JC Penney and Jockey among those who have benefited, as Natalie Weathers reports.

In the midst of the autumn 2007 fashion shows this past February, one of the most popular sidebar discussions revolved around the anorexic-looking models strutting down the runway.

When, journalists asked, would the fashion industry begin to mandate a healthier looking beauty standard among models?

This was a valid question for the sake of the models and for the sake of the average female customer who increasingly cannot relate to the images of women that designers select to showcase their clothing.

When indeed? This question gets to the heart of a vicious cycle perpetrated by some mass retailers who succumb to vanity sizing.

The cycle is as follows: the media delivers regular doses of narrow images of beauty; the size 14 female consumer develops a guilty conscience that she does not measure up (or down, as the case would have it); the retailers appease that conscience by resorting to vanity sizing and re-labelling the size 14, a size 8; the media images become justified; and so the cycle continues.

The American Society for Testing and Materials’ (ASTM) size standards reveal that the average American woman is a size 16. However, vanity sizing has become the norm among mass-market retailers, resulting in a random range of size labelling within and across product categories.

Given the wide array of size labelling in garments, the consumer often leaves a shopping experience confused about her actual size, and frustrated by inconsistent fit.

Consistent sizing tool
In the midst of vanity sizing and a competitive marketplace, body-scanning technology becomes useful to ensure accurate and consistent sizing of garments.

The vicious cycle described earlier has negative ramifications for retailers. One result is that inconsistency of fit within a brand and between brands – due to vanity sizing – become more common than not. Inconsistency of fit can be expensive from the standpoint of returned merchandise and lost customer sales.

Fortunately, there are organisations working with apparel retailers to help them address fit consistency issues so that they can deliver a better fitting garment to their customers, develop a loyal customer base, and grow their business in the process.

In the heart of North Carolina’s Research Triangle region resides a dynamo apparel organisation with a critical mission – TC]², the Textile/Clothing Technology Corporation.

Based in Cary, North Carolina, this apparel technology research and education organisation is funded by the United States Department of Commerce and by private firms in the soft goods industry.

It serves the international apparel industry on issues of supply chain strategy, body scanning technology, mass customisation business models, establishment of fit criteria, and improved technologies for pattern making and digital fabric printing.

History of US body scanning
A government-sponsored body scanning technology study was first done in the late 1990s. Called CAESAR (Civilian American and European Surface Anthropometry Resource), the study was conceived by the US Air Force and was an international survey of body sizes and shapes of people between ages 18-65.

The results of the CAESAR study were used by the American defence and commercial industries. The CAESAR study preceded [TC]²’s SizeUSA study, which was completed in 2004.

The SizeUSA study used a sample size of 10,000 men and women selected from major cities across the United States. The SizeUSA study mirrored the statistical profile conducted by the Center for Disease Control in one of their National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. It also modelled a similar study conducted in the United Kingdom, named SizeUK.

According to Dr David Bruner, vice president of technology development, and Jim Lovejoy, director of industry programs, [TC]²’s SizeUSA study has been used by more than 50 companies – including Victoria’s Secret, Jockey, Chico’s and JC Penney.

Both the US and UK studies have caught on around the world and there are now Size Thailand and Size Mexico surveys underway. Additionally, the UK Ministry of Defence, India, Brazil and Australia are interested in conducting their own sizing surveys.

[TC]² scanning technology
The [TC]² body scanners utilise white light technology, which simulates the triangulation of laser beams, but at a lower cost. According to Dr Bruner, [TC]² has been the volume leader in body scanner shipments for the last two years.

The [TC]² scanners with measurement extraction software cost $40,000 and have gone through several generations. The latest version, the Fifth Generation Scanner, is approximately four-by-five feet and can fit into most stores’ existing dressing rooms.

This new, smaller scanner captures 600,000 to 1 million data points of a user’s image and then compiles those points into a three-dimensional representation of the body.

The compact size of this scanner is significant because retailers are very particular about reserving the majority of square footage for the selling floor. Therefore, anything that takes away from the merchandising of clothing is viewed as a detriment.

The fact that the [TC]² scanners have gone from a five by thirteen foot dimension to a scanner that can fit into an existing dressing room is a huge motivator for retailers to purchase it.

Delivering results for JC Penney…
The beauty of body scanning technology is that it can be used by apparel brands to gather data to formulate a size specification profile for their specific group of customers.

Consequently, these brands can deliver garments that are consistent in fit and keep their customers happy. In a saturated market, this fit consistency translates into quality clothing that helps retail brands stay ahead of their competitors.

JC Penney is an example of a retail company that has partnered with [TC]²’s scanning technology for better business results.

Mike Hannaford, global technical design director, explained that JC Penney first collaborated with [TC]² in 2003 to sponsor the SizeUSA research. At that time, SizeUSA was the largest size study since the CAESAR study in the 1990s.

[TC]²’s SizeUSA research included scanning 10,000 people, a third of which took place at two JC Penney stores in Texas. The study prompted JC Penney to think more about proportion.

Previously, JC Penney approached fit issues linearly, with little regard to proportion. But its collaboration with [TC]² on this research made it realise that one formula does not fit all.

The greatest takeaway for JC Penney was that it is as important to fit shape as it is to fit size. That realisation evolved into different fit options for women’s pants: The Catherine fit (fitted slightly above the waist), the Audrey fit (more fitted at the waist) and the Marilyn fit (more fitted just below the waist).

JC Penney understood that as body types differ, so too do the ways that women prefer to wear their clothes. The retailer decided to follow up with its own in-house survey focusing on pants and then combined that data with [TC]²’s data.

The survey involved 67 participants, sizes 4 through 16. As a result of this research, JC Penney identified that 43% of its customer base was “pear shaped”, 33% was “apple shaped” and 19% was “rectangle shaped”. It tweaked the targeted body specs and slightly increased the bust, waist and hip measurements. 

Additionally, with the assistance of the consulting firm Whitaker International, the findings collected via the work with [TC]² prompted JC Penney to collect psychographic information.

The psychographic data helped identify four lifestyle segmentations. Those lifestyle segmentations included:
- Conservative (functional, not influenced by trend and brand loyal);
- Traditional (stylish but classic, expect performance, quality and value);
- Modern (fashion aware, open to change, style driven); and
- Trendy (image conscious and want to be noticed).

What is important about these newfound lifestyle segmentations was that they enriched the way the clothing was merchandised and marketed on a fit level. Thus, a 46-year-old woman and a 27-year-old woman might both fall into the “Modern” lifestyle category and be able to purchase correct fitting pants.

Mr Hannaford explained that another outcome of JC Penney’s collaboration with [TC]² was that they decided to work with the Alvanon Body Form company to develop new forms for the women’s, men’s and children’s wear categories.

Developing new body forms turned into a three-year project resulting in mandating that suppliers purchase those particular forms. As Mr. Hannaford put it, “the time and effort to coordinate appropriate body forms was well worth it and has helped maintain better consistency of fit”.

Overall, the collaboration with [TC]² resulted in consistency of fit in JC Penney’s products, granting purchasing confidence across JC Penney brands. It also expanded the marketing of fit to lifestyle segmentation, and brand equity scores for consistency of fit have improved in consumer surveys.

Mr Hannaford concludes that: “Size USA helped us think more about proportion…[We] began thinking about shape as well as size, and were able to validate the data to support spec changes to solve sizing and grading.”

…and Jockey
Brad Beal, Jockey executive vice president of manufacturing and operations, also asserts that “[TC]² has been a valued partner and has contributed a lot to the textile and apparel industry”.

Jockey collected data from women and men, then got additional data from body scans. By using the original and additional data, the company altered its patterns to enhance fit in men’s briefs and women’s panties and bras.

The Size USA data was applied to the Jockey consumer profile to enhance what Jockey delivered. This has been an ongoing project for Jockey since 2005, and it continues to update and analyse incoming data.

The data is used to validate patterns and to determine which fabrication is best suited to which product. As a result, the consumer ended up with appropriate options.

At Jockey, the research collaboration with [TC]² has meant a more innovative product. One of those innovative products is their 3D Silhouettes for men and women’s bottoms.

Another innovation is that the company realised it needed to add length to some of its T-shirts. Doing the fabrication research resulted in better knowledge to give the structural support in clothing that different age groups require.

Both JC Penney and Jockey demonstrate the breadth of innovation that can abound when vanity sizing and fit issues are tackled by collaborating with an organisation such as [TC]².

Dr Mike Fralix, president of [TC]², states: “Regardless of the number on the label, we are focused on enabling the manufacturing of garments that fit a much larger percentage of the population.”

Given that the challenges to an apparel retailer are not ending anytime soon, [TC]² has valuable work ahead to continue to support an increasingly global supply chain.

Natalie Weathers is associate professor in the Fashion Industry Management Department at Philadelphia

Article reprinted by permission - just-style.com.

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The Measure of Mankind
Lucky Us: We’re Living in the Golden Age of Anthropometrics
By: Patricia McLaughlin for RealStyle

12 August 2007

This is the dawning of the Age of Anthropometrics. Yes, lucky reader, you are privileged to live in a time when the science of measuring man (and woman) has achieved a level of precision virtually unimaginable even a dozen years ago. Even better, clothing manufacturers and retailers are finally paying attention. Best-case scenario: In just a few years, our clothes could fit better than they have since the early 1800s, when everything was still custom-made.

About time, too. Long after other technologies had been electrified, automated, digitized, etc., anthropometrics lagged behind, staying stubbornly manual, and relying on the same poky old measuring tapes and yardsticks--which took a prohibitively long time to take all of a person’s relevant measurements and allowed for a discouraging amount of slippage. (Studies have found that even measuring-tape measurements taken by expert tailors can vary by as much as two inches.)

Laser body scanning changed that, made it possible to know, really and truly, what size we are and what shape we’re in.
But did anybody but scientists really want to know?

As recently as 1994, the American Society for Testing and Materials announced it was throwing in the towel on a major anthropometric study because too few American clothing manufacturers and retailers signed on to sponsor it. At the time, more than half of all shoppers complained that the clothes in the stores didn’t fit them right, but most stores and apparel makers seemed to think it was somebody else’s problem: Other people’s sizes might be too big or too small, but theirs, they thought, were just right.

Even four years ago, when a nonprofit technology organization called [TC]²  (the initials stand for Textile Clothing Technology Corporation) launched a study to scan 11,000 Americans with support from the U.S. Commerce Department, it remained to be seen whether apparel makers would actually get with the program, and use the data to make clothes fit better. 
Now it’s clear: Many already have and more will.

Last week, I wrote about Lane Bryant’s new Right Fit jeans, based on “Virtual Fitting Room” scans of 14,000 Lane Bryant customers by Intellifit Corp.  When Lane Bryant’s in-house size experts looked at the data, they saw that a customer with a 34” waist could have hips that measured anywhere from 36” to 47”—a range no single size could cover. So, for each waist size, they built three different fits: A woman with a 34” waist wears a “straight” if her hip measurement is between 36” and 39”; she’s “moderately curvy” if her hips measure between 40” and 43”; she’s “curvy” if her hips are between 44”and 47”.

The four women whose laser body scans are compared here have similar bust, waist and hip measurements--but the laser sees that they have strikingly different body shapes. So how can they all wear the same size 10? Image: [TC]²

Lots of other apparel makers have also faced the fact that not all women with the same waist size can wear the same pair of trousers. Gap has added a line-up of  “curvy” sizes for customers with smaller waists and bigger hips.

At J.C. Penney’s, one of the original sponsors of the [TC]²  SizeUSA study, the data “allowed us to see who our customer was,” according to Penney’s global technical design director Michael Hannaford. “We examined all the data, and it helped us think more about proportion and body type.” Penney’s found that that 43% of its sample was pear-shaped, 37% “were more of an apple or a diamond,” and 19% were straighter, more of a rectangle. Penney’s updated the body specifications its sizes are built on to, among other things, provide more room in the waist. They also rethought the fit of their core pants program, offering more lengths and a choice of different silhouettes with different waist positions.

The final puzzle piece, Hannaford says, is making sure that the styling of each house brand lines up with its fit—so a serious suit that attracts the attention of a businesswoman doesn’t turn out to be cut to fit a 14-year-old.

 “We’re all looking at how can give our customer the truest, most flattering fit,” says Lands’ End’s Michele Casper. “We try to make sure we’re catching everything.”

When Lands’ End technical designers checked their data, they found that 70% of their customers had hip-to-waist ratios that gave them relatively straight figures. They introduced a “curvy” fit for the other 30% who fit the classic “hourglass” mold. Because they’d been monitoring customer preference data as well as size numbers, they knew that many customers had been appalled when the jeans market went overwhelmingly to ultra-low rises and skinny fits. “We’re fitting 30 year olds, but we’re also fitting 70-year-olds,” Casper says. So their new line of jeans includes four different rises, with waistbands that range from right at the natural waist to a couple of inches below, and a choice of leg shapes (tapered, bootcut, trouser), as well as a number of different fabrics and washes. Their new premium 47Indigo stretch denim jeans come in sizes 16W to 26W (as well as 4 to 18) for women who haven’t been able to find premium denim in plus sizes.

Lands’ End, which does a lot of its business online or by catalog, may have been quicker to see the usefulness of anthropometric data than some companies that sell clothes strictly from bricks-and-mortar stores: When Lands’ End customers try things on and don’t like the fit, they send them back—and they fill out a merchandise return form that asks for specifics: Is it too big in the waist, too big in the hips, too long, too short, etc.

At your favorite local mall store, by contrast, dozens of women can try on the same size-ten pair of pants and discover that the waistband is too tight to button—but management never finds out. There’s no paper trail.

According to [TC]²’s Jim Lovejoy, another place anthropometric data is having an impact is the world of dressmaker’s dummies. Shapely Shadow, a Los Angeles company that makes dress forms for the apparel industry, is about to introduce a line of forms that embody the SizeUSA scan data. Shapely Shadow’s Ilona Foyer explained that she can merge 10 or 15 different body scans that roughly correspond to a given dress size and, by layering them one over the other, create a size ten that’s shaped like real women.  For companies that have their clothing manufactured offshore, she says, buying several identical forms will be almost as good as being able to clone a fit model: A designer in New York and a cutting supervisor in China will be able to try identical sample garments on identical dress forms, and make adjustments to get the fit exactly right. 

Recently, he says, [TC]² scanned 1,400 Victoria’s Secret customers to help the company refine its bra designs. After careful analysis of the scans, six Victoria's Secret technical designers came to a breakthrough conclusion: women’s breasts come in four distinctive shapes that vary independently of size, geographic location, age or ethnicity. No wonder it’s so hard to find a bra that fits right. The people at Victoria’s Secret wouldn’t tell me anything more about the four breast profiles they discovered—but it’s probably only a matter of time before they come out with bras designed to fit them.

Reprinted with permission

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