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A two-dimensional (2D) body measurement system was implemented to study the application of sportswear design in measurement garment development. A total of 50 participants were recruited. The basic demographic information and sportswear preference data were collected through a survey to understand consumer preferences and acceptance of the new designs. The body measurements were collected through both the selected 2D measurement system and a commercial three-dimensional scanning booth to evaluate measurement accuracy.

Finding the right size has been a long-existing problem for clothing consumers. Size problem is the most common reason for e-commerce returns and adds a high cost for retailers. One possible solution is to offer consumers an easy-to-use method that extracts accurate body measurements to be used for clothing size selection. The purpose of this research is to apply sportswear design elements on measurement garments to see if consumers’ interest in using the 2D measurement system can be increased without influencing the measurement accuracy.

The results showed that the added design features increased consumers’ interest in using 2D body measuring technology without significantly influencing measurement accuracy.

This research applied sportswear elements to convert a 2D measurement bodysuit to a fashionable clothing product. The solution resolved users’ privacy concerns and increased their acceptance and use of the technology. Other studies have not focused on using aesthetic features to improve the 2D measurement technology.

The purpose of this study was to explore participants’ fit perceptions of customized garments and investigate the factors that affected the customized fit.

Because different patternmaking methods generate varied fit results, eight customized dresses were developed for four fit models aged 18–25 using two different made-to-measure (MTM) systems (Gerber AccuMark and Telestia Creator). The authors designed a questionnaire to assess the fit of the final garments on each of the four models. A total of 12 participants (four fit models and eight experts) attended a live evaluation meeting and completed the questionnaire. The quantitative and qualitative data of the participants’ fit perceptions were collected and analyzed.

The authors compared the fit outputs of the two MTM systems and determined the fit issues from the participants’ perceptions. The results showed that the participants evaluated the customized fit mainly according to the ease, seam placement and wrinkle occurrence. The majority of fit models and experts preferred Dress B created using Telestia Creator to Dress A developed using Gerber AccuMark. The participants’ fit perceptions also revealed that many factors, such as the MTM systems, participants’ fit preferences, models’ body characteristics, fabric and ease, impacted the fit results. In addition, the experts perceived more fit issues than the models.

The fit output comparison of the two MTM systems could be valuable for pattern makers to use the systems. The research results would also be useful for apparel companies to conduct a fit evaluation and improve their customization processes.

The ability to customise garments for fit is directly tied to the availability of a comprehensive, accurate set of measurements. To obtain accurate physical measurements, a basic knowledge and set of skills are required that are not often found in the average salesperson at a retail clothing outlet. The development of three‐dimensional body‐scanning technologies may have significant potential for use in the apparel industry, particularly for customisation or mass customisation strategies to be employed. The purpose of this study was to review all the 3D body scanning systems currently available and to determine the underlying principles that allow these systems to work. Specifications of each system were compared in order to provide some direction for further research into the integration of these systems with current apparel CAD pattern design or pattern generation technologies.

Two-dimensional (2D) measurement technology has become more popular than before, thanks to the widespread availability of smartphones and smart devices. However, most existing 2D body measurement systems have background constraints and may raise privacy concerns. The purpose of this research was to test the idea of designing a 2D measurement system that works with a color-coded measurement garment for background removal and privacy protection. Clothing consumers can use the proposed system for daily apparel shopping purposes.

A 2D body measurement system was designed and tested. The system adopted a close-fitted color-coded measurement garment and used neural network models to detect the color-code in the garment area and remove backgrounds. In total, 78 participants were recruited, and the collected data were split into training and testing sets. The training dataset was used to train the neural network and statistical prediction models for the 2D system. The testing dataset was used to compare the performance of the 2D system with a commercial three-dimensional (3D) body scanner.

The results showed that the color-coded measurement garment worked well with the neural network models to process the images for measurement extraction. The 2D measurement system worked better at close-fitted areas than loose-fitted areas.

This research combined a color-coded measurement garment with neural network models to solve the privacy and background challenges of the 2D body measurement system. Other researchers have never studied this approach.

The purpose of this paper is to compare body shape between USA and Korean women. It aims to analyze the distribution and proportion of body shapes of two countries and compare the differences of body shape according to age.

SizeUSA and SizeKorea measurement data were evaluated using the Female Figure Identification Technique for apparel system developed at North Carolina State University. Once the samples were defined by shape, comparisons were made of the distribution according to age and country through statistical analysis.

The paper finds that the largest shape category was the rectangle shape in both countries, but the distribution within each shape category for Korean women was different from that of USA women. More body shape categories were found in the USA women than in Korean women. In addition, most body shape categories had different body proportions when comparing the USA women and Korean women. The USA women had the higher measurements in the waist, high hip, and hips height and the larger measurements in the bust, waist, high hip, and hips circumference.

Of the over 6,300 US female subjects in this study, only five failed to be identified by the seven shapes identified. These subjects had over 50.2 in. of hip circumference, over 10 in. larger hips than bust circumference, and over 15.5 in. larger hips than waist circumference. Further refinement of the mathematical definitions or a second group of criteria may be required for sorting the women that have no shape as defined by this study.

The opportunity to compare the body shapes between two very different countries, using national anthropometric survey data, is very rare, indeed. This comparison allows the opportunity to discover ways to improve the sizing systems of each country, as well as impact the development of international sizing standards that could have a significant impact on brands producing product for a variety of international consumers.

Describes research designed to examine the effects of subject positioning on the accuracy of body scan data. A body measurement system developed by the Textile Clothing Technology Corporation was used to acquire two scans from each of 72 subjects. The subjects were instructed to continue to breathe normally and stand with their feet shoulder‐width apart. The two scans were compared and statistical analysis was performed to determine the precision of the results and whether this lack of standardization affected the data. Physical measurements were also obtained from each subject and served as a basis for comparison to the scanned measurements. Since physical measurements are the current accepted “true value”, these measurements determined the level of accuracy of scanned data. Three separate scans of 72 different subjects were taken at various levels of breathing and at various foot positions to determine the effect of the variables. This study certainly indicates that respiration and foot placement has a significant effect on body scan data. It was established that the scan data rendered by the software does have precision, but lacks accuracy when compared against physical measurements. This may be owing to the inaccuracies of the physical measurement process or to differences in measurement location between the anthropometrist and the 3D measurement extraction software. Information detailing the level of accuracy and precision that can be obtained with scanning software and how respiration and subject positioning can affect the data are included.

Manufacturers have been struggling to meet the wants and needs of their customers without sacrificing the efficiencies and profits gained through mass production. Fortunately, developments in information technology have increased the probability of mass customization being adopted as an acceptable business paradigm. Almost every CAD system used in apparel patternmaking has some method that would enable mass customization through automatic alteration of patterns based on individual measurements. Although each has created an interface somewhat differently from all of the others, most have a number of preparatory activities in common that will allow “automatic” alterations to occur. This article outlines the activities involved in setting up CAD systems to automatically customize garments for fit.

With the use of 3D body scanners, body measurement techniques can be non‐contact, instant, and accurate. However, how each scanner establishes landmarks and takes the measurements should be established so that standardization of the data capture can be realized. The purpose of this study was to compare body‐scanning measurement extraction methods and terminology with traditional anthropometric methods. A total of 21 measurements were chosen as being critical to the design of well‐fitting garments. Current body scanners were analyzed for availability of information, willingness of company cooperation, and relevance to applications in the apparel industry. On each of the 21 measurements, standard measurement procedure was identified for three different scanners: [TC]², Cyberware, and SYMCAD. Of the 21 measures in the study, [TC]² was the scanner that had the most measures identified for the study and also had the capability of producing many more with specific application for apparel.

This study aims to investigate the apparel fit preferences of Mexican‐American women between the ages of 18 and 25 years old from the Southwestern USA. The study also seeks to analyze the effect of body shape perception, body mass index, and clothing size on apparel fit preferences.

Data were collected in an online survey using an original fit preference assessment scale. Sampling was restricted in terms of gender, age, subculture, and geography to control for the variability that exists in apparel preferences and the Hispanic market due to these factors. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe the sample's fit preferences for casual pants, tops, skirts, and dresses and to determine whether physical body characteristics impact these preferences.

Overall, young Mexican‐American women preferred semi‐fitted apparel across all garment categories studied. Physical body characteristics tended to impact on the sample's preferences for close and loose‐fitting garments, with respondents who had narrower waists and smaller body sizes more likely to prefer close‐fitting garments. Respondents who had less defined waists and larger body sizes were more likely to prefer loose‐fitting garments.

Many apparel firms wish to create targeted products for the Hispanic consumer, given the substantial growth in the size and purchasing power of this market. However, firms have frequently had to rely on cultural stereotypes due to a lack of information. The study documented in the paper developed an original fit preference scale to obtain important information that can be used to impact on apparel product development for this consumer.

Firms in the apparel industry seek operational information on ways to implement mass customization. The purpose of this research is to investigate the potential for concurrent engineering (CE) to realign the traditional, linear apparel product development process to a more concurrent and consumer‐focused process in order to facilitate the implementation of the new supply chain process (i.e. mass customization) with sensitivity to time‐to‐market demands.

The case study method was used with three non‐competing apparel firms. Survey instruments and focus group feedback were utilized, which allowed the researchers to collect in‐depth information about the apparel product development process, often considered proprietary in many industries.

Product development activities in the lengthy apparel product development process were realigned with many activities being ranked as early or middle activities. This realignment into a compressed and nearly simultaneous process supports activities that must be done early and often simultaneously rather than late to support a mass customization strategy.

The case study approach and apparel‐oriented sample reduces generalizability of findings; however, realignment of activities and provided operational information encourage future research to document the findings for apparel and other industries.

Suggested movement of activities can be used as a guide for designers and manufacturers when trying to improve their product development process.

The paper provides needed detailed or operational information about implementation of mass customization in the apparel industry.