|
7/31/02
|
Sizing
survey benefits many manufacturers
Compiled by:
Kelly Roach, SCRC
|
SCRC
member Milliken
& Company, Textile/Clothing Technology
Corporation ([TC]2), and NC State University plan
to obtain data to improve the way clothes fit
the U.S. population. Results will be used for
a better understanding of body shapes for use
in not only apparel, but also in the automotive,
aerospace, and furniture industries. The study
will benefit both manufacturers and consumers.
Why
do we need a national sizing survey?
It is widely recognized that the size offerings
of apparel in retail establishments in the United
States serves the consuming public poorly. Sizing
systems in place at most major apparel companies
date back to the 1950's, 60's, and 70's for lack
of better information. Companies use sales data
to get feedback on what sizes are selling and
in what proportions - but sales data never capture
lost sales. Not only is the consuming public being
poorly served by this, but the retailer (and the
upstream apparel manufacturer) loses out on considerable
sales volume. Inevitably, people are forced to
have expensive alterations done or simply wear
clothes that fit poorly. An overall assessment
indicates that significant industry inefficiency,
lost business opportunity, and consumer frustration
results from the lack of current size and size
distribution data for the U.S. population.
When was the last U.S. size survey?
The fact is that a comprehensive study of the
size and shape distributions of the United States
civilian population has never been done. Historically,
almost all U.S. sizing surveys conducted were
for the U.S military for the purpose of sizing
equipment and military apparel. The reason no
civilian (public or private) studies have been
done is because the cost of conducting a statistically
significant manual sizing study would be astronomical.
A comprehensive manual measuring procedure can
easily exceed one hour per subject, and the number
of subjects required to meet the criteria of statistical
validity would be many thousands.
The National Sizing Survey
There is an overwhelming need for accurate and
statistically significant U.S. population size
and shape data. A recent successful sizing survey
in the United Kingdom has proven that such an
undertaking is now possible. A "fully automated"
survey that relies on safe and private 3D body
scanning using white light and does not require
any manual tape measurements will yield accurate
and comprehensive data that will serve as a valuable
tool for many U.S. industries. The potential benefits
of a national sizing survey are tremendous. A
few industry examples of the productive use of
the resulting data are:
| • |
Apparel
- enable the establishment of national sizing
scales for all ranges of apparel product to
better serve consumers and to enhance the
business performance of apparel retailers
and manufacturers. |
| • |
Automotive/Aerospace/Commercial
Airlines - establish size/fit/comfort
parameters for all passengers and improve
the precision/comfort/performance of drivers
and pilots. |
| • |
Furniture
and Ergonomics - understanding human size
ranges and distribution would enable ergonomic
furniture and human interface equipment design
across all industries. |
| • |
Medical/Health
- size, weight, and body volume characteristics
would provide a valuable reference of the
human body size and shape trends in the United
States and allow for analysis with corresponding
health trends. |
How
will the survey be conducted?
[TC]2 (www.tc2.com)
a not-for-profit U.S. sewn products industry organization,
is leading the effort to conduct the U.S. national
sizing survey. Anyone who has ever been frustrated
by trying to determine which size shirt, jeans,
or other clothing item will fit best or has spent
a lot of time going through the alteration process
will benefit from a new technology developed by
[TC]2. This technology is a 3D Body Measurement
System which includes a white light-based scanner
and proprietary measurement extraction software.
The scanner captures hundreds of thousands of
data points of an individual's image, and the
software automatically extracts dozens of measurements.
This measurement information can be electronically
compared to garment specifications and other data
in order to recommend the size an individual should
purchase or used as a basis for made to measure
clothing. This technology has tremendous implications
for consumers shopping throughout all distribution
channels, including bricks-and-mortar, catalog,
and on-line.
The 3rd Semi-Annual SCRC Meeting included a presentation
by Jim Lovejoy from [TC]2. An overview of the
DAMA (Demand Activated Manufacturing Architecture)
project was given, outlining the group’s
objective: to identify and demonstrate the means
by which the U.S. fiber, textile, apparel, and
retail industries can reduce time in the pipeline
by 50%. Go to www.sizeusa.com
for more information on the sizing survey.
|
