Classification of body shape characteristics of women's torsos using angles

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to classify body shapes using angular defects instead of sizes.

Design/methodology/approach

A large amount of dimensional data from a national anthropometry survey was analysed, and a basic pattern and its polyhedron were also used to create a three‐dimensional body shape from three body sizes. Using this method, the sizes were converted into nine angular defects.

Findings

The authors could define the factors explaining body shape characteristics and classify the body shapes into four groups. The four groups could be characterised by two pattern making difficulties of the upper and lower parts of the body as well as by two proportions, of waist girth to bust girth and bust girth to back length. Furthermore, depending on the age, the authors could understand body shape by the angle made.

Originality/value

Using a polyhedron model, the angles could be calculated using an enormous existing data set of sizes. An angular defect serves as an index to indicate the degree of difficulty for developing a flat pattern. If an angular defect of the bust is large, it is difficult to make a paper pattern of a bust dart. On the other hand, if an angular defect of the waist is large, it is easy to make a paper pattern of a waist dart. Thus, each body shape could be simultaneously characterized by two difficulty indices and two proportions of sizes.

Citation

Lee, W. and Imaoka, H. (2010), "Classification of body shape characteristics of women's torsos using angles", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 297-311. https://doi.org/10.1108/09556221011048312