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

• Published in: International journal of clothing science and technology 2010-08, Vol.22 (4), p.297-311
• Main Authors: Lee, Wookyung, Imaoka, Haruki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropometry; Body regions; Classification; Clothing industry; Defects; Gaussian processes; Human body; Mathematical models; Measurement; Pattern making; Polyhedra; Polyhedrons; Principal components analysis; Statistical analysis; Symmetry; Torso; Women
• ISSN: 0955-6222; 1758-5953
• DOI: 10.1108/09556221011048312

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.