A comprehensive body sizing system for international fashion consumers and apparel manufacturing

Human body sizing standards are the foundation for apparel mass production. An effective sizing system is vital because it provides a consistent and accurate sizing reference for both manufacturers and consumers. This study aims to develop a comprehensive sizing system in a 3-step process by taking reference to all major national body sizing standards. Firstly, the primary and secondary dimensions are determined. Secondly, coverage of the body shapes, represented by drop vales for upper body (differences of bust and waist) and lower body (differences of waist and hip), are calculated. Thirdly, the size ranges, namely, the upper and lower limits of primary and secondary dimensions, are obtained from each size standard. In this paper, the sizing standards of US, Europe, China, Japan and some other countries were investigated. Based on the analysis results, we consolidated all sizing information into five size charts, from which a comprehensive sizing system covering two size charts for upper body and lower body were lastly constructed. The proposed sizing system covers very board body size ranges as well as a large variety of body shapes, which provide a basis for garment production and body shape classification.