Hosted by the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Apparel magazine and [TC]² recently held the Apparel Tech Conference 2005 on November 10, 2005. Targeting many different players in the apparel supply chain, from design and production, to delivery to consumers, the conference was a showcase of the most state-of-the-art technology, products, and services geared at improving the competitiveness of the apparel industry. The conference presented sessions that focused on five key areas: Design and Product Development; Manufacturing; Information Technology; Sourcing, Logistics, and Transportation; and Retailing. In addition, some of the foremost leaders in innovative technologies for the industry presented tabletop displays aimed at educating and promoting their products and solutions to apparel companies.

While largely an industry-driven and attended conference, this year’s conference attendees were afforded the unique opportunity of being exposed to some of the ground-breaking research being performed by NCSU College of Textiles Professor Cynthia Istook. In a session entitled The Shape of an American Size 8, results of a collaborative study between Dr. Istook and AlvaProducts were presented. Dr. Istook’s research was a natural fit for a partnership with AlvaProducts, a company committed to providing fit conformance and standardization in dress forms for the apparel industry.

Dr. Istook is a long-time researcher in the area of apparel sizing and fit, and its part in the product development process. The industry has historically been plagued with apparel fit problems that are often the culprit of consumer dissatisfaction and apparel returns. The research presented at the Apparel Tech Conference illustrated one of the reasons for the historical fit problems, and introduced a possible solution with widespread implications for the apparel industry and consumers.

Traditionally, body size and shape has been viewed using ratios such as 36-26-36, which correspond to actual body measurements at the locations of bust-waist-hip. However, university researchers, apparel producers, and consumers are beginning to understand that the numbers themselves are not as important as the ratio between these numbers, and the body proportions they represent. The Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT)© for Apparel software was created as part of doctoral research by Dr. Karla Simmons (now at Auburn University) under the direction of Dr. Istook. This tool uses body scan data to determine a subject’s true shape. The software has immense implications for better understanding body proportion, and how greatly proportions of different females can vary.

Dr. Istook used 3-dimensional body scan data from [TC]²’s National Sizing Survey, SizeUSA, to classify and analyze the true shapes of current U.S. females using the FFIT© for Apparel software. Results of the analysis showed that the most predominant shape in the U.S. population is the Rectangle, with 46.12% of the female sample being classified as this shape. The Spoon shape was next most common, with 20.92% of the sample being in this category. The Inverted Triangle and the Hourglass were the third and fourth most predominant, with 13.83% and 8.4% classified as these shapes. Five other shapes combined to make up the remaining 10.72% of the sample. The table shown below contains a description and illustration of the four main shapes represented in the current U.S. female population.

By itself, the research above would make a clear case for rethinking the traditional attitude that the Hourglass is the “ideal” shape. However, the collaboration with AlvaProducts strengthened this argument, and proved very convincing for companies attending the Apparel Tech Conference. Using FFIT© for Apparel software, AlvaProducts evaluated the true shape of the mannequins they currently produce for some of the world’s largest apparel producers. They concluded that most of the companies who use their dress forms are producing apparel products based on the hourglass shape. This result, in combination with the results of the SizeUSA analysis, showed that most of the apparel produced today would provide appropriate fit for only 8.4% of women in the population.

The presentation by Janice Wang, CEO of AlvaProducts, Jason Wang, Director of Operations for AlvaProducts, and Beth Newcomb, Dr. Istook’s doctoral student from NC State, effectively illustrated the inconsistency that exists in the shapes that are being satisfied by apparel companies, and the shapes that really exist. To address these concerns, AlvaProducts used the results of this research to create mannequins that represent the four predominant body shapes, listed in order of importance: Rectangle, Spoon, Inverted Triangle, and Hourglass. AlvaProducts also plans to make these dress forms available for purchase by apparel companies, who were very interested in the possibilities of satisfying more consumers by embracing a change of approach. This will give apparel producers the chance to find out the actual shape of their target consumers, purchase dress forms that are based on these shapes, and produce garments that theoretically should result in better fitting garments for their target market.

In conclusion, the Apparel Tech Conference allowed NC State and AlvaProducts to present research and recommendations to apparel companies that could greatly improve consumer satisfaction and bottom-line profits. In addition, the conference was a great opportunity for Beth Newcomb, student at the College of Textiles, to interact with apparel companies, discover new areas of valuable research, and become exposed to some of the leading technology and innovation in the industry. Dr. Istook looks forward to continuing this type of collaboration between university researchers and apparel companies such as AlvaProducts, in the hopes of making substantial contributions to improving the apparel industry and the products that are produced.

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