Investigating the effect of body shape on denim clothing fit

Abstract

Denim products have original visual effects that are integrated with their sewing features. This initial aesthetic appearance risks deterioration if seams are modified because clothing does not fit. Clothing fit problems caused by variations in body shape are sensitive issues that need to be explicitly examined for denim products. In this work, to investigate the effects of body shape on denim clothing fit, denim overalls were chosen, as they cover three primary areas (chest, waist, hips) which are mainly used to define body shapes. For this purpose, overalls were designed in size 40 using 3D fashion design software. In the first part of the study, the size-40 avatar in the program was dressed in denim overalls using four different constructions of denim fabric. Clothing fit for the standard body shape for each fabric was evaluated using tension and pressure maps. Fabric 2, having an average value in terms of weight, thickness, bend, and stretch among the fabrics, was chosen for the second part of the study to examine the effect of body shape on clothing fit. Subsequently, five avatars with different body shapes were designed. Then, for the five different body shapes, avatars were dressed in overalls in the chosen denim fabric. Clothing fit values were evaluated using software tension and pressure maps and found to be within acceptable limits, which is considered ideal. The fit evaluation indicated that varying body shapes with extra width or narrowness of the chest, waist, and hip lines affected the clothing fit.