Application of anthropometric big data to improve clothing design and sales processes

Autor/es: Jorge Valero Zorraquino, Beatriz Nacher Fernández, Sandra Alemany Mut, Sara Gil Mora, Juan Carlos González García. 

Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV)

Clothing companies can optimise the design of their patterns and the sizing of their products for different demographics by using large databases of users’ anthropometric measurements. These solutions enable them to be more efficient in terms of product development and adapting their products to the market, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and reducing returns, thus contributing to improved sustainability.

The IBV maintains anthropometric population databases for many countries around the world. With 3D scans of over 100,000 people, it provides a service that allows clothing companies to improve their design, development and sales processes.

This data-driven approach not only enhances the customer experience by offering garments tailored to their physical characteristics but also allows companies to optimise their costs.

INTRODUCTION

In an increasingly global marketplace, clothing companies face a number of challenges that affect both process efficiency and customer satisfaction.

One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that their products provide properly fitting garments for a wide range of bodies. A poor fit leads to customer dissatisfaction and high returns, which has a direct impact on profit margins, brand image and sustainability.

On the one hand, companies that make mass-produced garments based on traditional trial-and-error design processes need to make physical samples. Such sampling increases both production costs and product development time.

On the other hand, the growing demand for customisation is forcing companies to offer products that are increasingly tailored to their customers’ specific needs.

In this context, the IBV has developed a comprehensive service based on body scanning technologies and complex techniques involving the analysis and exploitation of large anthropometric databases to help companies optimise sizing to ensure that their garments are better adapted to the real anatomy of their consumers.

By providing this service, the IBV aims to answer questions such as

• Are our designs and patterns right for our target audience?
• What percentage of the population does our current sizing system cater for? Can it be improved?
• Are we making the right sizes?
• If we want to export our garments to another country, how can we be sure they fit the population there?

The proposed approach seeks to transform business processes in the clothing sector, improving sizing accuracy and optimising production, while contributing to sustainability and enhancing the customer experience.

ANTHROPOMETRIC BIG DATA

The precise capture of body morphology using 3D scanning technologies makes it possible to obtain detailed digital models of the human body that accurately represent measurements, shapes and individual proportions. The IBV has a database of more than 100,000 3D body scans from all over the world.

Figure 1: With a database of more than 100,000 3D body scanner of the world’s population, the IBV is able to generate digital human models

By determining the dimensions and shape of the human body, it is possible to design products that fit much more accurately. The first step is to define the target population for the garments.

Using the IBV’s digital anthropometric big data, which contains detailed information on thousands of people from all over the world, we are able to extract a segment of the population with specific demographic and morphological characteristics.

Once the target population has been defined, we can compare the anthropometric measurements of this population with the measurements of the company’s patterns and garments across the size range to determine to what extent the design is suitable for the population.

This process includes fitting tests with actual garments to measure the user’s perception of how the garment fits on different parts of their body, as well as their preferences in terms of fit.

The process includes 3D body scanning sessions to obtain the users’ anthropometric measurements, which allow body dimensions to be correlated with product dimensions and fit. The aim is to model the perception of fit and comfort, analysing how the user feels and how the design affects the user experience.

This methodology provides a complete overview of how the garment performs in terms of fit and comfort. The data obtained can be used to create a personalised database to optimise garment design for the target population.

DESIGN OPTIMISATION

Design optimisation is a key process that allows companies to analyse their products according to the specific needs of different population groups. Using the IBV’s databases and algorithms, it is possible to analyse how the fit of garments varies between different target populations, taking into account differences in shape, size and morphological characteristics.

This type of analysis provides key information such as the percentage of the population that falls within the company’s sizing system, the extent to which the sizing scale matches the anthropometric characteristics of the target population, and the identification of additional sizes that may or may not be needed.

The analysis generates suggestions and recommendations to modify patterns or improve the sizing system, optimising the fit and product range to meet the needs of the population.

Figure 2 shows an example of a sizing assessment that clearly and graphically shows the distribution of the child population in Spain between the ages of 3 and 14, represented by coloured dots, in relation to the different sizes available for an assessed garment.

Figure 2. Assessment of the size of a garment using a bivariate plot of anthropometric measurements of the child population in Spain.

The analysis focuses on two key dimensions: the width and length of the garment. The coloured boxes in the figure represent each of the sizes assessed, making it possible to see how the garment measurements match the anthropometric characteristics of the target population.

This methodology also makes it possible to compare the fit of the garments with other brands in the market, providing a benchmark of how the company is catering for body diversity in relation to the market.

It also makes it possible to combine the analysis with the company’s sales and returns data, which can help the company decide if it needs to produce more stock of certain sizes or if there are fit problems. In other words, it makes it possible to optimise the availability of each size according to actual demand and, in the case of online sales, to identify whether returns are related to specific design problems.

On the other hand, 3D statistical analysis of body shapes provides a comprehensive view of shape variability in a given target population. Understanding the body variability of a population makes it easier to redesign patterns to meet the needs of different morphotypes.

This analysis can also be used to develop customised 3D virtual avatars that faithfully represent the different morphotypes, creating a library of avatars that can be used both in the design process to visualise how garments will fit on different bodies, and in the online shopping experience to allow customers to realistically visualise how garments will fit, reducing uncertainty and increasing confidence when making a purchase.

Figure 3. Avatars of the European female population classified by body shape and body mass index.

Sizing standardisation helps to ensure greater consistency in the fit of garments. This methodology eliminates the variability and subjectivity that comes from relying on human models for fitting sessions, which often result in inconsistencies due to body diversity and natural changes in people’s measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

This data-driven approach has proven to be an effective strategy for improving the fitting validation process. It allows companies to design and size patterns that match the demographics of the target audience much more accurately, reducing iterations in the design process and increasing efficiency in the sales process, especially online. A consistent sizing system contributes to more efficient and sustainable production, optimising both resources and supply chain management.

This innovative IBV service will help companies overcome the limitations of traditional design methods and provides a significant boost to the digital transformation of the sector.

The use of these technologies is not a passing trend, but a paradigm shift in the way clothing companies operate. Any company that integrates these digital tools will be in a better position to compete.

AUTHOR’S AFFILIATION

Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia
Universitat Politècnica de València
Edificio 9C. Camino de Vera s/n
(46022) Valencia. Spain