Anthropometric Practices and the Complete Knitted Garment

There is a clear and transparent relationship between the utilisation of anthropometric data and the woven garment construction processes. Knitwear manufactured on flat bed machinery however, presents practitioners with a very different set of parameters regarding the use of body measurement data to achieve satisfactory fit. Innovative developments in knitting technology create additional complexities, as it is now possible to generate garments three dimensionally. This technology is likely to impact on the ability to size, assess fit and determine the shape of a knitted garment. An investigation was therefore prompted, which explored the potential impact of complete garment technology implementation, within the UK knitwear industry. The research employed a qualitative grounded theory strategy. Preliminary stages of the investigation generated a map of the current UK knitwear industry and identified two sampling frames for subsequent data collection. Initially semi structured interviews were conducted with key personnel from the selected machine builders, which informed case study research with two leading UK complete garment manufacturers. It was concluded from the research that the manufacturers utilising complete garment technology had developed innovative new ranges. However, a number of inhibiters to further developments were identified, including a lack of investment in research, skills and training. Further to this, process maps generated through analysis of case study data showed how imprecise anthropometric practices contribute to unnecessary repeats within the garment development cycle. It was therefore possible to conclude that the relationship between complete garment production and body dimensions was not clearly defined during the garment development process. 1.0 Introduction It is recognised that product development requires a matching of the physical form of the product to that of its user (Pheasant and Haslegrave, 2006). In clothing this matching must relate to the way in which the garment fits the wearer’s body. The appropriation and application of correct anthropometric data within clothing production is recognised to be a primary factor in achieving satisfactory garment fit (Le Pechoux and Ghosh, 2002; Power and Otieno, 2007 and 2008). Historically clothing practitioners utilised an individual’s personal measurements and applied empirically acquired knowledge to construct garments (Aldrich, 2007). Mass production of clothing, originally pioneered in America at the beginning of the 20 th Century (Tamburrino, 1992) created the need for a different approach to the handling of body measurement data. It became imperative to develop sizing systems capable of accommodating whole populations. As a result the first scientific sizing survey on approximately 1500 women in America was conducted (O'Brian and Sheldon, 1941). This became the model for a UK Survey in 1953, providing measurement data for individual manufacturers to generate their own sizing systems (Kemsley, 1957). For several decades women’s size charts in the UK were based on this data. During this time retailers adapted their methods creating a confusion of non-standardised sizing (Winks, 1997; Otieno et al., 2005). Retailers regard their sizing data to be confidential; a practice implying sizing is recognised as a competitive area (Otieno, 2000). In an effort to improve size charts and clothing fit in the UK, the British government in collaboration with retailers and academics undertook an anthropometric survey of 5000 women and 5000 men in 2001 (Bougourd et al.,