F. Publitramesa
2.3.5 Documentació administrativa
Variations in body shapes are repeatedly mentioned as the reason why clothing manufactures are failing to produce proper fitting garments (Pisut & Connell, 2007:368; Schofield et al., 2006:148;
Simmons, Istook & Devarajan, 2004a:1). Ashdown (1998:324) mentioned that very few sizing systems including the systems used in South Africa accommodate different body shapes. According to Gribbin (2014:6) and Connell et al. (2003:1), most clothing manufacturers still base their body measurements on an hourglass or slightly pear shaped figure when manufacturing or designing clothing for female consumers. This is because for many years the hourglass body shape has been reflected as the “standard” shape for clothing construction in the United States of America. A
“standard” is a published document that has been developed and established within the consensus principles of a governing standards organisation (LaBat, 2007:88). This type of practice does not accommodate the diversity of female body shapes that currently exist in the United States of America
65 | P a g e (USA) and in other countries including South Africa. Unfortunately, those standards were based on data originally collected in the 1940s (Connell et al., 2003:1; Simmons et al., 2004). Additionally, the body shape of today’s women differ greatly from the shapes of generations ago (Simmons et al., 2004a:1). A study conducted by Simmons et al. (2004a:7) when applying body shape analysis from 3D body scanning data confirm that the female body shapes have changed from the 1950s when most standards were set in United States of America. Lee et al. (2007) compared body shapes between USA and Korean women. The study revealed that the largest body shape category was the rectangle shape in both countries. Furthermore, also in a study that sought to identify the unique body shape in African developing countries. Among 150 women of between the ages of 25 and 55 year, Mastamet-Mason (2008) found that among Kenyan (African) women 74% were rectangular shape, followed by triangular (21.5%) and the hourglass shape was only 1.5%. In another African study, Makhanya et al. (2014) compared the most prevalent body shapes and body characteristics of young African and Caucasian women in South Africa of between the ages of 18 and 25 years. Of the 234 respondents, 47% were African and 53% were Caucasian. The study found that triangular (58.7%) body shape was the most prevalent, followed by the hourglass (27.5%) and the rectangular shape (12.8%) and among the Caucasian women, the prevalent was the hourglass shape (40.8%) followed by triangular shape (33.6%) and the rectangular shape (224.6). Equally, in a bid to compare the body shapes of female Swazi consumers and body forms used in apparel manufacturing, De Klerk, Mabuza and Adamski (2014) studied young Swazi University students aged between 18 and 30 years, and the researcher found that the triangular shape (34.7%) was prominent, followed by the hourglass shape (34.7%), rectangular shape (7%) and inverted triangle (4%). Similarly Zwane and Magagula (2007) observed that the triangular body shape was the common figure among the Swazi women. This clearly indicates that the majority of female consumers who do not have the body shape that meets the standardized hourglass body shape mostly used by clothing industries for manufacturing ready-to-wear clothing may have problems with clothing fit (Park, Nam, Choi, Lee & Lee, 2009:374). This is because patterns that were previously developed are not easily adaptable to fit well on other body shapes such as the rectangular, triangular or oval shapes among others (Pisut & Connell, 2007:368).
4.6.1 Body shapes and sizing systems
Ashdown (1998) further points out that most sizing systems are based on two or three body dimensions such as bust, hip and waist measurements, which do not accommodate the specific body dimensions of large variations of female body shapes and proportions in the population. As a result, a large number of female consumers do not fit well into the garment sizes currently in
66 | P a g e the United States of America, including South Africa (Strydom & De Klerk, 2006:87). The problem of different body shapes and the lack of realistic body measurements of the population and the problem of clothing fit have also been highlighted in South Africa. According to Pandarum (2014), in South African a detailed survey of the shape and size of the South African consumer has never been done before. Moreover, the South African Bureau of Standards has never published a standard of sizing of women’s clothing (Muthambi, De Klerk & Mastamet-Mason, 2015:65).
Garment sizing systems currently in use by manufacturers and retailers have been adopted from the British, mainland European and American systems and adapted over times to accommodate a population that is that is continuously changing in shape and size (Pandarum & Yu, 2015). It is, therefore, assumed that the sizing systems used in South Africa for the production of ready-to-wear garments found in retail stores in South Africa are also outdated. This type of practice does not accommodate the diversity of the female body shapes in South Africa. Therefore, in order to achieve acceptable clothing among female consumer with various body shapes and proportions, it is essential that clothing manufacturers and retailers re-evaluate and update the sizing systems from time to time. Moreover, sizing systems should be representative of female body shapes and characteristics prevalent in the clothing consumer population.
However, the 3-D body scanner is a promising new technology that may have the potential to solve the majority of the garment fit problems in South Africa, by ensuring that more consumers fit into the different size ranges. This, however, will not solve all the population fit problems but will establish niche markets for the outlying data sets (Pandarum, 2014). The body scanner, according to Simmons et al. (2004b:2), has the ability to obtain a realistic image of three dimensional data of the human body, providing valuable information to improve garment fit. The body scanner has the ability to identify body shapes and the measurements that are said to be more accurate than those taken with a tape measure, as scans are quicker and more reliable (Simmons et al., 2004b:2). It is hoped that this new technology will better reflect the different body shapes and true body measurements of the female South African population which may help to improve garment fit in general.
In brief, consumers need to be aware of their body shapes, knowledge of body shape will help decision process when evaluating the alternatives. This may enable them to select clothing products that are suitable for their body shape. Additionally, Rasband and Liechty (22006:4), point out that consumers that understand their body shapes are able to select clothing products that accommodate and compliments their body shape. Furthermore, when it comes to clothing fit, nearly every woman has problem areas. Knowledge of the body shape may be the first step in learning how to dress in
67 | P a g e such a way that will make the body look at its best. This may influence the selection of clothing during the purchasing decision.
4.7 SUMMARY
In this chapter, an attempt has been made to draw out the relative importance of the female body shape in the clothing purchasing decision. Through the discussion, it became clear that proper fit is not about size or measurement, it is all about body shape. The difference in body shapes often determines how a garment will drape on a figure, how comfortable the garment feels and ultimately how the garment will be evaluated by the consumer. As such, the evaluation and selection of clothing products may also largely be influenced by how the clothing item will fit and interact with the body shape.
From the analysis of clothing fit and body shape. The discussion pointed out that clothing fit remains a major concern and barrier to ready-to-wear sales, because most clothing manufactures and designers fail to understand and address body shape properly when producing clothing.
Variations in body shapes and sizes were discussed as the main reasons why clothing manufacturers and retailers are failing to produce proper fitting clothing for female consumers.
Furthermore, from the discussion on classification of body shapes, it became apparent that female body shapes are naturally different. The common female body shape includes the triangular, the inverted triangular, the hourglass, the rectangular, the oval and the diamond. However, female body shape can also change over time as a result of age, lifestyle, and nutrition among other factors. Classification of body shapes may help clothing manufacturers design and produce clothing that can fit well consumers of different body shape.
While the clothing industry is aware of the differences between the female body shapes in the population, the discussion highlighted that very few sizing systems including the systems used in South Africa accommodate different body shapes. Most clothing manufacturers still base their body measurements on an hourglass shaped figure when manufacturing or designing clothing for female consumers. For many years the hourglass body shape has been reflected as the “standard” shape for clothing construction in the United States of America. This means that the majority of women who do not have the body shape that meets the standardized hourglass body shape may have problems with clothing fit. It is, therefore, evident that body measurements and classification of the body shapes are precedent to accurate clothing fit.
68 | P a g e Thus, it can be said that the selection of a clothing product, may be dependent on how the clothing fit the body shape of the female consumer. However, in order to achieve the desired fit, the consumer may consequently consider evaluative criteria that may satisfy that need. In satisfying the need, there may be a personal value that is being achieved. The following chapter will discuss the influence of personal value in the purchasing decision, specifically when evaluating the alternatives.
69 | P a g e CHAPTER 5