Size & Fit – Readymade Garments

 

Fit is one of the most important criteria for consumers in their purchasing decisions. Each garment manufacturer has a target segment with specific demographics that define the consumer profile. To get the best fit and size, the manufacturer spends a lot of money. The best size selection can be a decisive success factor for manufacturers. To implement this, many companies are using advanced technologies and strategies to create equipment sizing systems and sizing categories.

The following are the key aspects of the size problem:

Collecting data on age, physical, and ethnicity: Data can be collected using sample survey techniques that can represent the population as a whole. The selection of the sample is very important as it is the basis for drawing conclusions. Various statistical tools can help determine the range and size of variation found in humans. Today, companies are better equipped with technologies such as automated measurement and 3D body scanning. These tools enable more efficient and cost-effective data collection for garmentmanufacturing units.

Demographics: Data such as age, income, education, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status are also important factors in determining size, but sadly very few manufacturers work with that data.

Accessory Idea: Pattern makers, sorters, designers, and the customers themselves all have different ideas about the best fit. The designer has his idea of the correspondence between the size of the outfit and the height that gives the perfect look. Pattern makers try to keep this look on a variety of bodies. Customers have their own personal preferences and ideas about which size offers the best appearance and feel of comfort. The effectiveness of the sizing system is highly dependent on the ability of modelers and classifiers to identify, define and manufacture the proper fit for the target market. Some of the tools and strategies that make this possible are target body scans, market research, wear tests, and virtual fit evaluations.

Style, design, and material, as well as manufacturing methods used: each style defines the relationship between body and size. Each new style of clothing that is produced aims to acceptably fit a variety of bodies. A style like a baggy can fit many bodies with slight differences. The design of a garment also affects the fit, especially if the design is complex.

Materials with elastic properties can adapt to a wider area of the body.

The different stages of production have a great impact on the final specifications of a garment. Incorrect fabric selection, shrinkage, machine defects, mistakes in making and cutting marks, and incorrect stitching can all result in the expected size deviating. Production management can use SQC (Statistical Quality Control) techniques for such problems and focus on quality control and consistency.

Size labels: Communication of clothing sizes is also one of the key issues. Consumers are often seen to get confused about sizes. They cannot correlate numbers with body measurements, so they prefer to try different sizes of the same object. The reason for this is the non-standardization of label sizes by manufacturers. To get rid of this problem, garment manufacturers use terms like slim fit, classic, and relaxed. This problem is more complex with women's clothing than with men's clothing. Women's clothing is generally identified by size numbers that are not related to a specific body or garment dimension. Men's sizes usually correspond to body measurements.