What is the Body Scanning Study About?
Sharon Stevens, Former Assistant Coordinator, Missouri Textile and Apparel Center,
College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia


Anyone who has ever been frustrated by trying to determine which size shirt, jeans, or other clothing item will fit best or has spent a lot of time going through the alteration process will benefit from a new technology developed by [TC]² and from the Body Scanning Study being conducted all across the country.

This 3D Body Measurement System uses a white light-based scanner and proprietary measurement extraction software to captures hundreds of thousands of data points of an individual's image, and automatically extract dozens of measurements.

This measurement information can be electronically compared to garment specifications and other data in order to recommend the size an individual should purchase or used as a basis for made to measure clothing. This technology has tremendous implications for consumers shopping throughout all distribution channels, including bricks-and-mortar, catalog, and on-line.

Currently, apparel companies size their garments to accommodate their best guess of the sizes of their customers. Particularly in women's clothing, the size label does not mean any particular measurement unless the company publishes a size chart.  Further, there is no accurate information about the size that the population really is.  The size information that is available comes from a study done in the 1940's that used only white females from 8 states. In reality, body shapes and sizes vary by age, ethnicity, and geographic location.

The Body Scanning Study will collect the measurements of 12,000 or more participants from diverse racial, ethnic, age, and geographic groups will be used to develop a more precise way to size American clothing.

While a standardized sizing system isn't likely to happen in the next few years, the data will provide real information for the industry about the sizes of their customers.    Individual companies may decide to put labels in their clothing with the bust, waist, and hip sizes which will help consumers make better selections.

Already several aggressive sponsors  of the study are actively working with the survey data , either on their own or in with [TC]², to impact both customer satisfaction with their products as well as their business performance. Undoubtedly apparel products influenced by SizeUSA results will be on the market in 2003.