Body shape classification of Korean middle-aged women using 3D anthropometry

Minji Yu,Dong-Eun Kim

doi:10.1186/s40691-020-00223-8

Abstract

Most Korean apparel companies lack suitable dress forms for the different body types of middle-aged Korean women, resulting in poor clothing fit for them. As a part of an ongoing project to develop a dress form that fully reflects Korean middle-aged women’s bodies, this study classified the body shapes and examined the anthropometric characteristics of women in their 40s and 50s. The 3D anthropometric data of 302 middle-aged women of normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25) were obtained from the 6th Size Korea. Sixty-three measurements related to the construction of dress form were chosen. Based on the scores from five factors, the body shapes of Korean middle-aged women were classified into four types: Type 1 had a broader shoulder and a slightly developed upper body but a more developed lower body; Type 2 had a longer, relatively thin and flat, vertical body; Type 3 had a shorter body and smaller torso than the other types, and the lower body was more developed than the upper; Type 4 had a bulky upper body and the highest BMI, but the lower body was rather small. The nine key measurements in classifying the body shapes of Korean middle-aged women were found by discriminant analysis. The characteristics of representative body shapes obtained in this study can be useful for developing dress forms for clothing that better fits Korean middle-aged women.

Highlights

Medical advancements and well-being culture have helped middle-aged women to maintain stronger bodies and build more active lives; they take their beauty seriously and devote themselves to finding their true selves (“The Elastic Woman” 2018; Park et al 2019)
Items of analysis We selected 63 measurement items related to constructing dress forms to classify the body shapes of Korean middle-aged women (Table 2): related to height, 8 for length, for girth, 9 for breadth, 8 for depth, 2 for weight, 4 drop values, and 3 flatness ratios
We found no significant differences in waist front length, waist front length, neck point to breast point to waistline, or waist back length; these are all related to upper body length

Summary

Introduction

Medical advancements and well-being culture have helped middle-aged women to maintain stronger bodies and build more active lives; they take their beauty seriously and devote themselves to finding their true selves (“The Elastic Woman” 2018; Park et al 2019). Women ages 45 to 55 spend more on clothing, footwear, and accessories, accounting for 41% of the total market (Handley 2014). Companies designing fashion products for middle-aged women need to understand that they are passionate about clothing and want to discover their beauty and vigor through fashion, in contrast with the simple styles of the past (Felsted and Cohen 2013; Yu and Kim Fash Text (2020) 7:35. Women’s bodies change with age, and women in middle age can experience problems with clothing fit (Goldsberry et al 1996). Major physical changes that take place as women age have been recorded as shorter stature, thicker waist, prominent abdomen, and flattened buttocks (Campbell and Horne 2001)

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