Whole body scanning as a tool for clothing sizing: effects on women’s body satisfaction

Abstract

Whole-body scanning is increasingly used in the clothing industry, including in large-scale sizing surveys and virtual fitting. However, the impacts of 3D scanning on women’s body satisfaction are unclear as no previous studies have investigated impacts in a controlled experiment. This experiment investigated any causal effect of 3D whole-body scanning, as used in clothing applications, on women’s body satisfaction. Seventy women aged 18–35 years completed body image measures at baseline, immediately post-test, and two weeks later. At post-test relative to controls and controlling for baseline scores, women randomly allocated to the scanner condition scored significantly higher on Body Areas Satisfaction and significantly lower on Self-classified Weight, and positive effects persisted two weeks beyond the experimental session. Results suggest that whole-body scanning may improve women’s body satisfaction and reduce perceived overweight relative to controls, though further research is necessary to examine the reliability of this effect and underlying mechanisms.