CUSTOM FIT

By Soumya Gupta
Post Graduate Students, National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi

Under the Guidance of,

Dr. Noopur Anand

Professor, National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi

Mr. Kalaam Khan

Pattern Team Head, eShakti.com Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
LITERATURE REVIEW

CONTENTS:

 Female Boy Shapes

 Elements Defining The Perfect Fit
 Darts To Fit
 FEMALE BODY SHAPES
 The distribution of body fat, muscles & the skeletal structure decides the female’s body shape.
 Factors that differentiate one body type to another are:
1. Proportion—where bust, waist, hip fall along the length of the body; determined by
bone structure (short-waisted, long-waisted)
2. Shape and Size of contours—curves, bulges, hollows of the body; determined by tissue
7 basic curves in body: bust, back, hip, stomach, thigh, seat, arm
3. Posture—alignment of body parts. How frame is carried, may change with time
4. Symmetry—Right vs. Left Most common: one shoulder higher, one hip higher, one side
of waist curves more
o Body shape—bone structure, how you are built. Quantity and distribution of weight in rela-
tion to size of body frame determines shape
[REFERENCE: Fashion Fit by Debbi Lashbrook MY LABEL- http://www.berninamylabel.com/webautor-
data/21/my_label_fashionfit.pdf ]
 Although the women’s body shapes are classified differently by different systems, they can be
broadly classified as:
1. Hourglass shaped
2. Pear/ Spoon/ Triangle shaped
3. Rectangle/ Tubular/ Banana shaped
4. Apple/ Inverted Triangle/ Diamond/ Oval shaped
 A more detailed classification could be:
1. Hourglass
2. Top Hourglass
3. Bottom Hourglass
4. Spoon
5. Rectangle
6. Diamond
7. Oval
8. Triangle
9. Inverted triangle
 Height, posture, age, race, diet, etc pose a great impact on a women’s body
 The fashion industry has been ignoring the changing shapes of women's bodies. Designers and
manufacturers still insist on making clothes that fit the traditional hourglass figure, when wom-
en's shapes are more likely to be top-heavy, rectangular or pear-shaped.

[REFERENCE: Validation of ‘Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) for Apparel’ Methodology- DEVARAJAN PRIYA.
TATM, North Carolina State University- http://www.ergo-eg.com/uploads/books/devarajan_full_106_04.pdf ]
[REFERENCE: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-shape-of-things-to-wear-scientists-identify-how-womens-
figures-have-changed-in-50-years-516259.html]

Hourglass Pear Tubular Apple

 Bust & Hip are pro-  Hips are more than
portionately similar 2½ “ larger than the
(2” +/-) bust & wider than
 Waist is at least 9” shoulders
smaller than the  Waist is more than
bust 9” smaller than the
hip or less than 9”
smaller than the
bust
 Approximately  Bust is at least 3”
equal visual balance larger than the hip
between shoulder & waist is less than
and hip 9” smaller than the
 Waist is less than 9” bust
smaller than the  Much wider at
bust or hip (margi- shoulder than hip
nally indented with waist indented.
waist)

*Sources of the images are mentioned in the bibliography

The Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) for Apparel©, developed by the North Carolina State
University, College of Textiles, is the first software that uses 3-dimensional body scan data to study hu-
man body types & classify them into 9 body shapes mentioned above.

 The FFIT validation & nomenclature process included the assessment of 5 independent va-
riables:
1. Absolute difference between the bust and the hip measurement
2. Difference between bust and waist measurement
3. Difference between hip and waist measurement
4. Ratio of High hip to waist
5. Difference between the bust and the average of waist, stomach and abdomen mea-
surements
 The SizeUSA data used for the study was collected from more than 5 locations in the US and 531
female subjects were chosen at random from a sample size of more than 3000.

[REFERENCE: Validation of ‘Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) for Apparel’ Methodology- DEVARAJAN PRIYA. TATM,
North Carolina State University- http://www.ergo-eg.com/uploads/books/devarajan_full_106_04.pdf ]
 ELEMENTS DEFINING THE PERFECT FIT
 Fit can be defined in terms of 3 variables:
1. Circumference
2. Length (linear dimensions)
3. Depth of the garment

 Circumference is the girth measurement of the body that decides the width of a garment pat-
tern (bust girth, hip girth, waist girth, etc.). Eases are added along the circumference of the gar-
ment as per the design & functionality of the garment in terms of comfort to the wearer.
 Ease also depends upon the amount of body fat that present in the bottom half of the body.
 A circumference problem in a garment can be solved with the help of additional seams, so that
the amount of fabric added is distributed evenly throughout the length of the fabric, adding the
required amount proportionally at each seam.
 Deflection in the girth dimensions varies accordingly the body shape of an individual.

Neck base level

Bust level Bust Girth

Waist level Waist Girth

Hip level Hip Girth

Line of symmetry

 3 linear dimensions that are of utmost importance for a garment to fall properly on the respec-
tive landmarks of a body:
a) Base of the neck to bust level
b) Bust to waist level
c) Waist to hip level
 If there’s a requirement of increasing or reducing the length between any of these levels, the
desired amount may be slashed & spread or overlapped accordingly.

 Depth addresses to the bulges & fullness of the body at the bust area, hip area, shoulder blade,
tummy & elbow
 Every place there is a bulge, there is a change in the direction of fall of the garment and the dart
allows for that change of either length or circumference.
 The angle of the shoulder seam (shoulder slope) and the angle of the bust dart are tools to help
us get the center length and the side lengths of the garment to match our body.

[REFERENCE: http://www.silhouettepatterns.com/html/features/tips/understandingfit.htm ]
 The fullness of the bust area is addressed in terms of the bra-cup size. Although there are differ-
ent methods to calculate the bra cup size, viz,
a) Measure the underarm girth & add 4 in case of an even no. or 5 in case of an odd no.
and subtract it from the bust girth.
b) Measure the chest girth & subtract it form the bust girth
o Thus, we can conclude that the difference between the chest girth & the underarm girth is 4-5”
o The nomenclature of bra cup sizes differs from buyer to buyer & from country to country.

[SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassiere_measurement;
http://www.markuslanser.com/tutorials/c4d_low_poly_body2.html]
 DARTS TO FIT
 Darts are used to shape fabric to fit the body. They provide fullness to body curves.
 Darts decide the closeness of the garment to the woman’s body and hence help in achieving a
perfect fit. The more the no. of darts, the easier it is to fit the garment.
 4 parameters that define the functionality of a dart:
1. Curvature of the dart
2. Dart Length
3. Dart Intake
4. Angle/ direction of the dart

 The curvature of the bust/ waist/ fish dart allows the garment to flow along the body contour
addressing the curves of a woman’s body.
 Dart allow a 2D pattern to drape along the 3D shaped body.
 The curvature of the dart depends upon the area of the body where the dart is been applied and
also varied from one body type to another.
 For e.g. In order to fit a garment to a curvaceous lady (hourglass or pear shaped) the darts on
bust/ waist area should follow the body profile and hence would be more curvaceous in nature;
whereas, the dart used to fit a garment to a less curvaceous lady (tubular or rectangle shaped)
would have less curvature.
 These darts are also called as Contour Darts. It is advisory that the dart intake may be cut away
as in a French dart, to provide a guideline for sewing.
 The direction or angle of the dart should be such that it points the apex point or the fullest part
of the body, viz, the bust point, front hip, buttock, elbow tip, shoulder blade, etc. The angle or
placement of the dart influences how it flatters the body.
 The dart length depends upon the volume of the body part being addressed and the linear dis-
tance between the dart base & the fullest part of the body. The dart length is inversely propor-
tional to the fullness of the body. The dart termination point is thus decided to be ½“ to 2” de-
pend upon the fullness of the body.
  The dart intake also depends upon the fullness of the body part being addressed and is directly
proportional to the same, i.e. more the fullness, more is the dart intake.
 In order to accommodate a fuller bust, the commercial pattern is slashed & spread to the re-
quired amount depending upon the amount of fullness. The styling of the garment & the body
type of the client affects the technique of slash & spread method used.
 The dart intake addresses the depth of the body profile.
 The dart intake should be preferably kept less than the dart length in order to avoid a conical
end. In case the dart intake has to be increased beyond the dart length dimension, the dart is
split into two.
 Depending upon the type of finish to be given, there could be two types of darts:

Curved Outwards Curved Inwards

[REFERENCE: DARTS, EASE, GATHERS, PLEATS, SHIRRING, TUCKS- UK Coorporative Extension Services, University of Kentucky-
College of Agriculture- http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/fcs/FACTSHTS/CT-MMB-182.pdf]
PROJECT
TO STUDY THE DEVIATION IN DART INTAKE & LENGTH WITH
THE CHANGE IN FEMALE BODY SHAPE

Connotation:

To study the various pattern amendments w.r.t. the change in fullness contemplating the female
body shapes for the-

I. Lower Torso
II. Upper Torso
 I. LOWER TORSO

 Objective:
o To study the parameters affecting the fit & silhouette of a basic skirt on different body
types falling under a similar size category as per their bust girth.

 Procedure:
o A deviation in the body shapes falling under a similar size & height category was taken
under consideration for analyzing the various parameters affecting the fit of a basic skirt
for the lower torso.
o The body measurements of the 4 basic female body shapes falling under Size Category-
M10 (US) & Height- 65 inches, are given below:

Body Type → Hourglass Pear Tubular Apple

Body
Measurements↓

 Across Shoulder 15 ½ 14 ½ 15 ½ 17

 Upper Chest 35 34 35 36

 Bust 37 37 37 37

 Waist 30 30 30 30

 Hip 40 42 38 36

*All measurements are in inches

 o Patterns are drafted for a basic fitted skirt with
minimal ease dimension in order to examine how
the similar styling drapes on different body
shapes, thus changing the silhouette of the gar-
ment.
o The bust girth has been kept constant for study
purpose in order to focus on the variations in the
lower torso measurements.

Body Type → Hourglass Pear Tubular Apple

Measurements on Front Back Front Back Front Back Front Back

Pattern↓→

 Waist 8⅛ 7⅛ 8⅛ 7⅛ 8⅛ 7⅛ 8⅛ 7⅛

 Hip 10 ½ 10 ½ 10 ½ 11 ½ 9¾ 9¾ 9¼ 9¼

*All measurements are in inches

o The patterns were constructed, for the different body types as per the digression in the
measurements from the standard hourglass figure, with the help of
CAD software, Version 11.
o The minimal ease dimension at the hip area allows the garment to address the body
curves.
o The hemline is adjusted keeping in mind the styling of the garment & the minimum stride
length required for the lady to walk comfortably.
  Observations:

Side Shaping Intake

Waist Level

Hip Level FRONT BACK FRONT BACK

Body Type → Hourglass Pear Tubular Apple

Front Back Front Back Front Back Front Back

Parameters ↓
(inches) (inches) (inches) (inches) (inches) (inches) (inches) (inches)

 No. of darts 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1

 Waist dart in- 1⅛ 2⅛ 1⅛ 1½ 1 2 ½ 1½

take
 Waist dart 6 6 5½ 5½ 6 6 6 6
length
 Side shaping 1¼ 1¼ 1¼ 1¼ ⅝ ⅝ ⅝ ⅝
intake
 Difference be-
tween CB & CF ⅜ ¾ ¼ ¼
lengths
*The table above depicts the deflection in the waist dart for the lower torso block as per the change in the female body type
**CB- Center Back, CF- Center Front
 Results:
o Waist Dart Intake: Increases with the increase in the fullness at the hip area. Most in
case of pear shape
o Waist Dart Length: Decreases in case of pear shape, due to the rise in the hip level &
the fullest area o be addressed
o Center Back Length: Increases with the increase in the fullness
o Side Seam Intake: Increases or decreases as per the intensity of hip curve

Hourglass Pear Tubular Apple

II. UPPER TORSO

 Objective:
o To study the parameters affecting pattern construction of basic bodice block with the in-
crease in the fullness at the bust area and hence the increase in the bra-cup size.

 Procedure:
o The focus of the study is kept on the increase in fullness at the bust area keeping the
chest, under-arm & waist measurements as constant.
o Patterns are drafted as per the increment in the bra-cup size & the corresponding in-
crease in the fullness at the bust area is addressed in the patterns in terms of the darts’
intake, dart length & the surplus fabric required to accommodate the fuller bust.

Body Measurements → Chest Bust Under-bust Waist

(inches) (inches) (inches) (inches)
Bra-Cup Size ↓

36A (BASE SIZE) 35 37 32 30

*Chest, Waist & Hip measurements are kept constant

o 36A is considered as the base size & the Bust Girth

increment in the bra-cup size is addressed
Bra-cup
to the bust girth in the patterns. (addressing the increase
o Ease throughout the girth’s kept as 1 inch. size in fullness)
o The total fabric needed to be removed is ↓
proportionally distributed amongst the
bust dart & the waist dart in the pattern in Body Pattern
order to give a perfect fit.
o The extra fabric required to accommodate 36A 37 38
the fuller bust is added to the pattern in
the slashing & spreading of the pattern, 36B 38 39
thus adding to the center front length.
This added fabric prevents the garment 36C 39 40
from rising above the natural waist line.
36D 40 41

*All measurements are in inches

o The increase in fullness maybe different for different body types. In order to avoid am-
biguity, a standard hourglass model of size M10 is chosen as the base size.
o The angle of the dart plays an important role in case of any variation in location of the
fullest portion at the bust area.
o Intersection point of the darts should always be the bust point or the fullest part lying
in the bust area.
  Observations:

Bust dart

Waist dart

Parameters → Bust Dart Waist Dart HPS to Bust Center

pt. Length Front
Bra-Cup Size ↓ Length Intake Length Intake Length

36A 5½ 2⅛ 6¼ 1¾ 10 ½ 15 ¼

36B 5¾ 2⅜ 6⅝ 2 10 ¾ 15 ⅝

36C 5⅞ 2⅝ 6⅞ 2¼ 11 16

36D 6⅛ 3 7⅛ 2¾ 11 ⅜ 16 ⅜
*HPS- High Point Shoulder
 Results
o Bust (French) Dart/ Waist Dart Intake: Increases ¼ - ½ inch per bra-cup size by
o Bust (French) Dart/ Waist Dart Length: Increases with the increase in fullness at the
bust area
o High Point Shoulder to Bust pt. Length: Increases by ¼ - ½ inch per bra-cup size
o Center Front Length: Increases by ⅜ inch per bra-cup size

High Point Shoulder

Dart Termination Point

36C Waist line

36A

Increasing Bust Fullness

INFERENCE
FOR LOWER TORSO
o Darts are amended for each body shape depending upon the variation in their skeletal structure at
the side seam & the amount of fullness at the hip.
o The amount of fabric to be removed, in order to give a perfect fit, is strategically distributed
amongst the darts & the side shaping intake of the skirt pattern.
o In order to accommodate the fullness at the hip area, there was a need to introduce 2 darts with
reduced dart lengths, in case of the pear shaped body type.
o The dart intake is increased or decreased depending upon amount of fullness to be addressed.
o The length of the center back is increased or decreased depending upon the back hip curve, which
leads to the deviation in the lengths of the center front & the center back.
o A deviation in the silhouette is witnessed in the garment patterns which thereby depicts the flatten-
ing of the hip-curve.

FOR UPPER TORSO

o The bust dart (French dart) & waist dart intake increases approximately “¼ - ½” inch with the in-
crease in fullness, as addressed per bra-cup size increment.
o As the fullness at the bust area increases, the bust level falls due to the increasing volume at the
bust area, which leads to an increase in the dart lengths per bra-cup size. Moreover, the increase in
the high point shoulder to bust point length depicts that the bust point moves away from the body
frame per bra-cup size increment.
o The center front length had to be increased to accommodate the fuller bust, thus replenishing the
excess fabric required to maintain the hemline.
o Contour darts can be used instead of straight darts with an objective of providing a better fit where
the garment flows with the body contour.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 IMAGE SOURCES:
o http://girltalk247.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/nicki-minaj-complex-
31.jpg%3Fw%3D472%26h%3D584
o http://fashion.ygoy.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/scarlett-johansson-hourglass-
figure.jpeg
o http://www.papermag.com/blogs/nicole_kidman.jpg
o http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uCDvqsV8yMI/TDz7zVzYAPI/AAAAAAAAAq4/qQ8JdR_Cf8o/s160
0/Apple-celebs.jpg
o http://www.ntcresearch.org/pdf-rpts/AnRp03/S01-AC27-A3.pdf
o http://www.fashion-era.com/fashion_templates/free_figure_templates_4.htm

 FEMALE BODY SHAPES:

o http://www.womansmagazine.net/how-to-test-your-body-shape.html
o http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-shape-of-things-to-wear-
scientists-identify-how-womens-figures-have-changed-in-50-years-516259.html
o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_body_shape
o http://www.womens-business-clothes.com/apple-body-shape.html
o Body Scan Analysis for Fit Models Based on Body Shape and Posture Analysis- Lenda Jo
Connell, Principal Investigator, Pam Ulrich, Auburn University, Alistair Knox and Graham Hut-
ton, Nottingham Trent, Dave Woronka and David Bruner,[TC]² , Susan Ashdown, Cornell
o Validation of ‘Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) for Apparel’ Methodology-
DEVARAJAN PRIYA. TATM, North Carolina State University
o Fashion Fit by Debbi Lashbrook MY LABEL

 ELEMENTS DEFINING THE PERFECT FIT FOR EVERY BODY TYPE:

o http://www.silhouettepatterns.com/html/features/tips/understandingfit.htm
o http://www.markuslanser.com/tutorials/c4d_low_poly_body2.html
o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassiere_measurement

 DARTS TO FIT:
o http://www.123rf.com/photo_2168710
o DARTS, EASE, GATHERS, PLEATS, SHIRRING, TUCKS- UK Coorporative Extension Services,
University of Kentucky- College of Agriculture
o http://buzzybeesworld.blogspot.com/2011/01/get-smart-with-darts.html
o Increasing Bodice Front Fullness- Pattern Alteration, AgriLIFE Extension, Texas A&M System.
o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bodyshapes.svg
o US Size Chart- eShakti.com Pvt. Ltd
o Image Courtesy: Optitex 11, eShakti.com Pvt. Ltd.
o Increasing Bodice Front Fullness: Ann Vanderpoorten, AgriLIFE Extension, Texas A 7 M Sys-
tem.
o http://corpo.mvm.com/en/about/partners.php