Does the fashion industry need to change garment sizing?

A study on 5000 women found that women are taller and around 20% heavier than they were 60 years ago when the last major statistics were collected. Women are trying to fit into clothes based on sizes from decades ago when in reality bodies have changed. The study was conducted by fashion designer and researcher Daisy Veitch and Adelaide anatomist Professor Maciej Henneberg; the researchers reported that "the women who can't find clothing that fits them are normal, average, usual human beings and that the industry should cater, not for the idealised image but for robust reality". They also believe that the clothing industry should change the sizing to fit the majority of people, rather than people having to lose weight to fit whatever clothes are there. This story was reported on the ABC website.

Women's proportions larger

It's official. Today's woman is almost 3cm taller, 4kg heavier and more generously proportioned by any measure, especially around the bust, than the woman of the 1920's. Newcastle University's Research Institute for Gender and Health were commissioned by women's lingerie maker Hestia, to survey 450 women and compare the results to a survey carried out by it's parent company in 1926.

The woman of today is an average 3cm taller, 4kg heavier and has an average 6cm bigger bust which may reflect the popularity of the contraceptive pill.

An interesting observation discovered in the study was that despite the differences in height, weight, body mass index and bust size, the waist-hip ratio (WHR) of women has not changed significantly over the years (0.751 compared to 0.744 in the 1920's.)

Reference: The Australian: A healthy Learning Curve. Wednesday December 8, 1999.

 

Last Updated: July 2003