Design and Product Development

Body Shapes and Fit Analysis of ASTM Size Standards for Overweight and Obese Men in the United States

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Abstract

It is critical to classify men’s body shape in order to identify how well the current ASTM sizing systems would satisfy the overweight and obese (OWOB) men in the United States. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore body shapes among OWOB men and examine the current ASTM sizing standards related to the categorized body shapes. Men with BMI of 25 or over and between 18 and 55 years from the SizeUSA data (1818 useable data) was used in this study. Three body shapes were categorized for the OWOB men in the United States: Rectangle-curvy shape, bottom hourglass-hip tilt shape, and top hourglass-straight shape. Result of this study support discrepancy between the body shapes and the current ASTM sizing standards. OWOB men would experience more fit problems with bottoms than that with tops in both sizing standards (i.e., the men and the big men sizes).

Keywords: body shape, overweight and obese, sizing, apparel fit

How to Cite:

Shin, E. & Saeidi, E., (2020) “Body Shapes and Fit Analysis of ASTM Size Standards for Overweight and Obese Men in the United States”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12181