Survey Shows Plus Sizes on the Upswing
Cary, N.C.–based research company TC2 has completed SizeUSA, a national sizing survey. The results confirm what a lot of apparel outfitters already know: The American population is aging and overweight.
TC2 conducted the survey among 10,000 men and women at U.S. college campuses and shopping malls during the past several months. The company took measurements using its 3-D laser technology. The goal of the survey is to give apparel manufacturers a better understanding of the human form so they can improve the fit of garments.
Fifty-eight percent of the women surveyed felt they were somewhat overweight to quite a bit overweight. Forty-two percent of men felt overweight.
The survey showed that men and women grow 3 to 5 inches in the waist and 1 to 3 inches in the hips as they age from the 18- to 25-year-old group to the 56- to 65-yearold group. Chests grow larger, too—2 to 3 inches in men and 4 to 6 inches in women.
Only 10 percent to 20 percent of most groups surveyed conformed to the measurements set by the ASTM standard size tables. The primary reason for the lack of fit is that the population is changing from hourglass to pear shape in form.
TC2 is selling the complete survey at www.sizeusa.tc2.com. —Robert McAllister
