Core team member- INDIAsize
Professor at Department of Fashion Technology
INDIAsize: The National Sizing Survey of India
Background:
Research shows that many people struggle to find clothing that fits their unique body shapes and sizes. The overriding cause is that people's anthropometric characteristics differ from place to region. This has prompted countries to conduct national sizing surveys in order to build an anthropometric database of measurements that accurately represents the entire population and caters to their unique retail industries. The garment industry can now manufacture well-fitting clothing based on the body shape of the native people thanks to size charts and insights gathered from surveys and analysis.
More than nineteen countries worldwide have conducted and successfully completed national sizing surveys, including the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands, Thailand, Korea, China, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Singapore, Taiwan, and Finland. Many countries have examined and changed their initial size charts to reflect changes in body measurements throughout time. The standards set by these countries, such as ASTM (USA), GB/T (China), JIS (Japan), KS (South Korea), AS (Australia), EN (Europe), and AFNOR (France), are utilized to make products for their respective populations both nationally and globally.
Fit issues in the Indian Apparel Market:
India, with around 1.4 billion people, is the world's most populous nation. It is also the fifth largest economy, with the consumer market predicted to become the world's third largest (after the United States and China) by 2027. According to World Data Pro, by 2030, India will be the world's largest youthful consumer market, with 357 million consumers under the age of 30. The Indian textile and apparel market is expected to grow at a 10% CAGR from 2019-20 to reach US$ 190 billion by 2025-26. Exports are expected to grow at an 11% CAGR to US$ 65 billion by 2025-26. With apparel accounting for approximately 73% of the total T&A market in India, it is critical to address the issue of apparel returns and loss of sales. The projected returns for clothes range from 30% to 40% (and are increasing with the expansion of ecommerce), with poor garment fit being the most common reason for returns.
The domestic textile and clothing sector in India faces a significant issue in providing well-fitting garments without a defined sizing chart. As a result, India has conducted its own anthropometric study, INDIAsize, to produce standard body sizes for the Indian apparel industry in order to eliminate existing inequalities and inconsistencies in apparel sizing methods and offered fits.
INDIAsize - A Brief Overview:
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| Image source: www.indiasize.in |
INDIAsize aims to collect anthropometric data from a representative Indian population of youth, adults, and the elderly, using a stratified sample method based on Census data from India. Data has been collected from a variety of demographics, including age, area, gender, income, and community (rural and urban), utilizing non-contact, human-safe 3D whole body scanning technology. More than 26000 (twenty-six thousand) male and female individuals between the ages of 15 and 65 have been scanned in six major cities located in six regions of India, namely New Delhi (North Region), Chennai (South Region), Kolkata (East Region), Mumbai (West Region), Hyderabad (Central Region), and Shillong (North-East Region). Anthropometric data on over 120 anthropometric parameters are gathered from survey participants in two postures: sitting and standing. The survey is directed by many ISO protocols, including 8559, 7250, and 20685.
The indigenous body size charts developed under INDIAsize will assist national and international merchants and manufacturers in producing goods that are best suited to Indian body types and achieving a balance between demand and supply of well-fitted clothing.
INDIAsize Objectives:
Vision, Strategy And Action Plan For Indian Textile And Apparel Sector (July 2015) established the need for undertaking the National sizing survey of India by stating
“Despite being one of the largest consumer markets in the world, there is no standard apparel sizing system in the country specific to Indian consumers. Apparel in the Indian market displays either European or American size. These naturally do not conform fully to the body sizes of Indians. Providing right size and fit will foster the growth of ready-made garment industry in the country. Hence, it is recommended that a scientific, systematic anthropometric study of Indian population should be undertaken for developing a standard Indian sizing system.”
Further, a study on “Garment Sector to understand their requirement for Capacity building” by the Ministry of Textiles, states that with unprecedented retail growth and ‘fit’ being the major criteria for purchase, need for having a systematic and scientific system for measuring and classifying human bodies in India for the purpose of developing a sizing system for garments is becoming more and more acute.
To address the aforementioned research vacuum, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), under the auspices of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, conducted an intensive research project (INDIAsize) to create a comprehensive size chart for the Indian ready-to-wear market. 'INDIAsize' is a scientific study project that aims to increase understanding of the anthropometry of the Indian population in order to assist ergonomic work environments and goods. It is an effort in which anthropometric data is collected from a statistically justifiable sample of the Indian population in order to construct a database of measurements that accurately represents the entire country.
How it plans to standardize the garment sizing in the Indian market:
The project primarily focuses on the apparel industry to address disparities and inconsistencies in apparel sizing and fit, but the anthropometric data may be used by other industries such as workplace ergonomics and product design companies to create functional designs, arts and social sciences for art and sculpture, animation, computer games, and fitness and sports fitness, among others, to improve products and procedures.
The INDIAsize study was conducted utilizing cutting-edge 3D entire body scanners equipped with the most advanced depth sensor technology available. Three 3D body scanners with depth sensing technology were bought for the INDIAsize study.
According to ISO guidelines, background information (such as gender, residence or working location, occupation, and education) used to define members of the user community and/or population segments was utilized to determine sample size. For INDIAsize, five major demographics were considered: age, gender, economic position, region, and community (rural or urban). Other demographic characteristics that influence anthropometric distributions, such as occupation, work, education, lifestyle, and so on, are also taken into account while studying the impact on an individual's body shape.
INDIAsize is one of the largest national sizing surveys in the world. Participants included not only all of the target demographics (sex, age, region, income, and community), but also all strata of society, with representation from all employment areas, work sectors, job functions, educational backgrounds, and so on. The data collected is a realistic reflection of the Indian population. This will assist manufacturers in producing things that are appropriate for the target consumer's body size, as well as consumers in determining which size is best suited to them, resulting in a match and, thus, sales. The size charts developed could also be tailored for national and international brands based on the target market's demographics, such as gender, age, area, and employment. This personalized size is a significant and effective business and marketing tool for manufacturers and retailers, allowing them to fine-tune their sales performance and reduce rejections by striking a balance between demand and supply of well-fitted clothing.
Related Article: India’s Own Size Chart – INDIAsize Charts are Available Now