MYSIZE – Malaysian Sizing Survey addresses childrens clothing sizes
The Malaysian Sizing Survey, or MYSIZE, is a national sizing survey to take body surface measurements of Malaysians. The Malaysia survey is modeled after other size studies around the world, including SizeUK, SizeUSA and the on-going SizeThailand, and will allow comparison of data across gender, ethnicity, geographical location, socio-economic income, and age (children, teenagers, adults and senior citizens).
Starting in July of this year, 10,000 to 15,000 children, teens, and adults across Malaysia will be recruited to have their body surface measurements scanned with the X-16 3D Body Scanner. While this sounds pretty daunting, the goal is actually to collect enough measurement data to be able to propose a Malaysian national size designation and standard for clothing, as well as other industries that rely on size information when designing products.
The scanner is significant because it makes measurement so quick and easy. It can take from 140 to 200 measurements per person being scanned, in the duration of only one to two minutes with an accuracy of 99.5%. Basically, it minimizes errors, and is incredibly quick and accurate when compared to manual measurements. I may sound overly-excited about this, but, personally, I love the idea of this technology being able to quickly scan and create a 3D image of a person.
The study carried out in the USA in 2003 found that:
“… the US population has grown taller and heavier, but we are growing heavier faster than we are taller. If you look at the grade rules for most manufacturers today, they do not reflect what we are finding in our size survey.”
This seems pretty much on track with results from other studies of children’s growth and development trends and the emergence of extended sizes and specialized brands that focus on husky and plus sized children. It will be interesting to see how children’s measurements from all of the sizing studies compare across countries and how it impacts grading standards – if at all. Yes, there is demand for adjusted sizing, but it’s quite a process for a brand to change their grading and size standards to meet the demand.
References
Posted in Clothing Sizes, From the Industry, Growth & Development, Keeping up Appearances | 
Tags: sizes, standards, studies
