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Morphological classification of male body morphotypes for the apparel product design in South Africa


M Mnyaiza
R Pandarum
P Njuho

Abstract

Advances in the clothing sector gained new momentum in the 1980s when a three-dimensional (3-D) full-body scanner was developed to obtain anthropometric body measurement data accurately, quickly and non-intrusively. However, sizing systems currently in use in South Africa are outdated and still based on traditionally extracted anthropometric measurements of what was assumed to be the ideal body morphotype. This study introduces categorisations of male body morphotypes extracted from 3-D scans and anthropometric body measurements using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-Means Cluster analysis. This exploratory study used a non-probability-purposive and convenience-sampled secondary anthropometric dataset for a cohort of 270 men from Gauteng province, South Africa, between the ages of 18 and 56 years. The objective was to provide the apparel industry with a comprehensive protocol for the statistical assessment of male body morphotypes, thereby mitigating the subjectivity associated with expert panels’ visual assessments. The PCA based on the correlation matrix resulted in 42 e‑tape anthropometric body measures of height, length, and girth to define and sort the different clusters of body morphotype categories. K-Means Cluster Analysis was conducted using principal component (PC) scores that produced five clusters, of which the height, length, girth, width, and buttocks angle factor loadings were determined as the independent variables. Four body morphotype clusters were identified: the Triangle (n = 45, 16.6%), Trapezoid (n = 47, 17.4%), Oval (n = 55, 20.4%) and Rectangle (n = 123, 45.5%). The measurements for the dominant body morphotype, namely the Rectangle, were a chest size of 37 inches to 41 inches (95 cm to 105 cm) and a waist size of 30 inches to 36 inches (77 cm to 92 cm). The use of PCA and K-Means cluster analysis resulted in the categorisation of the body morphotypes into distinct groups. The findings showed that men have differently shaped bodies, hence the need for menswear clothing manufacturers to revise body size charts to reflect the current body morphotypes and anthropometric measurements for men. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on sizing and fit by providing updated anthropometric data and highlights its application in enhancing clothing designs to better fit current male body morphotypes.


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eISSN: 3078-4050