In Hwa Kim1* , Yun Ja Nam2 and Hyunsook Han3
Ease allowance in clothing design refers to the extra space between the garment and the body, which is added to allow body movement, regulate microclimate, and convey the designer's intention. The amount of ease allowance varies depending on the garment's purpose, impacting factors such as range of motion, ventilation, and thermal insulation. Formal jackets generally require less ease compared to sportswear, as the focus is on maintaining a clean silhouette and minimizing wrinkles. Men's formal jackets are particularly evaluated based on how well they maintain an ideal body silhouette, with the aim of avoiding excessive ease that might cause unsightly wrinkles.
With the rise of custom-made and online clothing markets, especially for formal wear, there is a growing need for a better understanding of how to quantify the preferred ease allowance for different consumers. In traditional tailoring, fit issues can be addressed during fittings, but with online orders, this process is omitted, leading to potential fit problems. This study aims to provide quantitative data on the ease allowances preferred by male customers for formal jackets, which can help optimize the fit in both physical and virtual retail settings.
In the first fitting with the ready-to-wear style jackets, many participants found the waist and hip circumferences to be slightly tight, particularly with the trendy style jackets. This indicated that the RTW jackets did not fully meet consumer preferences for fit, as they were based on generalized sizing charts. However, during the second fitting with custom-made jackets, the fit ratings improved significantly. Nearly all participants (61 out of 62) rated their custom-made jackets as "suitable" (3) across all evaluated areas, including chest circumference, waist circumference, and bi-shoulder length.
The study quantified the preferred ease allowances for various parts of the jacket, based on participants' evaluations. The regression equations developed from body measurements allowed for precise estimations of ease allowances. The preferred ease allowance ranges were as follows:
Chest circumference: 5.17 to 8.25 cm
Chest-waist circumference: 6.90 to 12.09 cm
Chest-hip circumference: -3.82 to 1.34 cm
Upper arm circumference: 1.58 to 5.86 cm
Bi-shoulder length: -1.80 to 1.95 cm
Ratio of jacket length to stature: 0.406 to 0.425
This study successfully quantified the preferred ease allowance for men’s formal jackets, based on actual consumer preferences, and developed regression models to estimate ease allowances based on body measurements. The findings are particularly relevant for the growing online custom-made clothing market, where physical fittings are not possible. By using the regression equations provided in the study, manufacturers and designers can more accurately predict consumer preferences and minimize fit problems, ultimately improving customer satisfaction. Additionally, the results reflect broader trends in men’s fashion, with consumers increasingly preferring slimmer fits in formal jackets. The study provides valuable insights for both traditional tailoring and the evolving online custom-tailoring market.
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