A content analysis of 39 women’s responses to open-ended interview questions revealed a) what impressions they formed of others based on appearance and dress, as well as what cues they chose, and b) that they believed that others also used appearance and dress cues when forming impressions of them. Neither participants’ impressions of others nor participants’ beliefs regarding others’ impressions of them contained information that extended beyond the perceived person to include other people or things associated with the perceived person. Instead, the content of the information inferred included personality characteristics, information about behaviors, biological traits, health and hygiene, and social roles. Most participants believed that both they and others were accurate at decoding information from general appearance and dress cues, although some participants believed that accuracy was dependent upon the situation or related to specific appearance or dress cues.

Relationships of sizing, body shape, and pattern shape to pants fit were explored for women aged 55 and older. Test pants were designed in two shape options (full/flat seat) in five sizes, produced, and tested on 176 participants in five states. Sizes were developed using ASTM D5586-94 data. Both participants and experts evaluated fit. Participants with flatter seat shape were significantly more satisfied with fit at the hip indicating that the introduction of a shape variable can improve satisfaction with fit for population segments with equivalent body shape variations. Experts were more critical, identifying areas of variation not addressed in the study. Results highlight the complexity of fit. Variations in body size, shape, proportion, and posture make creation of effective ready-to-wear sizing systems with a practical number of sizes difficult. Solutions to provide good fit may include creating sizing for a subset of mature women and developing custom fit methods.

Grading is the process used to accomplish the sizing of manufactured clothing. Th e focus of our research was to question the belief that the foundation for grading is size measurements that are based on anthropometric data. Our review of literature established that grading preceded size charts. Forty size charts for women's clothing were examined for correspondence with anthropometric research. Four structural assumptions that did not match anthropometric research were identifi ed. Criteria were developed and applied to upper torso measurements. Only 17% of the measurements were found useful for grade rule formation. Grade rules were compared to size intervals from a concurrent sizing standard. Eleven of 38 grade rules corresponded to body measurements, and 6 did not match the related size interval. New measurements for grade rules were recommended.

Grading is the process used to create sized patterns. Our research continues from the finding that grading practice is not based on anthropometric data (Schofield & LaBat, 2005). The focus of this research was to establish proportional rules, set increments, and assumptions that form the basis of grading. The grade rules for a basic bodice pattern from 17 sources were examined to identify grading practice. Seven grading assumptions were identified and tested using regression analysis on body measurements of the upper torso from the 1988 Anthropometric Survey of U.S. Army Women. None of the assumptions were supported. Use of these assumptions results in sized garments that do not reflect the measurements and proportions of the human body. A comparison was made between a pattern graded with traditional grade rules and another graded with research generated experimental rules. New criteria for evaluating graded patterns are presented.

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