Tuesday 2 October 2012

When Designing Lingerie, is the Fit Model Important?

"The choice of house model will directly affect your company's profitability, sales and perceived style of your product" David Morris De Montfort University, Leicester.

The model you use to fit bra designs should reflect the final customer in age and body shape. The following variables should be considered :-

  •  Lifestyle including diet and exercise regime
  • Ethnic background
  • Age
  • Hormonal activity
  • Thickness and elasticity of skin
  • Generic inheritance
The age of  your model is very important when looking at a bra's underband measurement. The under 28's do not have a fixed breast plate so their underband measurement varies throughout the day. The underband measurement on a woman under the age of 28 can be 2.5cm bigger after eating a meal and conversely 2.5cm smaller just before a meal time.



 Once you have found your house model, detailed measurements, describing the model's shape should be taken:-

  • Measurement between 2 bust points
  • Measurement from bust point to sternal notch
  • Measurement from bust point to breast root (to help with bottom cup fit)
  • Width across each breast (Centre front to breast root) 

A flexi curve should be used to trace the shape of the model's breast root to establish/confirm the correct bra  wire.

The above measurements should be used when creating patterns and checked with the model at each fit stage in the design and technical process.