GB2485760A

GB2485760A - Methods and apparatus for taking measurements

Info

Publication number: GB2485760A
Application number: GB1017561.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sue Mcdonald
Original assignee: BRA SpA Ltd
Current assignee: BRA SpA Ltd
Priority date: 2010-10-18
Filing date: 2010-10-18
Publication date: 2012-05-30
Also published as: GB201017561D0

Abstract

A method of taking measurements of an individual for making a garment comprises the steps of providing an apparatus 1 having characteristics of at least a part of the garment and trying on the apparatus to determine the correct size of a part of the body of the individual. The apparatus may comprise a set of measuring tools, each of a different size, or may comprise a single measuring tool (200, figure 9) having means for measuring different sizes of a particular body part. The or each measuring tool preferably has at least two sides and a scale (20, figure 4) provided along one side, and may be further provided with a second scale (24, figure 5). A disclosed apparatus 1 for taking measurements of an individual for making a garment comprises one or more measuring tools having characteristics of at least a part of the garment, said tool or tools being adapted to measure a part of the individual s body corresponding to the part of the garment having said characteristics. Also disclosed is a method of providing a garment, which may be a bra.

Description

I

Method and Apparatus for Taking Mcsurements The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for taking measurements for the construction of a custom made garment such as a bra.

Conventionally, garments are mass produced according to set patterns to create a large number of garments in a limited number of sizes. Although this permits the assembly of many garments, since they are restricted to a limited number of sizes, they do not always provide a perfect fit for an end user. Whilst an approximate fit is often acceptable for items such as trousers, skirts and t-shirts, a well fitted garment is important for items such as bras which can impact upon the health of a user. For example, an ill fitting bra can affect the posture of a user which can lead to neck, back and shoulder pain amongst other problems.

A bra has been proposed to tackle the problems associated with conventional, mass produced bras and is disclosed in 0B2362560. A bra according to the invention disclosed in GB2362560 comprises an underband portion comprising resiliently stretchable fabric defining a first substantially straight edge, two cups each formed from a substantially non-stretchable material, part of an edge of which is fastened directly to the first straight edge, and two wing portions each formed from a substantially non-stretchable fabric. The portions of the bra disclosed in 0B2362560 may be formed from separate pieces of fabric fastened together and may be provided with means to attach the portions together. Thus, a tailor made bra can be constructed for an individual that comprises portions that are chosen on the basis of the precise measurements of that given individual.

However, a problem with making a tailor made gan,ent is that it often requires the assistance of an expert to take appropriate measurements and to select andlor construct appropriately sized elements of the garment for assembly construction. Since tailoring a garment is heavily dependent upon the presence of an expert, it is very difficult to produce the garment remotely from the end user and so the commercial reach of a tailor tends to be limited to his/her particular locality.

Whilst businesses have developed business models to increase their commercial reach that require the end user to take his or her own measurements for the construction of a garment, this model is dependent upon the end user taking accurate measurements which will not always be the case due to their lack of experience. In the case of bras, taking one's own measurements are particularly difficult due to the shape of the breast and the requirement to measure volume as well as cup depth. Consequently, such a business model can result in an ill fitting tailor made garment.

An object of the present invention is to mitigate the above difficulties.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of taking measurements of an individual for making a garment comprising the steps of: providing apparatus having characteristics of at least a part of the garment; and trying on the apparatus to determine the correct size of the part of the body of the individual.

Advantageously, a method according to the present invention can be used to take the measurement of a part of an individual's body that corresponds to the particular part of the garment. The part of the individual's body to be measured and, hence, the part of the garment whose characteristics the apparatus to be provided are to emulate can be chosen so as to obtain a key measurement that is fundamental to the construction of a garment.

The apparatus may comprise a set of measuring tools each having characteristics of at least a part of the garment and each of a different size.

The apparatus may comprise a single measuring tool having characteristics of a part of the garment and means for measuring different sizes of a particular body part.

The or each measuring tool may have a region which is adopted to be fastened to another region of the measuring tool. The or each measuring tool may have a region adopted to be fastened to one or more different regions of the measuring tool to enable the measuring tool to fit different sized bodies.

The or each measuring tool may have at least two sides and a scale may be provided along one side and the method may further comprise the step of measuring a different part of an individual's body using the scale. A second scale may be provided on the or each measuring tool and the method may further comprise the step of measuring a different part of an individual's body using the second scale.

The method may comprise the additional step of using the or each measurement to assemble a garment. The or each measuring tool may have one or more indicators to distinguish one size from another and the method may ftirther comprise the step of using one or more indicators to identify the correct size. The or each indicator may be a colour.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for taking measurements of an individual for making a garment, the apparatus comprising one or more measuring tools having characteristics of at least a part of the garment, the or each measuring tool adapted to measure a part of the individual's body that corresponds to the part of the garment whose characteristics the or each measuring tool has.

The apparatus may comprise a number of measuring tools each having characteristics of a part of the garment and each of different sizes. The apparatus may comprise a single measuring tool having characteristics of part of the garment and means for measuring a number of different sizes.

The or each measuring tool may have a first scale provided on one side to enable a user to measure a part of the individual's body. The or each measuring tool may have a second scale provided on one side to enable a user to measure a different part of the individual's body. The or each measuring tool may comprise one or more indicators to identify a particular size of a part of an individual's body. The indicators may comprise different colours, According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a garment comprising the steps of providing apparatus adapted to take a number of different sizes of a particular part of an individual's body, the apparatus comprising one or more measuring tools each having characteristics of a part of the garment and one or more marked graduations for taking measurements of one or more parts of the body of an intended wearer of the garment; trying on the or each measuring tool to determine the size of a particular part of the individual's body; using the marked graduations on one of the measuring tools to measure one or more parts of the body; selecting component parts of the garment from a range of different sized component parts according to the measurements made; and assembling the garment using the selected component parts.

The garment may be a bra and the component parts may comprise an underhand, two cups and two wing portions.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I is an underband of a bra as used in the method of the present invention;* Fig. 2 is a front view of an individual showing measurements of the body that are important for constructing a properly fitted bra; Fig. 3 is a bra according to the invention disclosed in 082362560; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a side of the underband shown in Fig. 1 used for measuring body depth; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the other side of the underband shown in Fig. I used for measuring breast volume; Fig. 6 is a side view of an individual wearing the underband shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a side view of an individual leaning forward taking using the underband shown in Fig. I to take a measurement of her breasts from one side of her body to the other; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the individual shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 9 is another embodiment of an underband measuring tool used in. the method of the present invention; and Fig. 10 is the reverse side of the underband measuring tool shown in Fig. 9; Referring to the drawings, there is shown a custom made bra 100 comprising an underband 110, formed from a length of parallel, straight sided elasticated tape, and wings 120 formed from a substantially non-stretchable material fastened along the upper edge, at opposite ends respectively, of the underband 110. Fastened to the inner edge of each wing is the outer edge of a respective cup whose size is dictated by the underband length, breast volume and body length of the intended wearer of the garment as measured from the shoulder to the breast fold.

In order to determine these dimensions to permit the assembly of a custom made bra, a measuring apparatus is provided that replicates characteristics of an underband 1. The underband tool I has a central portion 3 which comprises a length of substantially parallel, straight sided, resilient elastieated material having a maximum stretch value. A length of substantially non-stretch material 5 is attached to and extends from each end of the central portion 3. In this embodiment, the non-stretch material 5 is intended to emulate the characteristics of the wing portions 120 of a custom made bra.

Each wing portion 5 has an outer edge 7 to which is attached a relatively small portion of elasticated tape 9 to provide a further degree of flex in the underband tool I. A further relatively small piece of non-stretch material 11 is attached to the outer edge of each elasticated tape portion 9. Fastening means such as hooks or eyes or any other suitable means (not shown) for fastening the outer edges 13 are fixed to the elasticated tape portions 9 and allow the outer edges 13 of the underband tool 1 to be fastened together at different relative positions. The central portion 3, wing portions 5, elasticated tape portions 9 and non-stretch end portions 11 are substantially parallel to one another and together form a substantially straight edged, elongate underband tool 1.

The underband tool I is provided in five sizes each of different lengths as measured from one outer edge 13 to the other. Each size corresponds to a particular measurement around the ribcage of an intended user beneath their breasts as indicated by the line R on Fig. 2. A different colour is assigned to each different underband size for ease of reference for a user. Jn this embodiment, the following colours are assigned to the following underband sizes: F,,, ________________ 32 Red 34 Yellow 36 Blue 38 Green Purple Each underband tool size has a graduated sequence of marks or scale 20 along one side 22 from one end to the other to enable the length of body of an intended user to be obtained as measured from the shoulder to the breast fold 32. The distance between the series of' marks 20 is tailored to the particular underband tool size to which it is applied and helps to determine the correct depth of wing for the finished bra. The side 22 for measuring the correct wing depth is marked with DEPTH so as to make it clear to the user what side of the underband tool to use. Another scale 24 is provided on the opposite side 26 of the underband tool 1 to permit the breast volume of an intended user to be measured. This side is marked with VOLUME again for identification purposes.

S In use, an individual that wishes to order a custom made bra is provided with the five different underhand tools of different sizes. The individual tries on each underhand measuring tool by positioning it beneath their breasts and fastening it at their back so as to secure it around their ribcage. The individual tries on each underband tool size until a comfortable fit is achieved. This is the point at which the joins 30 between the central portion 3 and the wing portions 5 are positioned beneath the axilla on opposite sides respectively of the individual's body with the central portion 3 being close to full stretch. When a comfortable fit is achieved, the individual makes a note of the colour since this particular underband tool is used to obtain the other required dimensions.

Using the appropriately coloured underband tool, the individual positions one end of the underhand tool at the top of their shoulder and extends the underhand down the body to the breast fold 32 as indicated by the line BD. Reading off the scale on the DEPTH side of the underband tool, the individual marks down the measurement corresponding to the position adjacent the breast fold so as to obtain the body depth measurement. Each mark on the DEPTH side scale corresponds to a different wing depth for the underhand tool length used.

Using the same underband tool 1, the individual leans forward to allow their breasts to hang in a downward direction and takes a measurement from one axilla to the other around the fullest part of the bust. The underhand tool I should be in a relaxed state without stretching the central portion 3 so as not to distort the scale.

Reading from the VOLUME side of the underband 1, the individual takes a measurement from the scale of the distance between the two axilla around the flullest part of the breasts indicated by the curved line V so as to determine breast volume and, hence, the correct cup size for the bra. Particular marks on the scale correspond to a different cup size for the given underband tool length. For example, one graduation may be marked A followed by B etc so that an individual can clearly identify their cup size by reading the mark on the underband tool adjacent the axilla of their body.

Using the information and measurements provided by the individual the tailor can assemble a custom made bra that provides a perfect fit. For example, a user may find that the yellow underband provides a comfortable fit, that the distance between their shoulder and breast fold is 25cm and that the mark adjacent their axilla when measured from the other axilla around the fullest part of the breasts is a C. This would tell the tailor that the custom made bra should be a 34C with a wing depth that corresponds to a body frame having 25cm between shoulder and breast fold. The custom made bra could then be assembled remotely from the individual by attaching or fastening the appropriate components together.

Referring to Figs 9 and 10, there is shown another embodiment of an underband measuring tool 200 according to the invention. In this embodiment, only a single underband measuring tool 200 is required to take any individuaLs measurements. The underband tool 200 comprises an elasticated portion 210 which itself comprises an 11" length of elastic material in its relaxed state which is contained within a rigid carrier having a maximum stretched length of 16.5". Attached to one end of the elastic portion 210 is a 2" length of elastic material 215 which comprises fastening means for fastening to a region of the opposite end of the tool. A substantially rigid portion 220 comprising a 10" length of material is attached to the other end of the elasticated portion 210 and is intended to replicate the two wing portions of a bra which are typically 5" each in length.

A measuring portion 221 is attached to the free end of the rigid portion 220 and comprises three colour coded portions 222, 224 and 226 made from substantially rigid, non-stretch material. Adjacent colour coded portions 222, 224, 226 are separated by 2" lengths of substantially rigid, non-stretch material. Each colour coded portion 222, 224, 226 is separated into three sections each of which comprises a fastening means for fastening to the elastic end 215 of the underhand tool 200.

The first colour coded portion 222 is red in colour and is marked with indicators that colTespond to underband measurements of' a bra. The first section of the red portion 222 which is nearest the opposite end of the underband tool 200 is marked with XS, the second section of the red portion 222 is marked with 5-and the third section is marked with S. The second colour coded portion 224 is yellow in colour and has three sections marked S+, M and M+ respectively with 5+ being the closest of the three to the opposite end of the underband tool 200. The third colour coded portion 226 is purple in colour and has three sections marked L, L+ and L++, L being the closest section to the opposite end of the underband tool 200. A user can determine her correct body frame measurement by fastening the underband tool at the most comfortable section and making a note of the colour and section indicator. Since each section corresponds to a particular underhand size, the tailor can determine the correct underband for a custom made bra based upon this measurement.

Two scales 230, 240 are provided on the reverse side of the underband tool toward the rigid, non-stretch end 250. The start of the first scale 230, which is used to measure body length, is marked with the letter S and is provided on the underband tool 200 a distance 13" from the free, non-stretch end 250. The scale is provided with three marked graduations 5, M and L each of which is separated by increments of 1". Each element of the scal.e corresponds to a particular wing height and cup depth for a given individual and therefore enables the appropriate wing part of a custom made bra to be selected depending upon the individual's measurement.

The second scale 240 is provided on the opposite edge respectively of the first scale 230 and is used to measure cup size. The second scale comprises five marked graduations numbered consecutively from 1 to 5. The first graduation marked with the number 1 is provided a distance 23" from the free end of the elastic portion 215. Each subsequent marked graduation is provided in increments of 1" so that the fifth marking on the scale is 27" from the free end of the elastic end 215. Each marking corresponds to a particular cup size which can be used to assemble a custom made bra.

In use, an individual fastens the underband tool 200 around her body using the corresponding fastening means on the elastic end 215 and colour coded portions 222, 224, 226 so that the tool 200 stretches around the rib cage. The tool 200 should be fastened such that it extends diagonally from the back to the front of the individual with the tool 200 being lower around the back than the front. A note is made of the colour coded portion and section of that portion that provides the most comfortable fit.

The individual then reverses the underhand tool 200 for use in taking the body length measurement and cup size respectively.

The body length measurement is the distance between the top of the shoulder and the breast fold and is determined by placing the non-stretch end 250 on the top of the shouJder, extending the tool 200 down the length of the body and reading off the marking from the first scale 230 that lies adjacent the breast fold. The cup size measurement is taken by bending forward, placing the elastic end 215 at a region in line with one axilla, extending the measuring tool 200 in a relaxed state around the fullest part of the bust to the opposite side of the body in line with the other axilla and reading off the marking from the second scale 240. An individual may therefore determine that they measure yellow M for body frame, M for body length and 3 for cup size. Based upon these measurements, a tailor can select the correspondingly sized elements of a bra and assemble them to make a custom made bra which is tailored to the individual's body.

The above embodiments are described by way of example only, many variations are possible without departing from the invention.