• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.120-134
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• 2007

The usage of basic bodice blocks at men's apparel companies is investigated and the domestic and international men's upper bodice blocks are compared to find directions of research on development of bodice basic blocks. The following conclusions are found in this study. 1. The survey shows that basic bodice blocks are not used at men's apparel companies although all the respondents have good knowledge on bodice basic blocks. They responded that basic bodice blocks for representative body figures of each age category or of each country would help comparative studies on domestic and international basic bodice blocks and development of exporting apparel products. Also, they expected the utilization of men's basic bodice blocks both as education materials and in studies of design, of body figures, and of basic blocks for industry. 2. The comparative study on men's bodice blocks shows that waist circumference, hip circumference, neck circumference, height, and shoulder length, in addition to the minimal essential size items such as chest circumference and center back length, are used in most basic bodice blocks. The size formulae of each basic block are compared to find how the sizes are determined. For center back length, either measured back length or a certain proportion of height is used. For front and back interscyes, chest circumference is used in most basic bodice blocks. Either measured size, or a certain proportion of height or chest circumference is used for back height. The averaged ease allowances of basic bodice blocks are 3.2 cm for chest circumference, 10.8 cm for waist circumference, 1.2 cm for front interscye, 0.1 cm for back interscye, 0.2cm for shoulder length, and 0 cm for center back length. However, body blocks for different types of clothes have different ease allowances. Shirt basic blocks have ease allowances of 6.1 cm for chest circumference, 13.7 cm for waist circumference, 1.4 cm for front interscye, 0.6 cm for back interscye, 1.2 cm for shoulder length, and 1.8 cm for center back length. On the other hand, jacket basic blocks have ease allowances of 8.8 cm for chest circumference, 16 cm for waist circumference, 1.1 cm for front interscye, 1.4 cm for back interscye, 1.1 cm for shoulder length, and 0.8 cm for center back length.