Anthropometry of Bangladeshi Ready to Wear Apparel Market and its Impact Volume 4 - Issue 3

Eanamul Haque Nizam¹* and Darko Ujevic²

• ¹Phd, Faculty of Textile and Clothing, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• ²Professor, Faculty of Textile and Clothing, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Received:December 21, 2021   Published: January 10, 2022

*Corresponding author: Eanamul Haque Nizam, Faulty of Textile and Clothing, University of Zagreb, Croatia

DOI: 10.32474/LTTFD.2022.04.000189

Abstract PDF

This article will focus the total overview of the anthropometry research in Bangladesh. India, China, Korea etc different Asian country has already started their national survey to develop a national datasheet to detect body shape and also for size chart development. This study has recommended some impact, possibilities of apparel market of Bangladesh. The impact and recommendations should be followed by the government to start the survey as soon as possible.

Keywords: Anthropometry; Bangladesh; Size chart; apparel; survey

In our country, the readymade garments industry acts as a catalyst for our development. The “Made in Bangladesh” tag has also brought glory to the country, making it a prestigious brand across the globe. Bangladesh, which was once termed by cynics a “bottomless basket”, has now become a “basket full of wonders” by maintaining a 6% annual average GDP growth rate and has brought about remarkable social and human development [1] (Figure 1). But in Bangladesh, apparel factories don’t make vast production of clothing for our people. They are very much focused on export to EU countries and so on. Besides this export scenario, several clothing brands in our country try to run their production with the help of stock load products. A huge amount of people depends upon those stock loaded products which are ordered by foreign buyers and obviously according to their size chart. As a result, consumers are not satisfied with the fit of garments sold in stores. The size variation among the local clothing brands creates problems. So, what is the solution? The only solution is to form a standard garments size chart for our people, which can be gained by “Anthropometrical Analysis”. It is the study of human body measurements which is used to identify and clarify the variation of human body shape and size through the scientific method (e.g., implementing statistical formula, using advanced machinery and so on). Although our neighbor country India and even Saudi-Arabia also come forward for making this size chart nationally, but it is a matter of sorrow that in Bangladesh, no such steps have been taken, even in our universities, no funding has been provided for this work so far (Figure 2). This will show in the future that our small to medium or large size apparel manufacturing factories will not be able to meet their long-lasting large size demand in Bangladesh, and they will lose the market of about 200 million people. So, we want to create a standard size chart of the human body of our country by researching this anthropometrical analysis which will form a big market for our apparel manufacturer. So, this Anthropometrical Analysis, this kind of research is very important for our ready to wear apparel market in Bangladesh.

Figure 1: Made in Bangladesh level in an international denim pant.

Figure 2: Anthropometry body key points.

Body: The main material of this anthropometrical analysis is the human body. As this refers to study with the variation of body size, we have to need a lot of human body for this research. We have already worked on a project of “Analysis of human body shape variation”, where we notice that it is possible to synchronize and accumulate the anthropometrical analysis through the human body of Bangladesh. Moreover, it is approved by several international researchers that it is possible can gain the standard apparel size chart through “Anthropometrical Analysis”. For example, we can mention a project which is done nationally in our neighbor country India called “Sizing of Trousers and Shirts for Indian Army Personnel: An Anthropometric Application” [2] (Figure 3). So, it is not so much tough to prepare this size chart for apparel in our country through the anthropometric application.

Figure 3: Anthropometry of basic human body.

Machine facility: In addition, in the perspective of machinery, as 3D scanner machine is so much costly with complex functions, it is found to use in some restricted sites in Bangladesh (e.g., aviation, security purpose, investigation) and are not available rapidly to use in every sphere of our purposes. So, we may easily buy all types of anthropometric machinery (e.g., Stadiometer, Segmometer, Goniometer and different callipers with anthropometric kit) and others for this research except 3d scanner machine.

Survey: We have already gone through a survey in industries and universities and proposed that it is possible to buy all the related machinery (except 3rd scanner machine) with our economic asset and start this research in an anthropometric way. We already have found two (2) types of survey which can be referred to as-.
a) Primary data survey: Documentation
b) Secondary data survey: Documented data (e.g., data collected from industries and factories)

Lab Facility

We proposed a development lab for researchers with all kinds of instruments for getting desirable output. As a result, the output result can be spread easily throughout the world as well as is a catalyst for getting funds.

Impact

Through the formation of this “Anthropometrical Analysis”, several countries can create their own apparel size chart by which they can implement easy and fast production according to their people’s actual size. Moreover, they can be included with the foreign apparel market strongly. For example, we may provide the application of India and South Korea where India manufactures their Army Personnel’s outfit, and South Korea can take over their apparel market through their “Anthropometric Analysis”. This “Anthropometric Analysis” works as an important catalyst for buyer creation. If we can make it for our country, we can establish it as the buyer. It is possible to increase the economic asset of the industry through this work as well as the development of the industry. As this “Anthropometric Analysis” ensures to capture the local market starting from the giant factories to small factories, people encourage to apparel manufacturing business and thus it is possible to make more entrepreneur, reducing unemployment problem of Bangladesh. It is possible to make a greater impact by using resources from our factories. In Bangladesh, there are more than 4,000 BGMEA registered factories, including woven, knit and sweater. It will help to make a bigger apparel market in Bangladesh with the help of these factories’ machinery. Through this “Anthropometrical Analysis,” the apparel market will be enhanced. So, several new clothing brands can be placed easily. So, we proposed an “Anthropometric Analysis” research with the help of required machinery (except 3d scanner machine) to form a standard garments size chart in Bangladesh which will be very much needed to grab our apparel market ready to wear sector. As a result, it will enhance not only the economic asset of the manufacturer but also be an important factor to grow up our GDP in the perspective of western developing countries.

In this study, the author tries to find out the total limitations of the anthropometry analysis conducted in Bangladesh. The whole article focuses on the overview of the research level conducted in Bangladesh. To develop a standard body size chart, every country like China, India, South Korea, and North Korea has already started their national survey to develop their standard size chart. The government of Bangladesh need to take the initiative and also through the big budget for this analysis very soon.

1. The information has retrieved from, BGMEA.
2. H Bharadwaj, SS Verma, Zachariah T, SK Ishnani (1985) Sizing Of Trousers and Shirts for Indian Army Personnel : An Anthropometric Application. Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India 36(1).