Apparel Product Development for the Plus-sized Tween and Teen Market

Lenda Jo Connell, Principal Investigator, Pam Ulrich, Principal Investigator, Auburn University, David Pascoe, Auburn University, David Bruner, [TC]²,

Sivart A. Mellian, Sizing Specialist, and Shannon Rider, mbrio Fit Specialist

Project Goal

    Current data indicate that Americans are larger in physical stature and heavier than previous generations. Through Size U.S.A., an anthropometric research study conducted by [TC]² using 3-D body scanning, apparel product developers have better insight into sizing issues for American adults. However, sizing issues for an appearance-focused age group, tweens and young teens, are not being addressed in the gathering of body scan data nor in the accumulation of insights (within the public domain) into sizing-related consumer issues from the adolescents’ and parents’ perspectives. This project’s first year initiates a research program to understand the social, psychological, and physical issues related to product development and marketing to ages 9-14, with an emphasis on the niche market for overweight and obese teen girls. Over the course of the project, the research team expects to discover answers to the following questions:

    1) What are the physical and psychological characteristics of young females ages 9-14 who are overweight or obese in comparison to their normal weight peers?

    2)Where is the market potential for developing apparel products for this niche market?

    3)How should sizing categories be developed within this range of ages?

The research team expects to define the market potential, understand sizing and fit problems, and develop guidelines for sizing for overweight and obese females reflecting body shape, social psychological needs, and shopping behaviors.

First Year Plan

    The goal of the first year will be to develop an understanding of the body shapes of tween and young teen girls, to assess the images they have of their own and ideal bodies, and to explore issues of fit and choice in their apparel. These will be explored both through research with the girls and with their mothers.

Focus Groups

    Eight focus groups -- two with plus-sized tweens and young teens separated by age (9-11, 12-14) and two with their regular size counterparts, and four with the mothers of participants -- will be conducted at [TC]² in October, 2004. In different sessions, the subjects (mothers and daughters) will have body scans taken, complete different but related questionnaires, and participate in focus groups discussions targeting the topics of clothing selection, influences on choices, and positive, as well as negative experiences in the marketplace. Analysis of focus group discussion and questionnaires will allow researchers to better understand clothing issues, fit problems and consumer preferences within each proposed cell (9-11, normal sizes; 9-11, plus sizes; 12-14, normal sizes; and 12-14, plus sizes).

One of the tactics to investigate body image, that has been used in many published studies, will be asking each participant to use the following set of female drawings and identify both their own figures and their ideal figures (Stunkard, Sorensen & Schulsinger, 1983). Values assigned to the differences can be compared across groups.

Figure 1. Stunkard, A.J., Sorenson, T. & Schulsinger, F. (1983). Use of the Danish adoption register for the study of obesity and thiness. In S.Kety (Ed.),

                                                                                                   The Genetics of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders. New York: Raven Press. 

Body Shape Analysis

    Using the sample of girls’ body scans, the researchers will begin building a first-pass body shape analysis schema based on whole and component body parts similar to the Body Shape Assessment Scales (BSAS©) developed for adult women in the just completed NTC project, Body Scan Analysis for Fit Models Based on Body Shape and Posture Analysis. A starting point will be to compare the girls’ whole body shapes with adult women’s. As shown here, the BSAS identifies four whole body shapes: hourglass, pear, rectangular, and inverted triangle.

Figure 2: BSAS© Body Shape Scale

For Project Information Contact:

Dr. Lenda Jo Connell, Professor                       Dr. Pamela V. Ulrich, Associate Professor
Auburn University                                             Auburn University 
connelj@auburn.edu                                         ulricpv@auburn.edu                                        

A National Textile Center Project