Just before Christmas, someone posted about ZOZO - a company whose slogan seems to be "custom-fit clothing for a size-free world". Now, The Sewing Lawyer does her own custom-fit clothing thanks very much and does not need to send away for custom fitted T shirts (???) on the internet. However, she figured the ZOZOSUIT was very much worth checking out.
This is a 2 piece set (footed leggings and long sleeved top) made from a thin black lycra fabric and printed all over with these strange dots. The website explains: |
| ZOZO output - 2019 |
Each ZOZOSUIT has more than 350 white dots, each of which is unique. These dots serve as fiducial markers, which are essential to our measuring process.
As you measure, the ZOZO app will take 12 photos of you (as you stand facing each our on a clock) and capture where each unique dot is located in space.
The App is free and I was able to get it to measure me successfully first try. I did two sets of measurements to see how accurate/consistent the system is. Once the app has finished it produces a cute diagram of your body which you can rotate on your phone screen.
I think it needs supervision, because my arms are not so wildly different in circumference and length as ZOZO thought. If I was actually going to order clothes I would have to redo the process until I figured the measurements were perfect.
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| CAESAR output - 1999 |
ZOZO is an up to date and much more accessible version of a measuring process I participated in 20 years ago. CAESAR (poster at right) was a survey of thousands of volunteers in North America and Europe done in the late 1990s. I cannot remember how I found out that the project was coming to my city but do remember being pretty keen to participate because I would get professionally done measurements and a picture of my 3D body scan. I made a spreadsheet of the data from the CAESAR scan and ZOZO - noting where things matched and where they did not. I also incorporated measurements that were done when I was using Pattern Master Boutique, a computer pattern drafting program. In part the non-matching is explained by years of body changes but it's also due to different undergarments (CAESAR measured over a compressing sports bra, for example) and variations in the measurement system.
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| Pinned-together to check the pattern-matching |
Between the three sources of information I figured I had enough accurate data to finally order the Bootstrap Patterns dress form pattern that I won at Pattern Review weekend.
Stash diving produced long strips of a beefy home-dec fabric (cotton I think, might have been a duvet cover project) which once fused is extremely stable. It will be an eye-catching dress form when it is done. I am amusing myself by trying to match the design as much as possible.
So far I think the dress form is a little more buxom than my reality but I'll reassess as I sew, and adjust accordingly.
I will be demolishing my ancient duct-tape double so I can reuse the stuffing and stand for my new dress form. It has served me well for many, many years.
Oh yeah, I'm also testing some of the new patterns for Jalie again. So much fun!
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