• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.73-87
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• 2018

As men in their 30s are spending more money on clothing, it is becoming increasingly important to first conduct an anthropometric study and then develop garment patterns accommodating the changes found in body sizes and types of men in their 30s, in order to effectively address their fit dissatisfaction. Thus this study aims to explore changes in upper body sizes and body types of men in their 30s, which provide basic measurements for designing major garment items including jackets and shirts. To this purpose, key anthropometric dimensions of the upper body of men in their 30s, taken from the 6th (2015) and 7th (2016) surveys conducted by Size Korea, were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 for Windows. Independent sample t-tests were conducted on major upper body sizes to track changes with measuring time. Factor and cluster analyses were used to classify body types. By comparing the two surveys, it was found that the overall body sizes of men in their 30s were increasing in height-related items, circumference, thickness, and width, -as well as body weight and BMIs. Upper body height-related items, in particular, showed a higher average value in the 6th survey than in the 7th, indicating that the overall body types of men are becoming "westernized" with longer legs and shorter torso. Finally, five factors were derived to determine the typical upper body types of men in their 30s and the body types were classified into three categories according to the cluster analysis. First, those with a relatively small build with short stature and torso. Second, those with the highest stature and vertical dimension with the smallest torso volume and least body fatness. Third, those with the biggest torso volume and most body fatness with bigger width between armpits and shoulders. The distributional pattern analysis showed that men in their 30s tend to have increasingly higher stature but lower body weight and BMIs than in the past, implying that their body types are becoming close to those of men in their 20s.