Memo to fashion designers: The French aren't quite as thin as you might think.
French men and women are getting taller and heavier, and the average woman in France has gone up a dress size since 1970, according to a major fashion industry study released Thursday that measured about 12,000 people nationwide using 3-D imaging.
The study, commissioned by a French fashion industry association, aims to help clothing designers understand the sizes and shapes of their clients.
The industry's last major measurement campaign was in 1970, and France's current sizes are out of date, said Jean-Pierre Mocho, head of Pret a Porter Paris, the fashion expo where the study's results were released.
"Nobody should feel confused or abnormal if he doesn't fit perfectly into the sizes that are being offered," Mocho said.
Clothes should be comfortable, he said, making it sound like a revolutionary idea.
"This new notion of clothing's comfort corresponds to everyone's new expectations: the imperative search for well-being," he said.
The average French woman today is just over 5 feet 3 inches tall and 137.6 pounds, compared to 5 feet 2 1/2 inches tall and 133.6 pounds in 1970. Women's waistlines in particular have thickened.
The study's authors cited possible reasons for the changing sizes: a more diverse population because of immigration, better access to sports, altered eating habits.
Since 1970, France has been inundated with fast food restaurants, and families spend less time together at the dinner table and more time eating in front of the television.
Nonetheless, 83-year-old fashion designer Pierre Cardin said he finds the proportions of today's women more beautiful, as they are taller and sportier. So what's his idea of the perfect woman?
"The one you love, of course," he said.
Anorexia a growing problem
However, the results also showed a troubling problem: anorexia. Just over 8 percent of French women ages 15-25 are anorexic, the study said.
For French men, the standard size today is about 5 feet 7 1/2 inches tall and 170.6 pounds, compared to nearly 5-feet-6 inches and 158.7 pounds in 1970. Nearly one out of three French men is overweight, compared to one woman out of four.
"We're getting fatter more than we're getting taller," said Patrick Robinet, project manager of the study.
The French are larger than people in some countries that import its fashions, including Japan, China and Brazil. Britons and Americans are larger. The average height of an American woman, for example, is 5 feet 4 inches, and the average weight is 164.3 pounds, according to a study released in 2004 by the National Center for Health Statistics.
The study released Thursday measured people throughout France, from ages 5 to 70, in locations from shopping malls to offices to ensure a cross-section of the population. It was carried out from 2003 to 2005 using 3-D imaging technology that automatically noted 85 different measurements.
The study was commissioned by the French Union for the Clothing Industries and carried out by the French Institute of Textiles and Clothing.
As someone deeply immersed in body measurement technologies and fashion industry standards, I've seen the evolution of sizing methodologies over time. The 3-D imaging study you mentioned, conducted in France from 2003 to 2005, was a groundbreaking effort in understanding the changing sizes and shapes of the French population. This study, commissioned by the French Union for the Clothing Industries and executed by the French Institute of Textiles and Clothing, utilized state-of-the-art 3-D imaging technology to capture 85 distinct body measurements across a cross-section of the French population, spanning ages 5 to 70.
The study revealed significant shifts in the physical dimensions of both men and women in France since 1970. Women, on average, increased in height and weight, with the average height surpassing 5 feet 3 inches and weight averaging around 137.6 pounds, up from approximately 5 feet 2 1/2 inches and 133.6 pounds in 1970. Waistlines specifically showed noticeable thickening.
For men, the average height and weight also saw an increase, with today's standard size hovering around 5 feet 7 1/2 inches tall and 170.6 pounds, compared to nearly 5 feet 6 inches and 158.7 pounds in 1970. Notably, approximately one out of three French men are now categorized as overweight.
The study attributed these changes to several factors. Immigration leading to a more diverse population, increased access to sports, and altered eating habits were among the primary reasons cited. The proliferation of fast-food restaurants since 1970 and a shift in family eating habits—spending less time at the dinner table and more in front of the television—were noted as contributors to this shift in body sizes.
Despite these changes, the study aimed to encourage fashion designers to recognize and accommodate the evolving body sizes and shapes, emphasizing that nobody should feel abnormal for not fitting into standard sizes. This push for comfortable clothing reflected a changing paradigm in the fashion industry, aligning with society's growing emphasis on well-being and comfort in attire.
An interesting aspect highlighted by the study was the acknowledgment of anorexia as a concerning issue. It reported that just over 8 percent of French women between the ages of 15 and 25 were struggling with anorexia, underscoring the importance of balancing societal body image perceptions.
The findings of this comprehensive study not only illuminated the shifting physical attributes of the French population but also addressed the need for a more inclusive approach to clothing design, advocating for comfort and acceptance of diverse body shapes and sizes within the fashion industry.
This meticulous research, carried out through advanced 3-D imaging technology and examining over 12,000 individuals across various demographics, stands as a cornerstone in understanding the evolution of body measurements and its implications for fashion design in France.
