Abstract
Two different types of waistbands, cuff and elastic, were subjected to experiments to ascertain the varying levels of constriction.
In the first experiment, eight healthy young women were asked to wear a 60 mm-wide cuff waistband. Adopting differing load tolerances (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mmHg), the subjects were then asked to assume four different physical postures: standing, sitting, lying prone and squatting. Clothing pressure was measured in five distinct regions on the waistband (F: front, FS: front side, S: side, BS: side back, B: back).
In the second experiment, the same subjects were asked to wear a 25 mm-wide elastic waistband. This waistband came in three sizes: perfect fit, 10％ constriction and 25％ constriction. Once again, clothing pressure was measured in the same five regions as in the first experiment.
The following results were obtained.
1) Horizontal cross sections of the five regions were obtained with a sliding gauge. The correlations between the radius of curvature and the clothing pressure in the five regions, and the compression of each cross section were examined. Kirk's formula did not hold true in either the cuff waistband experiment or the elastic waistband experiment.
2) With regard to the results of the elastic waistband experiment, postural and regional variations produced markedly different data. Clothing pressure was greatest in the S zone. As for posture, the greatest physical restriction for both types of waistbands was recorded in the squatting position.
3) The clothing pressure on the front side was selected as a measure of central tendency.
