Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine the proper amount of ease at the waistline according to belt materials. Two hundred twenty-five kinds of waist belts were used, which differed in width and stiffener and outer fabric mechanical properties. Forty women aged 20 to 26 participated in the wearing test. The wearers were requested to judge the comfort of the waist belts in both standing and sitting postures. The difference between the waist girth of the wearer and the belt length was defined as the waist ease.
The contribution values, Zi, were calculated using residual regression analysis to the ratio of comfortable waist ease in these postures to the waist girth, Ec, as a quadratic function of the belt width, the thickness, the bending rigidity and the characteristic values in the compression property of waist belts, and the body dimensions of the wearer.
A highly accurate prediction equation for Ec was obtained using the belt width, the belt properties such as thickness (log T0) and bending rigidity (log B), and the body dimensions such as waist girth and angle of the upper portion of the waistline.
