On the Relationship between Vertical Body Proportion and Evaluation of Women's Suits

Abstract

On the basis of Le Corbusier's “modulor”, we analyzed 201 female students' proportions from the viewpoint of “golden section”. Our findings suggested that their total height of the body and navel height become taller for the past forty years. The average point of the navel height is closer to the linear division of the golden section. However, the ratio of the two heights varied widely. We made a research of how the vertical body proportion influenced on the image of wearing suits. Three female students whose total heights were the same but navel heights were different were asked to wear a same suits. Fifty-two female students judged how the three students matched their suit. Among variables examined, two variables were significant : tallness and well-balanced proportion. The variable of the well-balanced proportion was based on the invisible navel height. Their most favored model was the one that had the best body figures in terms of the vertical body proportion. Our research also substantiated that “beautiful proportion” and “golden section” were compatible, and “harmony” was based on “balance” and “rhythm”.