Implications of dynamic working postures in garments’ comfort

Most work and leisure activities imply the adoption of many dynamic postures, such as stretching the arms foreword or upwards. Some of these postures can be restricted or obstructed by the clothes people wear, as they may be too tight or too loose, limiting/obstructing the range of movements. In this paper, it will be presented a preliminary study to support the development of a prototype of a flexible garment that can be adapted to several dynamic postures. For this study, two female body basic patterns were created: one with the regular static body measurements and the other with the body measurements in a dynamic posture. These models were compared using 5 compression sensors that were used to evaluate the compression forces exerted on the participants’ body. With this study, it was possible to conclude that clothes that are not designed taking in consideration the dynamic postures greatly affect the users’ felling of comfort and performance.