Average Clothing Size Is WHAT?

Tuesday, March 9, 2004
Netscape

The Ladies:

The fashion industry assumes these standard measurements for a woman: 35-inch bust, a 27-inch waist, and 37.5-inch hip. In the real world, women ages 36 to 45 actually average:

White: 41-34-43
Black: 43-37-46
Hispanic: 42.5-36-44
Asian: 41-35-43

The Gentlemen:

The fashion industry assumes the average man is a traditional 40 regular, which means 40-inch chest, 34-inch waist, and 40-inch hip, with a 15.5-inch collar. In the real world, men ages 36 to 45 actually average:

White: 44-38-42
Black: 43-37-42
Hispanic: 44-38-42
Asian: 42-37-41

Netscape
Despite what the fashion industry thinks, the average clothing size in the United States is not a svelte 8 for women and a 40 regular for men. The average women's size is 14, the size at which "plus-sized" clothing begins. And the average size for men is 44.

We're bigger not only in weight and height, but also just about every measurement in between, according to the new SizeUSA survey, a first-of-its-kind look at our measurements that has been taken since World War II, reports The New York Times, which published the results. Sponsored by various clothing and textile companies, the Army, the Navy, and several universities, the survey of 10,000 people in 13 cities nationwide used a light-pulsing 3-D scanner to take 240 body measurements from tip to toe. (No fudging in this survey!)

(More: Netscape.net Network / Home & Real Estate)

2004 © Netscape Communications Corp.

Dan