ISO 8559 Updated – New ISO Standards for Clothing Sizes

ISO 8559 has been updated with the release of ISO 8559-1 and ISO 8559-2.  Between the two new standards, quite a number of older ISO clothing standards have been replaced.  What’s in the new documents?  Let’s take a look.

ISO 8559-1, 1st Edition, Size designation of clothes – Part 1: Anthropometric definitions for body measurement

Different populations have different sizes and shapes.  So clothing sizes must be tailored to the target customer base.  How can you go about creating valid sizes?  Making appropriate mannequins?  Developing stability in the clothing sizes you manufacture?

ISO 8559-1 provides an anthropometric basis for solving these problems.  It replaces the ISO 8559 from 1989, which is now obsolete.  In this standard, you’ll find the tools necessary to understand how to take these types of measurements.  And you’ll learn the principles of measurements needed, including the underlying anatomical and anthropometrical basis of these measurements.

The 90-page standard also includes an Annex A, which provides pictogram information, including widely used dimensions for developing clothing sizes.  Annex B covers standing and sitting requirements (including arm positions).  And Annex C reviews landmark and measurement mapping.

ISO 8559-2, 1st Edition, Size designation of clothes – Part 2: Primary and secondary dimension indicators

The new ISO 8559-2 replaces a myriad of other clothing standards:  ISO 3636, ISO 3637, ISO 3638, ISO 4415, ISO 4416, ISO 4417 and ISO 4418.  All are cancelled and the information in them has been technically revised by the new release.

The sizing system developed by this series of standards is a little different than we’re probably used to.  The critical dimensions provided are of the wearer, not the garment.  So this standard outlines the various primary and secondary dimensions of various types of garments that impact who can wear the item.  Using this system, your clothing label will include minimum and maximum sizes of the wearer’s body in these predesignated areas.  For example, for a men’s jacket, the label would have a primary dimension for a man’s chest and a secondary dimension of his height.

The 32-page standard covers over 25 different garment types along with the primary and secondary dimensions for men, women, boys and girls.  This is done with the use of both a table, and also a series of figures.  Additionally, label examples are included.

There is a third part to this ISO 8559 series that is still at the committee draft stage.  It is preliminarily titled Size designation of clothes — Part 3: Methodology for creating body measurement tables and intervals.  It looks like the committee is working on the first set of comments generated within the group.  When consensus is achieved, it should be ready for public review.

Clothing, like many other types of goods, is being impacted by the use of computers for design and manufacture.  And there is also the issue of a global market for such products.  The new structure of sizes reflects industry’s need to develop standards-based processes for sizing.  And to have a way to communicate this over a diverse customer base.

If you use these or other ISO standards, search for and order them at the Document Center Inc. webstore, www.document-center.com.  We have been authorized distributors of ISO standards for over 25 years.  You can order from our extensive collection of compliance documentation with confidence.  Here is a link to the list of ISO 8559 standards currently available.  Order the editions here that you need.

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