Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
Launched Fall 2010, and now discontinued, Levi’s® Curve ID jeans nonetheless trail blazed the design of women's jeans, according to body shape, instead of size. The campaign for “shape not size” jeans, together with the production of Levi’s® Curve ID jeans, arose out of a combination of one-on-one interview research with women worldwide, and the study of more than 60,000 3D body scans.
First, the results of the interview research uncovered the fact 54% of women try on at least ten pairs of jeans to find a pair that reasonably fits their body shape. Then, the results of the body-scan study initially identified three body shapes that represent 80% of women worldwide. The three initial body shapes identified were Slight Curve, Demi Curve and Bold Curve.(1)
From then on, in-store Curve ID measurement specialists were available to assist women in their purchase of perfectly fitting jeans that matched their particular body shape. The measuring tool used to determine which of the Curve ID fits matched a particular customer’s body shape, is a patented invention. The US utility patent reciting this invention, US8763262B2, titled Shape measuring tool, was awarded on July 1st 2014.
The patent discloses a measuring tool designed to resolve the prior art issues of patent fit, informed by sizes measured in numbers, or waist and inseam length. Using prior art sizes, two people with the same size did not necessarily find jeans that fit in the same way. The fit was different, because two people with same jean size may have different proportions (i.e., their waistband, hips and seat measurements may be different, relative to different height.) Thus, for one person a pair of jeans might fit at the waist, but not in the seat. Conversely, for another same-size person, the jeans might fit in the seat, but not in the waist, even creating what the patent recites as a “muffin top” silhouette.
Below, the abstract of the invention is included, together with the patent Figures 2 and 7. The patent figures respectively depict a front view of the shape-measuring tool 201 with two measuring tapes 208 and 212 attached to a belt 204 (Fig. 2), and a front view of the shape-measuring tool, tied around a person’s waist with a string belt 704, measuring at least 30 inches to accommodate various waist sizes, and secured with a bow 708 (Fig. 7). In particular, the measuring tapes 208, 212 (Fig. 2), are respectively attached to the string 204 via wraparound fastener or suspension loops 216, 220, each respectively attached to the tapes with a rivet 222, 223. The fastener loops 216, 220, each slide on the belt 204, enabling the measuring tapes 216, 220 to be positioned anywhere on the belt. The length of the measuring tapes 216, 220 is sufficiently long to enable girth measuring of a person’s shape at the waist, hip and seat. The measuring tapes are at least 12 inches long, but their length is also specified above the ground, in view of preventing potential tangling, and/or tripping.
Two girth measurements are taken, parallel to a person’s waist, using the ruled markings on the measuring tapes as guides. The ruled markings include both the customary American units (inches), and the International system of units (cm). The distances between girth measurements relative to a person’s waist enable measurement of a ratio between hip and seat, which together will determine the shape fit category of the jeans for a particular person. Thus, reading of the two girth measurements against markings of the two shape measuring tapes, introduced a new and revolutionary measurement of jean shape fit, according to the Slight, Demi or Bold shape categories, in addition to the existing categories of jean style, and size, for a particular person.
The scope of the invention extends to variations of such items as: dimensions and materials of the belt, means for attaching the belt to a person’s waist (e.g., buckle or bow) and, design of the two shape-measuring tapes with ruled markings, which might include panels, and clips to further point to relevant jean fit reference points.
A measuring tool is used to measure the shape of a person’s body. The tool has a belt and at least one measuring tape attached, which extends perpendicularly to the belt. The tool is held to the person's waist with the belt. While the person is standing, shape measurements are typically made at one or more points based on the measuring tape. This measuring tape extends a length sufficient to include the person’s seat and hip, where the shape will be measured, but will generally not be as long as the person’s leg or long enough to touch the ground. [Abstract US8763262B2]
---------
Note (1). Encompassing still more body shapes, a fourth Curve ID size, called Supreme Curve was launched Spring 2011, together with added rises and extended sizes. (Levi Strauss Press Release).
References
Levi's® https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/
Levi Strauss Press Release https://www.levistrauss.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Levis-Brand-Expands-Levis-Curve-ID-Womens-Denim-Line-to-Embrace-Curves-Around-the-World1.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment