ISO 8559-1:2017

Overview

ISO 8559-1:2017, "Size designation of clothes - Part 1: Anthropometric definitions for body measurement," defines a standardized set of anthropometric measurements and measurement principles for use in garment sizing, physical and digital anthropometric databases, and fit mannequin design. The standard describes how to take body measurements (landmarks, lines, planes), required measuring conditions and equipment, and the common vertical, breadth, girth and surface-distance measurements used across clothing types. Annex A covers pictogram use for the most usual body dimensions. ISO 8559-1 is intended to harmonize population group definitions and enable comparison of datasets when used with national or regional regulations.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Measurement definitions and landmarks: standardized landmark points, lines and planes that form the basis of repeatable body measurements.
• Measuring conditions: guidance on subject clothing, posture, support surfaces and body symmetry to ensure consistent data.
• Required equipment: typical tools such as anthropometers, tape measures, chainettes, sliding and spreading calipers, weighing scales and inclinometers.
• Measurement categories:
  • Vertical measurements (e.g., stature, chin height, waist height, inside leg height)
  • Breadths, widths and depths (e.g., hip breadth, chest depth)
  • Girth measurements (e.g., bust girth, waist girth, hip girth, arm and leg girths)
  • Surface-following distances (e.g., shoulder length, back neck point to waist)
  • Hand and foot measurements
• Pictograms: standardized and modified pictograms illustrating common dimensions (Annex A) for communication and database labeling.
• Data interoperability: explicit intent for use with national, regional or international agreements to allow consistent population segmentation and dataset comparison.

Practical applications - who uses this standard

• Apparel product development teams for creating size and shape profiles, grading rules and patterns.
• Fit mannequin and prototype manufacturers to produce mannequins representative of target populations.
• Sizing engineers and anthropometrists building physical or digital anthropometric databases.
• E-commerce and retail teams implementing size recommendation and virtual fitting systems that rely on standardized body measures.
• Standards bodies and regulators aligning national sizing regulations and population segmentation.
• Research institutions conducting population anthropometry studies for ergonomics and apparel design.

Related standards and usage notes

• ISO 8559-1:2017 is designed to be used in conjunction with applicable national or regional sizing regulations and other ISO standards relevant to clothing and anthropometry to ensure harmonized size designation and comparable datasets. Check your national standards body or the ISO catalogue for complementary documents and Part(s) that address size indicators and implementation.

Keywords: ISO 8559-1, anthropometric measurements, clothing sizes, size designation, garment development, fit mannequin, body measurement, anthropometric database, pictogram, measurement protocol.