Sizing and fit for swimsuits and diving suits

Abstract Clothing intended to be worn in water demands a special approach to design, selection of materials, and overall development process. Product design attractiveness has become imperative to meet the criteria set by an increasingly demanding and highly competitive market. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure the maximum functionality of such garments in terms of body movement criteria, providing adequate protection and targeted support to the user and achieving the shape and size of the garment model, customized to varieties of human bodies. This chapter presents possibilities of implementing computer technology in 3D design process of swimwear models and a presentation of detailed and complete development process of diving suits for various diving sport disciplines. Development process is based on scanned 3D body models and parametric models customized according to different body shapes and sizes. Given the high demands for fit of diving suits in specific dynamic conditions, changes of specific body dimensions in dynamic position are computationally analyzed. The possibility of 3D construction directly on the surface of the 3D body models and application of the flattening method for the transformation of the irregular 3D surface into the 2D cutting parts is described. In order to achieve a high degree of fit, according to the body shape and size, it is necessary to determine physical and mechanical properties of material from which the real garment prototype will be made. This requires a complex approach to the process of complete computer garment design and the determination and implementation of the required material properties in the computer CAD system. Verification of the entire process is performed by fit analysis in static and dynamic conditions on computer 3D garment prototypes and on real prototypes by professional diver.