Posture Descriptors (PARCS), What We Know and the Gaps - 25.37
Title:
Posture Descriptors (PARCS), What We Know and the Gaps
Authors:
Carol MCDONALD 1, P.U. Navodhya 2, Gerald RUDERMAN 3, Bonny CARMICINO 4, Fatma BAYTER 5, Mona MAHER 5, Sujin YOO 5
1 Gneiss Concept, Washougal, WA, USA;
2 University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka;
3 Zdoit, New York, NY, USA;
4 Way of the Thread, Cold Spring, NY, USA;
5 Cornell, Ithaca, NY, USA
Keywords:
3D body scanning, posture descriptors, patternmaking, fashion, clothing, apparel
Abstract:
Experienced pattern makers understand the nuances of body shape in their "fingertips". However, articulating and transferring this internalized knowledge to others is challenging due to the lack of shared language. It is important to bridge the gap in vocabulary and conceptual nuances within the field to enable effective collaborations among practitioners and researchers from diverse disciplines. Previously presented work on the role of posture in clothing design and fit described it by the mnemonic of PARCS: placement, alignment, rotation, curvature and symmetry. This mnemonic provides a language to describe intrinsic knowledge to understand body shapes and clothing design and makes it possible to talk about how garments are designed in a cross-disciplinary manner. However, there are still gaps in knowledge relating to posture. In this paper, we examined each word (i.e., placement, alignment, rotation, curvature and symmetry) within the PARCS mnemonic and reviewed the status of knowledge for these words. Placement and symmetry are relatively well understood. However, the understanding of words of alignment, rotation and curvature is limited. Therefore, this paper focused on examining alignment, rotation and curvature in the following areas where posture significantly affects clothing fit: hip alignment and rotation, shoulder rotation (forward or backward, side to side) and back curvature. These factors are important to determine the functional and aesthetic performance of clothing that ranges from everyday garments such as trousers and jackets to personal protective equipment (PPE). The paper concludes by providing recommendations to address the identified knowledge gaps and discussing their implications for pattern development. It also emphasized how bridging interdisciplinary communication gaps can lead to more effective collaboration and improved clothing fit.
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How to Cite (MLA):
C. MCdonald et al., "Posture Descriptors (PARCS), What We Know and the Gaps", Proceedings of 3DBODY.TECH 2025 - 16th International Conference and Expo on 3D/4D Body Scanning, Data and Processing Technologies, Lugano, Switzerland, 21-22 Oct. 2025, #37, https://doi.org/10.15221/25.37
Details:
Proceedings: 3DBODY.TECH 2025, 21-22 Oct. 2025, Lugano, Switzerland
Paper/Presentation: #37
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15221/25.37
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