Investigation into Clothing Area Factors for Tight and Loose Fitting Clothing in Three Different Body Positions

Abstract

The clothing area factor (f cl ) is defined as the ratio of the clothing surface area to the body surface area. It may play an important role in analyses of heat exchange between the clothed body and the surrounding environment. For practical purposes it has commonly been estimated from a function of clothing insulation although clothing fit is a determining factor in estimating clothing surface area. The significance of clothing fit on f cl was demonstrated by Kakitsuba et al. (1987). In this study, fcl was derived by a photographic method using a 180° OP fish-eye lens camera as used in the previous study. Clothing microenvironment volumes (Vm) were measured by two different methods, i.e., a method of measuring the thickness of the clothing microenvironment, and a silhouette method. Subjects wore everyday clothing ensembles: one was relatively tight-fitting and the other was loose-fitting. The fcl values and Vm were measured with the subjects standing, sitting on a chair, and sitting on the floor. In addition, the subjects’ body volumes (V b ) were estimated from anthropological measurements. The results showed that the fcl values varied between 1.05 and 1.31 and were not in accordance with clothing insulation, for which values were consistent (the mean� 0.52 clo), and that the fcl value can be defined as a function of Vm/Vb.