Characteristics of Three-Dimensional Displacement of the Breasts Wearing Different Kind of Brassieres in Young Japanese Women

Abstract

Three -dimensional displacement of the breasts inside a brassiere has not been well known, but is required for the design of functional brassieres. In this study, spatial variations of twenty-five points on the left breast were measured before and after putting on a brassiere. Seven adult females ranging in age from 22 to 24 years old participated in the measurement. Three types of commercial full-cup brassieres (Type 1, 2 and 3) were used: Type 1 was a brassiere with under-cup wires, Type 2 was one with soft wires in bone areas and Type 3 was one for sports. In order to measure the breast's displacement, decorations over the cup area were removed after confirming that the removal did not affect clothing pressure of the brassieres. The displacement of each measuring point was calculated and compared among brassiere types. Differences in the displacement among brassiere types were predominant in the convex (z) direction or in the horizontal (x) direction rather than in the vertical (^) direction. The difference was greater in the direction to the front arm or soft lateral side than in the direction to the hard medial part of the breast. It was clarified that the displacement of the inner circle on the breast surface was maximum in the medial side, while the displacement of the outer circle on the breast surface was maximum in the lateral side. Therefore, the extent of displacement varied between individual subjects depending on the breast shape and consistency. Displacement of the breast should be classified into several patterns for further investigations in brassiere designing. © 2004, The Japan Research Association for Textile End-Uses. All rights reserved.