| dc.description.abstract | Tailors in Kenya often use the traditional method of taking body measurements to
make clothes. This method is often too slow to cater for the entire female population in
the country or for the export market. As a result, there is heavy reliance on imported
clothes to meet the numerous clothing needs of females in Kenya. On the contrary,
imported clothes are made with standard measurements suited for the European and
Asian people. Due to difference in figure types of the African body with the other races,
many consumers have had to take the newly purchased garments to the local tailors for
alterations. Misfit, therefore, is a growing concern as consumers are not happy with
garments that do not provide good and desirable fit.
The MSEs; to which many tailors belong, face many challenges some of which
include limited access to markets and financial services, inadequate business skills,
limited linkages with' large enterprises and limited access to information. These obstacles
results to low productivity, poor quality and limited product diversity, which lead to low
competitive ability in both local and external markets.
This study was conducted to establish a sizing system for Kenya, identify
methods of body measurements used by local tailors, causes of misfit and body shapes
that exist among females in Nairobi. The outcome is to recommend effective methods to
help reduce misfit among females in Kenya and stimulate further research in identifying
body shape categories among females in Kenya. A sizing system for the Kenyan female
population would increase output among local tailors within the MSEs. It would also
enable them to provide better quality of fit for their consumers both globally and locally.
There is also greater satisfaction in sewing when fitting problems are eliminated or, at
least, minimized.
Two pilot studies were conducted to find-out if there was misfit among females in
Kenya and identify the methods of body measurements used by local tailors in making
garments. It was then established that there was indeed misfit in clothing among females
in Kenya and that no standard sizing system exists in Kenya. As a result of misfit, many
females had to take back garments to the already overwhelmed local tailors for
adjustment before wearing or discard some clothes. | en |
