How does garment cut influence the perception of attractiveness in the male somatotype? A comparative study of the focus of attraction on specific areas of the male body and its adaptation to inform garment cut in the UK.

Abstract

This PhD practise-based research project develops on my experience as a fashion designer and my undergraduate garment collection, created in 2011. My collection’s aim was to add shape and volume to garments, to ‘sculpt’ a male body into a more muscular silhouette; male models at the time were very slender. This study furthers the concept of using garments to enhance the male somatotype through informing the design process with a psychologically evaluated element, identifying areas of the body rated most attractive. The psychological element is a reflection on designing garments to consciously focus design on verity, alongside inherent creativity.

Stage 1 involved researching the theory of ‘attractiveness’, gathering empirical data to measure favoured areas of the male form.
Stage 2 employed Tobii eye-tracking technology to identify the body areas that participants’ gazed at, and a questionnaire assessed the subjective measure of body attractiveness.
Stage 3 used the empirical data to influence garment design development, focusing on preferential areas identified in the eye-tracking test. A 7-piece menswear collection was designed and made in response to mixed-method findings, balancing ‘areas of interest’ with design principles.
Stage 4 involved the garments being displayed to fashion retail staff in Newcastle, UK, who completed a questionnaire to determine their perception of body attractiveness, and which garments they preferred. The results evidenced that approximately 75% of the participants selected favourite (the first or second choice) garments which correlated with their preferred body area.

The final analysis concluded that garment design could be influenced by empirical data to provide a positive consumer response. This research could interest brand designers, future-focused business owners, fashion design students and peer academics, though providing a better understanding of areas of male body found attractive by viewers and how aesthetic technology-enabled analysis can inspire garment design informed by social preferences.

Date of Award	30 Oct 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Anne Peirson Smith (Supervisor) & Liz Sillence (Supervisor)