Innovation in fashion design: Articulating anthropometry, ergonomics and usability for comfort in the use of jeans

The jeans trousers are considered the most democratic of garments. Despite the constant innovations in raw materials and models, the user experience, however, is not always satisfactory, and many of its samples are uncomfortable or ill-fitting to body shapes and real contexts in which they are utilized. Focusing on the female body perception and jeans' use varied needs, this paper presents - along with the review of the literature - the results of a quantitative study, of correlational nature, where questionnaires, with open and closed questions, both textual and imagistic, were applied to a sample of 120 women, mainly between 18 and 28 years old, in the Alto Uruguay region of the Rio Grande do Sul state, in Brazil. Following, the data analysis combined statistical and descriptive methods. As a result, it was found that, frequently, women of varying silhouettes correctly perceive their own bodies, and that they prefer to use trousers that tightly, but comfortably and functionally, model their bodies, through the use of more flexible textiles and models that cover them more and deform less. However, it was found that the pants usually have awkward characteristics, due to the lack of articulation among anthropometric, ergonomic and usability knowledge. The findings of this research, which were systematized along with initial recommendations, can guide the innovative design of this classic garment.