This study evaluated the fit of a one-piece dress using a 3D-printed dress form designed to reflect the body shape of middle-aged women and examined its potential for practical application by comparing the results with those from a 3D virtual fitting program. Therefore, a dress form was created based on the body measurements of middle-aged women using 3D body scanning and 3D printing, and an actual one-piece dress was fitted onto it. The same pattern was then simulated in a 3D virtual fitting program. A subsequent visual assessment was performed to compare and analyze the similarity between the 3D virtual fitting and actual fitting results. The analysis revealed that the 3D-printed dress form more accurately replicated the body characteristics of middle-aged women, making it advantageous for evaluating actual wearing comfort and garment fit. In contrast, the virtual fitting program demonstrated limitations in detailed expressions of elements such as wrinkles in specific body areas and fabric properties, resulting in lower consistency with real-world fitting outcomes compared to the dress form. This study confirmed that the 3D-printed dress form for middle-aged women can enhance accuracy in both fit evaluation and garment production processes. Future studies should focus on developing dress forms that accommodate diverse body types and refining virtual fitting technologies to enable more precise garment simulation and evaluation.

In the Korean fashion industry, 3D printing systems are considered as new technology and a new opportunity. With 3D printers, consumers can be manufacturers and individuals can develop businesses with little upfront capital. In this study, a dress form for the typical Korean women’s body shape was developed using 3D technology (3D scanning, 3D modeling, and 3D printing). Ten women with apparel sizes 85-91-160 were selected from 3D body-scan data collected by SizeKorea of 201 women aged 25 to 34 (2010). First, 15 horizontal cross-sections were collected from the 3D scan data of the 10 subjects. Then, inside lines of those cross-sections were drawn at 15-degree intervals, and the lengths were measured. The average of the inside lines was connected to the internal spline curve, and the curves were used as the average cross-sections. The average torso body and the dress form of Korean women were developed into a 3D solid model using a 3D CAD program (Solidworks 2012). An output mockup was printed by the FDM type’s 3D printing system (Bonbot 1200, Bonbot 3-H4) using PLA material. The dimensions comparing the 3D solid modeling to the 3D printed mockup of the dress form were measured, and minor differences were between 0.00cm and 0.40cm. In the future, 3D printing systems are expected to be in use for various personalized dress forms.