With the introduction of the tape measure in 1820 and the growing market for selling ready-to-wear clothing to the masses, a system of standardized sizing was created. Measurements, taken in inches, were obtained from Civil War soldiers and helped standardize the male population. In 1863, Butterick, a paper pattern company, patented size specifications for women. An organization known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) began issuing body-sizing standards in 1941 and has continued to update these standards, in addition to other initiatives, such as SizeUSA and SizeUK. (See appendix 8 for sizes ranges.)
See also Sizes; TC2.
Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Francesca Sterlacci and Joanne Arbuckle.