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In Spain, One Size Does Not Fit All

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The Associated Press

Published: February 8, 2008

MADRID, Spain - About 10,000 volunteers have undergone laser beam zapping to measure their actual shape as part of a pioneering project for Spanish designers to make clothes that fit real women, officials said Thursday.

The Health Ministry wants to standardize sizing, and it says retail chains including Zara have signed on to follow the guidelines.

The project is Spain's latest effort to fight the perception that thin equals beautiful - a belief widely blamed for encouraging eating disorders.

Last year, major fashion designers in Spain agreed to stop using storefront mannequins under a European size 38, which is equivalent to a size 8 in the United States. Madrid also banned ultra-thin models from fashion week runways in 2006.

A total of 10,415 women between ages 12 and 70 took part in the five-month study, standing in booths equipped with laser beams that measured their bodies from every imaginable angle in a matter of seconds, rendering a 3-D image.

Nearly 41 percent of the women said they usually have trouble finding clothes that fit them, and the majority said clothes tend to be too small rather than too big.

The Health Ministry said clothing should have three measurements - one for the bust, one for the waist and one for the hips - rather than a single size.

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