Development of functional racing singlet for professional rowers

Rowing is an activity which requires participants to use their whole bodies in a sitting position. Rowers must propel a boat using their arms, legs, back, and shoulders, executing all movements within the vessel. An appropriate racing singlet designed for their unique movements is essential for professional athletes’ training and competition. To meet this need, a university research team, a garment manufacturer, and the Hong Kong rowing team collaborated to develop a new singlet for their participation in the 2014 Asian Games. A design process framework developed by LaBat and Sokolowski (1999. A three-stage design process applied to an industry-university textile product design project. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 17(1), 11–20) was adopted to facilitate the design process. The research team helped the rowing team to improve the garment fit, seaming and stitching, garment construction, and fabric options. To meet the high expectations of the rowing team, a tailor-made approach that involves using a 3D body scanner was adopted to achieve the individual fit preferences of each athlete.