Greenwood press

size
s
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
bust
b
30.5 31.5 32.5 34
36
38
40
42
waist
w
23
24
25
25.5
28
30
32
34
hips
h
32.5 33.5 34.5 36
38
40
42
44
A comparison of women’s dress sizes according to bust, waist, and hips 
(dimensions in inches).
The data can be generalized into a few linear relationships. The designer esti-
mates that a woman’s dress size is 
s ≈ 1.2w − 20. Furthermore, the other meas-
urements can be approximated with the linear relationships, 
b ≈ 1.1w + 5 and
h = b + 2, making the equations a reasonable predictor of all measurements and
sizes, including those that are not listed. These relationships allow manufactur-
ers to mass produce dresses and provide women with a general reference point
for clothing sizes. However, since women have different body types, dresses are
sometimes altered or designed in different ways to accommodate the needs of a
variety of consumers.
Linear models have also been used within political arenas to argue for legis-
lation. For example, the state of Florida had been confronted with the problem of
powerboat speeds along its waterways that affect the survival of the manatees,
which are very large but docile creatures that live in shallow water. Because they
swim on the surface and near shore, many manatees have been killed or injured
by blades of powerboats. Lobbyists concerned about the death of the manatees
were able to show a strong linear relationship between the number of their deaths
and the number of powerboat registrations for the years 1977 to 1990. The equa-
tion is Killed = 0.125 Powerboats
− 41.430, where Powerboats is the number of