• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.294-303
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• 2012

This study was designed to develop air force mechanic parka, evaluate it, and ultimately provide functionally superior parka to the air force. The development process was 1) conducting a survey, 2) identifying problems and shortcomings of currently-supplied parkas, and 3) improving the design, pattern and materials. The newly-developed parkas were evaluated in terms of their ease of fit, clothing mobility, and insulation. Ease of fit was evaluated by subjects' sensory tests, and clothing mobility was by fitness-for-motion tests and range-of-motion tests using a Goniometer. Evaluation on insulation was conducted by thermal manikins. Findings of this study were as follows: 1. In the subjective evaluation on clothing mobility, new parkas were considered to have sufficient ease of fit while previous ones scored much lower, confirming the improvement of the new version. 2. Both subjective tests and ROM measurements on fitness for motion verified the superiority of the new parkas. 3. Insulation tests found that although insulation capability of newly-developed parkas was at a similar level to those of the previous ones, their insulation capability per unit weight was superior, demonstrating that new parkas were better at blocking heat conduction. When making changes in parka patterns and designs to enhance the mobility, it was necessary to maintain the insulation function. The new parkas developed by this study was verified to be superior to the previous ones in their insulation and clothing mobility.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.759-768
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• 2011

This study is designed to understand current wearing conditions of air force mechanic parkas and evaluate their functionality by examining the wearing conditions and wearers' subjective assessment. By doing so, it also intends to identify issues that require improvements; and to provide basic data for future development of air force mechanic parkas. A survey was conducted as a study methodology, and the collected 1,628 questionnaires were analyzed. Findings of this study are as follows. 1. In the usability assessment, it was found that visibility of body sides was needed to be enhanced since reflective tapes were attached only to the front and back of the body; pockets were too big, but not convenient to keep mechanic tools; the design of hiding hood was not suitable for water-proof clothing; and a new design of size-controllable hood was called for since the hood blocked eye sight. With respect to the fabric, dissatisfaction was identified with durability, cold-proof and fire-proof features. 2. In the mobility assessment, respondents showed low satisfaction with collar heights and neck girths. Mobility score was over moderate level on average, except the parka length that obstructs wearers' movement, and neck and collar size. 3. In the wearability assessment, respondents presented moderate satisfaction with pleasantness, weight, pressure and dampness. However, insulation was found unsatisfactory. Based on the result, this study proposed improvement plans on design, pattern and fabric; and is expected to serve as basic data for developing more effective and functional air force mechanic parkas.