• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.203-216
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• 2018

This study explores sustainability education in textile and apparel (T&A) programs in U.S. higher education institutions. Specifically, the researchers study whether more courses with sustainability focus are offered in higher-ranked institutions and explore whether sustainability is taught more in specific T&A related subject fields. Content analysis was conducted for 3,200 courses found in online course catalogs or the course information sites of 69 institutions. Institutions were selected from the 2015 rankings of the top 50 fashion design and top 50 fashion merchandising schools in the US on www.fashion-schools.org. All cases were coded by two coders with a Cohen's Kappa score of 97.5%, indicating good interrater reliability. Coded data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and t-tests. The findings show that sustainability is being integrated into the curricula and across courses of T&A programs in the U.S. Over half of the institution surveyed offered at least one sustainability embedded course. Higher ranked institutions provided more sustainability-related courses than power-ranked institutions. A natural match between the subject field and specific sustainability theme was observed (e.g., cultural diversity in history/culture and social psychology/education; recycle/reuse in textile science; sustainability in fashion design; social responsibility and ethics in industry/consumer). The need to introduce sustainability in courses holistically is discussed, whereby sustainability within the industry supply chain is examined in a connected way.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.634-643
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• 2009

The aim of this study was investigating the consumers' and apparel firm worker's awareness and reliability of the environmental friendly textile materials. The subjects of the questionnaire survey were general consumers(n=235) and workers at Korean apparel firms(n=236). The questionnaire was developed to measure the awareness and reliability on nine environmental friendly textile materials. The results showed that general consumers had a higher reliability on the function of the environmental friendly materials but had a lower awareness than the workers at the apparel firms. Women and subjects, who experienced in purchasing the environmental friendly products, had higher awareness and reliability of the environmental friendly textile materials than others. The workers at apparel firms had higher awareness of the environmental friendly textile materials than the general consumers, but the reliability on the function of the materials was relatively low. The reliability and awareness differed by the firms' major products and their jobs. The workers at the children's clothing firms and sportswear firms had higher level of awareness about the environmental friendly textile than the workers at the casual-wear firms. The workers' awareness on environmental friendly textile materials was differentiated by their jobs. The product developers and material buyers had higher awareness on the environmental friendly textiles compare to the workers of the sales or marketing division. These results imply that promoting environmental friendly textile material to the sales person is needed in order to increase the sales volume of the products.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.731-740
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• 2015

Mobile (smartphone) search engine marketing is increasingly important. Accordingly, the development of visual apparel search technology to obtain easier and faster access to visual information in the apparel field is urgently needed. This study helps establish a proper classifying system for an apparel search after an analysis of search techniques for apparel search applications and existing domestic and overseas apparel sites. An annotation technique is developed in accordance with visual attributes and apparel categories based on collected data obtained by web crawling and apparel images collecting. The categorical composition of apparel is divided into wearing, image and style. The web evaluation site traces the correlations of the apparel category and apparel factors as dependent upon visual attributes. An appraisal team of 10 individuals evaluated 2860 pieces of merchandise images. Data analysis consisted of correlations between apparel, sleeve length and apparel category (based on an average analysis), and correlation between fastener and apparel category (based on an average analysis). The study results can be considered as an epoch-making mobile apparel search system that can contribute to enhancing consumer convenience since it enables an effective search of type, price, distributor, and apparel image by a mobile photographing of the wearing state.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.31-51
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• 2013

Hawaiian textile art has inspired artists and fashion designers worldwide and accounts for the high value of vintage Hawaiian apparel as collectibles. Other than tropical designs, a large portion of the textile art showcased the ethnic diversity of Hawai'i. In the 1800s, Hawai'i attracted immigrants from all over Asia, and the majority of Hawaii's residents today claim Asian ethnicity. This ethnic mix was made visible in textiles, a trend championed by Alfred Shaheen, an apparel manufacturer who loved Asian designs. He was committed to the celebration of cultural diversity at a time when Hawai'i was rapidly westernizing. The team of Asian textile artists he led created textile designs based on motifs and imagery from Asia. Shaheen's passionate vision led to the unique textiles produced in the 'golden age' of Hawaiian textiles, from 1940 through the 1960s. Alfred Shaheen has been called "Hawaii's Master Printer" and has been credited for turning Hawaiian textiles into art. The author's interviews with Mr. Shaheen were conducted over a decade, and form the basis for this paper in which Shaheen's own words are used to discuss his use of textile art in the transformation of the Hawaiian textiles and garment industry.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.188-196
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• 2007

Fashion business is undergoing a severe competition because of the various consumers' needs, over production, and short product life styles. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of personalization in apparel shopping. Characterizing the notion of the personalization typology, investigating the effect of personalization to different consumers, and providing useful issues to draw more target consumers are to be accessed. For empirical research a survey method was employed. A measure for personalization in apparel shopping was developed based in existing scale items and pilot study. Consumers responded highly on design personalization in shopping apparel products. Factor analysis extracted six dimensions of apparel product personalization. Six types of personalization were: "personalized advice", "personalized design choice", "personalized fit", "sales-promotion personalization", "personalized costomer relationship management" and "in-store personalization".

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.303-311
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• 2007

The apparel market is extremely competitive and thus apparel manufacturers should try to maximize consumer satisfaction with cost-efficient but consumer-oriented strategies. Personalized strategies considering each consumer's characteristics have to be developed. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of consumers' characteristics on personalization strategies of apparel brands. Investigating personalization based on consumers' values and demographic characteristics will allow apparel manufacturers to attract target consumers. A survey method was used for the empirical study. Questionnaires from 420 respondents were analyzed using factor analysis, cluster, t-test, and ANOVA. The results indicated a significant influence of consumer values on customer service-related aspects of personalization. Female consumers demanded product- and information-oriented factors of personalization. Age, residential area, and clothing expense also had significant influence on the need for personalization of apparel shopping.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.338-346
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• 2010

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate consumers' narcissistic orientation group and apparel products benefits sought. The data were collected from 272 female consumers in Pusan, Daegu and Ulsan. The aforementioned were analyzed utilizing frequency, factor analysis, cluster analysis, MANOVA using SPSS Win 12.0. The results were as follows. First, cluster analysis on narcissism orientation identified four groups such as non-narcissism group, high narcissism group, privilege conscious group and achievable desire conscious group. Second, the groups related to their apparel products benefits sought were high narcissism group and privilege conscious group. There were significantly differences between the groups and apparel products benefits sought such as social prestige, impressive improvement and personality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.31 no.9_10
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• pp.1442-1452
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• 2007

During 40 years, clothing industry which took a charge of a pivotal role to lead Korea's economy development falls in a harsh state to maintain an international competitiveness by means of low wage-based-export and tech-deficit-past competitive advantage. From January first 2005 when the World Trade Organization started that developed countries abolished import quota on textile and apparel products. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze Korea's apparel international market share, grasp Korea's apparel international competitiveness position, and examine the export features to enhance international competitiveness. We targeted members of Korea Apparel Industry Association among the 500's exporters of textile and clothing items in 'The Import and Export Textile Product 2003' Total 70 sheets were used of final data analyzing. Also, the statistical data of WTO wereselected for inquiry about the position of international competitiveness of clothing products made in Korea. First, the comparative analysis of the amount of export and international market share of each country's clothing products to capture the position of Korea's international competitiveness of clothing industry under the statistical data of WTO showed that Korea's international market share has been decreasing since 1989, and ranked in the 19th showing 1.31% in 2004. Second, as concerned with Korea's clothing export features, the experience of clothing companies in Korea was uniformly distributed like less than 10 to 30 and more than 30 years and knitted and woven male and female wears which cost mid price were exported to U.S.A. and Europe and Japan. Export items wereusually manufactured by Original Equipment Manufacturing way and directly exported through an exclusive responsible part for export.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.19 no.1 s.43
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• pp.149-162
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• 2007

Fashion industry that is apparel of the latest textile industry become the center and it is universal inclination that addend value of design is high more and our country apparel industry is accelerating change by life culture industry of the high added value center. Differentiation of goods, high added value anger can be required by activation of professional manpower for strengthening competitiveness of domestic apparel field, and it is design to be texture another thing can raise this. Specific education to train able member of society based on these actual conditions grasping society actual conditions in present age that is specialized and diversifies and atomizes should be achieved. Hereupon, we have researched over current education status about domestic textile related courses and come to a conclusion described below. Domestic textile related courses are offering mostly in weaving and staining as major subjects, therefore distinguished character of each university can not be found. However, in comparison of importance between theoretical courses and practical courses, theoretical courses are gradually considered more importantly And the number of courses about commodity and operation is steadily increasing compared to those of design element. Nevertheless, for the concept of creativity as design education ever been pursuing by experiment and practice, we are also required to keep close relationship with industry as well as making efforts to reduce differences between college education and practical business. In addition, textile related colleges also need to be armed with more professional knowledge in odor to provide their students not only with more job opportunities but also with chances for self-development.

• Fashion Information and Technology
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• v.3
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• pp.13-23
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• 2006