• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.804-821
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• 2023

This study examines current trends and perceptions of veganism and vegan fashion in Korea, China, and the United States. Using big data tools Textom and Ucinet, we conducted cluster analysis between keywords. Further, frequency analysis using keyword extraction and CONCOR analysis obtained the following results. First, the nations' perceptions of veganism and vegan fashion differ significantly. Korea and the United States generally share a similar understanding of vegan fashion. Second, the industrial structures, such as products and businesses, impacted how Korea perceived veganism. Third, owing to its ongoing sociopolitical tensions, the United States views veganism as an ethical consumption method that ties into activism. In contrast, China views veganism as a healthy diet rather than a lifestyle and associates it with Buddhist vegetarianism. This perception is because of their religious history and culinary culture. Fundamentally, this study is meaningful for using big data to extract keywords related to vegan fashion in Korea, China, and the United States. This study deepens our understanding of vegan fashion by comparing perceptions across nations.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.148-163
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• 2024

With the digitalization of production and consumption environments, consumers are no longer merely targets of marketing, but key players in creating value jointly with companies by participating in various decision-making processes. Much virtual content in particular, such as fashion shows, exhibitions, games, social activities, and shopping, which fashion brands implement in virtual worlds, cannot be completed without consumers' active engagement and interaction. Thus, this study considers consumers' participation in virtual content provided by fashion brands as value co-creation in virtual worlds. This study aims to examine how consumer (i.e., consumer smartness) and fashion firm (i.e., perceived intellectual capital) factors influence value co-creation behavior intention in virtual worlds. Data were collected from 410 consumers in their 20s nationwide through an online survey, and a higher-order structural equation modeling analysis was conducted to test the research model. The results showed that both consumer smartness and perceived intellectual capital positively influenced customer participation behavior and citizenship behavior intentions. Specifically, perceived intellectual capital had a greater impact on value co-creation behavior in the virtual world than consumer smartness. The findings provide empirical evidence that the fashion firms' intangible assets and consumers' competence in the digital shopping environment encourage their intentions to co-create value in virtual worlds.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.73-84
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• 2020

Recently, there has been a change in consumer culture. The paradigm is changing from a consumption model that used to emphasize rationality to an ethical consumption model that focuses on sustainability. Such a change in consumption patterns has also been seen in the cosmetics industry, but studies to empirically assess this trend are incomplete. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to empirically identify the impact of ethical consumption proprieties on attitudes and purchasing intentions for ethical cosmetics. To achieve the aim of this study, 506 adult women residing in Korea were selected as subjects and surveyed. To identify the demographic characteristics of the study participants, a technical statistical analysis and frequency analysis were conducted. To check the validity and reliability of the measuring tools, an exploratory factor analysis was performed, and the Cronbach's α factor was calculated. The analysis method was analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 and the Amos 25.0 statistical analysis programs. The results of this study are as follows. First, ethical spending tendencies had a positive impact on attitudes toward ethical cosmetics. Specifically, interest in ethical issues, altruism, and business ethics perception have had a positive impact on attitudes toward ethical cosmetics. However, consumer effectiveness had no significant impact on attitudes toward ethical cosmetics. Second, attitudes toward ethical cosmetics had a positive effect on purchasing intentions. This study found that for the spread of ethical cosmetics and ethical consumption trends varied according to the age and that attitudes toward ethical cosmetics and differences in purchasing intentions should be kept in mind. It also showed that attitudes toward ethical cosmetics affect purchasing intentions. The results of this study suggested that the analysis of adult women, the main consumers of cosmetics, by age was meaningful for finding the factors for growth in the macroscopic ethical cosmetics industry and that the industry could raise its ethical awareness. If such tasks are systematically established, ethical cosmetics are thought to be able to actively solve social problems and lead a mature cosmetics industry.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.221-229
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• 2017

This study researched the needs of smart fashion items using energy harvesting for outdoor wearers and surveyed the application areas and design preferences for energy-harvesting systems based on outdoor activities. A total of 217 subjects were surveyed. Subjects who had at least 3 years of experience in outdoor activities were selected in order to increase the reliability of the research results. The survey investigated lifestyles based on outdoor activities, outdoor clothing and electronic equipment usage, purchase style, utilization plan, and design preference for energy-harvesting clothing and supplies. The results showed that 62.7% of the respondents had experience in outdoor activities for more than five years. 96.3% of the subjects carried electronic equipment, and 179 participants(82.5%) experienced discomfort due to battery consumption/dead batteries during outdoor activities. 78.4% were interested in smat fashion items using energy-harvesting technology, and the energy-conversion technology that was useful for outdoor activities was "kinetic energy"(74.7%). Participants showed a high preference for a detachable type(30.9%) and a city type(69.1%) that can be worn in outdoor activities as well as in general life. The preferred location of the electric power-charging device was the "Hem area of top garment"(35.9%), and the reason for this selection was that it was easy to operate and did not interfere with movement. The data from this paper can be used as a basis for product planning and product design for energy-harvesting apparel designers and supply developers for outdoor clothing.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.41 no.10 s.188
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• pp.185-198
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• 2003

Fashion is a field that responds sensitively to social and cultural atmospheres, brings about constant change due to consumer demand for new items in new fashion trends and in the latest design. The fashion industry tries to predict what kind of clothing the customers desires and produces fashion products according to trend information stated by fashion information services. This research analyses the relativity between the trends stated in the fashion information books and what consumer accept, and with this information find the application of trend information books in the planning of domestic woman's clothing. The used information books were based on Samsung Fashion Institute and Interfashion Planning, Inc. The 02/03 F/W season emphasized restoration-romantic, nostalgic mood themes. Fashion trend information and consumer acceptance condition tend to concentrate on trend themes given tv fashion information companies. In other words, $Sincere\;girl(39.04\%){\to}Frontier\;girl(34.92\%){\to}Dark\;lady(18.43\%){\to}Lady\;belle(7.59\%)$ in this order Also when looking into the consumer's wearing, no one theme appears by itself and the themes are mixed accordingly to one's lifestyle and sensibility. Accordingly fashion information organizations must provide precise fashion trends according to consumer sensibility & consumption and also compare trend information to consumer fashion trends each season. With this precise information the planned design plans will help the domestic fashion markets, which are gradually overrun by foreign brands, develop a unique and original fashion product that meets consumer sensitivity needs, and develop a new stepping stone for fashion companies and the relative fashion industry and furthermore contribute to the advancement of overseas markets.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.176-187
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• 2014

Although DIY(Do-It-Yourself) clothes are not popular in Korea, they continually reflect emerging DIY trends. Previous studies have approached the technical aspect of DIY clothes or have considered them only as an aspect of consumption tendencies. The purpose of this study is to look into online communities to investigate distinctive elements, which form the DIY clothing culture. Participant observation of texts and pictures from the online community's postings about DIY was conducted and used for the analysis. Research results showed that personal and social factors motivated DIY clothes. Personal motivations are comprised of factors such as practical creativity and personal enjoyment. Practical creativity occurred when someone wished to express aesthetics and personality in DIY clothes; personal enjoyment refers to the pleasure and utility that one feels when one makes DIY clothes. The social motivations were comprised of factors such as a desire to show off and to expand social exchanges. The desire to show off involved wearing DIY clothes and then finding satisfaction from reactions of people who notice it. The "expansion of exchanges" was not only about sharing information about DIY clothes in an online community but also about distributing or giving real goods (materials or tools for DIY clothes and finished goods) as gifts. Furthermore, some "DIYers" made DIY clothes sustainable by pursuing economic feasibility as an additional motivational factor. When they had expertise and commercial traits, they established businesses in the form of independent creative firms, transforming themselves from productive consumers to producers.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.128-145
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• 2010

Nowadays people are turning to have a more intimate environment-friendly lifestyles. In the clothing industry they are focusing on making products that are more human-friendly and not harmful to the environment. In the midst of the spread of consumption research is being done to develop manufacturing textiles that do not induce pollution. For instance, advantages of the natural textile fibers, cotton, silk, and ramie, have been newly recognized in terms of environment-friendliness, Together with these fibers, the natural high molecular materials, such as chitosan and hyaluronic acid, have found new roles in the application sectors of human-friendliness and environment-friendliness. Products using these substances and processing methods can make the products more wearable, have high sensitivity, make people feel aesthetic appreciation for the products, and make them appreciate the value of a more healthier environment. In a survey according to subjects in their 20s and 30s, their preferences towards their consciousness and awareness of the development of materials as well as their attitude towards environment-friendly products were determined as a conclusion. It was shown that consumers that are more conscious about the interest of the environment as well as the problems concerning the environment were more intent on buying products that were environmentally-friendly. Women have shown more active and positive attitudes towards the importance of the awareness of the environment in comparison with men. Generally, consumers in their 20s and 30s preferred the feel of materials that were less than 1% concentration process than those of materials that were 1% concentration process. To increase the "rustly" feeling of the materials, it was found that 1% concentration process was suitable for manufacturing.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.542-555
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• 2011

Internet shopping malls have rapidly developed within the economic recession due to changed lifestyle according to digitalization. Furthermore, customers in the 20~30s, the main consumer base of internet shopping malls in Korea, have begun to enjoy the new cultural trend of party culture, thus creating a new fashion market combining party and fashion. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze design characteristics of internet party-wear shopping malls to provide guidelines and to present basic data for design development of party-wear in internet shopping malls. Research method was used by combining literary research with empirical research of analyzing design by capturing pictures of internet party-wear shopping malls. The following conclusion was drawn from research results. First, Party-wear consumption of internet shopping malls is increasing along with the increased sales of clothing fashion products of internet shopping malls. Second, design analysis results regarding 11 internet shopping malls selling party-wear was presented that consumer emotion and trend were combined according to distinct characteristics to display romantic style, romantic style mixed with modern or casual characteristics, sexy, and etc. Third, dress was presented as the most common item with 52.3% in item analysis executed on 588 pictures captured in 11 shopping malls. Ribbon was shown as the most common detail and trimming item, with 28.7%, and corsage and frills were each presented as 13%.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.79-90
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• 2014

With the development of modern society, not only have the Internet and e-commerce been progressed but they also made 'consumption patten' diverse. Despite the internet clothing market growth, there is critical a disadvantage, which is consumers is not able to wear the products presented via online pictures. Thus, pictures on the internet are the only information customers can get, which has caused consciousness on the importance of dealing with 'customer review'. In spite of the fact that 'customer review' has undeniably evolved to be one of customers' essential requisites, the research on this subject is very limited. Until now, the studies on the internet shopping consumers' behavior mostly has to do with the features of 'customer review' such as 'a sense of exaggeration', 'usability', 'duality', 'purity', 'professionalism', 'reliability', and the 'similarity', etc.) Therefore, this study categorizes the characteristics of online shopping reviews to 'the number of reviews', 'the article-length', 'the existence of photos', 'the rewards for reviews', 'the contents of the reviews' and 'the freshness of the reviews' and reviews the impact of an features of 'customers' reviews' affecting the internet shopping sales promotion. Moreover, it is to contribute to the marketing strategies of a shopping mall by analyzing consumers' 'purchasing satisfaction', 'the intention of repurchasing', and 'the factors of viral marketing'.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.151-160
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• 2008

`Early adopters,` a term first used by Everett Rogers in 1957, refers to people who are among the first to try a new product and like to evaluate the product for others. Early adopters in the digital age of the 21st century, greatly influence others by exchanging information on products and writing product reviews on Internet boards. Technological products have recently been released in the fashion world to become important fashion items, and early adopters are active buyers of these products. The purpose of this study is to examine the values and characteristics of early adopters as consumers of technological fashion products, and present a standard for designing fashion products in the future. This study was based on documentary research, Internet research and in-depth interviews. Documentary research was carried out to examine the lifestyles, characteristics and consumption habits of early adopters. Internet research was done to understand the tendencies of Korean early adopters, and a total of 18 websites were studied in 7 product categories. The subjects of in-depth interviews were 6 people who were either webmasters or members of early adopter-related websites. IT field early adopters tended to pursue new technologies, and fashion early adopters placed importance on how well a person could express their own style. New, unique, useful and pretty were the key words to describe the tendencies of early adopters, and fashion early adopters preferred the latest contemporary styles. Interviewees placed most importance on price, design and function of products. Since IT related products are continuously being added on to clothes and becoming fashion products themselves, further research on technology-related fashion design would be significant.