• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.183-196
• /
• 1996

The purposes of this study were to review the effects of textiles production on the environment, and to investigate the environmental consciousness and environmental preservation behavior of textile producers. This study was conducted by reference analysis and empirical research. To develope theoretical framework of dimensions of environmental behavior, references concerned were analyzed. And for empirical study, researcher developed a questionnaire based on the free writing by producers and references. The questionnaire included problems about environmental consciousness, environmental behavior, demographic variables, and environmental variables. 135 questionnaires were used for final data analysis. ANOVA and factor analysis were used. The results were as follows: First, the level of global environmental problem consciousness was relatively high. The conscious level of water pollution caused by the waste water from textile mills was the highest, and that of desertation of mountain caused by timber cutting was the lowest. The effects of textile dyers and finishers on the environment were the highest, and that of designers were the lowest. Second, the results of reference analysis showed that the dimensions of textile producers environmental behavior were resource and energy saving, solid waste reduction, and green product production. And the results of empirical study were resource and energy saving, resource reuse or recycling, solid waste reduction, and green product production, and total variances was 62.3%. The practice was the lowest. Third, global environment problem consciousness, environment problem consciousness caused by the textile life-cycle concerned, and clothing seperate-collection or not at residing place were effective on environmental behavior, and 52.45% of environmental behavior was explained with above variables.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.6 no.5
• /
• pp.613-617
• /
• 2004

The intent of this study was to determine whether different light exposure could modify the clothing behavior in the evening cold environment or not. Nine female subjects volunteered to this study. In a bright light or a dim light condition, light intensity was controlled 3000 lx or 10 lx respectively. Subjects were introduced to wear various kinds of garments whenever they need to feel comfortable as the room temperature began to decrease. The room temperature was lowered from $30^{\circ}C$ to $15^{\circ}C$ for one hour (21:00 h~22:00 h) and maintained at $15^{\circ}C$ for additional one hour (22:00 h~23:00 h). Subjects stayed in chamber from 08:00 to the next day 07:00. Clothing behavior, core temperature, subjective temperature sensation and melatonin secretion were measured. Most subjects put on the clothing more quickly and more thickerly in the bright light rather than in the dim light condition. The fall of core temperature during night was significantly less under the bright light in the late afternoon, suggesting that the set-point of core temperature has been set at a higher level during the evening and the night, being supported by the less amount of melatonin secretion. Thus, it is concluded that the quicker dressing behavior with thicker clothing in the "Bright" condition is advantageous in evening cold exposure, since it enables the core temperature to reach its set-point value more easily.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.51-52
• /
• 2003

In order to understand the buffering behavior of hygroscopic fabric under subzero conditions, microclimates of the wool and PET clothing system were measured and compared. Vertical type Man-Clothing-Environment simulator was used to measure the microclimate at the environmental temperature of -10$^{\circ}C$. Buffering capacity was quantified by calculating from the depth and width of the hyperbolic curve of the graph. Hydrophilic wool fabrics showed better buffering capacity at the transient state than hydrophobic PET fabrics; which is attributed to the heat of sorption.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.59-69
• /
• 2010

Green or an environmental consciousness has been a major issue for businesses and government offices, as well as consumers, worldwide. In response to this movement, the Korean government announced, in the early 2000s, the era of "Green Growth" as a way to encourage green-related business activities. The Korean fashion industry, in various levels of involvement, presents diverse eco-friendly products as a part of the green movement. These apparel products include organic products and recycled clothing. For these companies to be successful, they need information about who are the consumers who consider green issues (e.g., environmental sustainability) as part of their personal values when making a decision for product purchase, use, and disposal. These consumers can be considered as eco-sumers. Previous studies have examined consumers' purchase intention for or with eco-friendly products. In addition, studies have examined influential factors used to identify the eco-sumers or green consumers. However, limited attention was paid to eco-sumers' disposal or recycling behavior of clothes in comparison with their green product purchases. Clothing disposal behaviors are ways that consumer can get rid of unused clothing and in clue temporarily lending the item or permanently eliminating the item by "handing down" (e.g., giving it to a younger sibling), donating, exchanging, selling, or simply throwing it away. Accordingly, examining purchasing behaviors of eco-friendly fashion items in conjunction with clothing disposal behaviors should improve understanding of a consumer's clothing consumption behavior from the environmental perspective. The purpose of this exploratory study is to provide descriptive information about Korean eco-sumers who have ecologically-favorable lifestyles and behaviors when buying and disposing of clothes. The objectives of this study are to (a) categorize Koreans on the basis of clothing disposal behaviors; (b) investigate the differences in demographics, lifestyles, and clothing consumption values among segments; and (c) compare the purchase intention of eco-friendly fashion items and influential factors among segments. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on previous studies. The questionnaire included 10 items of clothing disposal behavior, 22 items of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) characteristics, and 19 items of consumption values, measured by five-point Likert-type scales. In addition, the purchase intention of two eco-friendly fashion items and 11 attributes of each item were measured by seven-point Likert type scales. Two polyester fleece pullovers, made from fabric created from recycled bottles with the PET identification code, were selected from one Korean brand and one US imported brand among outdoor sportswear brands. A brief description of each product with a color picture was provided in the survey. Demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, marital status, education level, income, occupation) were also included. The data were collected through a professional web survey agency during May 2009. A total of 600 final usable questionnaires were analyzed. The age of respondents ranged from 20 to 49 years old with a mean age of 34 years. Fifty percent of the respondents were males and about 58% were married, and 62% reported having earned university degrees. Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to identify the underlying dimensions of the clothing disposal behavior scale, and three factors were generated (i.e., reselling behavior, donating behavior, non-recycling behavior). To categorize the respondents on the basis of clothing disposal behaviors, k-mean cluster analysis was used, and three segments were obtained. These consumer segments were labeled as 'Resale Group', 'Donation Group', and 'Non-Recycling Group.' The classification results indicated approximately 98 percent of the original cases were correctly classified. With respect to demographic characteristics among the three segments, significant differences were found in gender, marital status, occupation, and age. LOHAS characteristics were reduced into the following five factors: self-satisfaction, family orientation, health concern, environmental concern, and voluntary service. Significant differences were found in the LOHAS factors among the three clusters. Resale Group and Donation Group showed a similar predisposition to LOHAS issues while the Non-Recycling Group presented the lowest mean scores on the LOHAS factors compared to the other segments. The Resale and Donation Groups described themselves as enjoying or being satisfied with their lives and spending spare-time with family. In addition, these two groups cared about health and organic foods, and tried to conserve energy and resources. Principal components factor analysis generated clothing consumption values into the following three factors: personal values, social value, and practical value. The ANOVA test with the factors showed differences primarily between the Resale Group and the other two groups. The Resale Group was more concerned about personal value and social value than the other segments. In contrast, the Non-Recycling Group presented the higher level of social value than did Donation Group. In a comparison of the intention to purchase eco-friendly products, the Resale Group showed the highest mean score on intent to purchase Product A. On the other hand, the Donation Group presented the highest intention to purchase for Product B among segments. In addition, the mean scores indicated that the Korean product (Product B) was more preferable for purchase than the U.S. product (Product A). Stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the influence of product attributes on the purchase intention of eco product. With respect to Product A, design, price and contribution to environmental preservation were significant to predict purchase intention for the Resale Group, while price and compatibility with my image factors were significant for the Donation Group. For the Non-Recycling Group, design, price compatibility with the factors of my image, participation to eco campaign, and contribution to environmental preservation were significant. Price appropriateness was significant for each of the three clusters. With respect to Product B, design, price and compatibility with my image factors were important, but different attributes were associated significantly with purchase intention for each of the three groups. The influence of LOHAS characteristics and clothing consumption values on intention to purchase Products A and B were also examined. The LOHAS factor of health concern and the personal value factor were significant in the relationships with the purchase intention; however, the explanatory powers were low in the three segments. Findings showed that each group as classified by clothing disposal behaviors showed differences in the attributes of a product, personal values, and the LOHAS characteristics that influenced their purchase intention of eco-friendly products. Findings would enable organizations to understand eco-friendly behavior and to design appropriate strategic decisions to appeal eco-sumers.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.511-525
• /
• 2014

This study set out to investigate consumers' attitudes toward pro-environment, and their actual purchasing behavior. It aimed to empirically examine the effects of the consumers' attitudes toward pro-environmental products, the importance of the product attributes and the perceived value of the companies' environmental activities, on their purchasing behavior of eco-friendly fashion products, including their satisfaction, trust, and repurchase intention. The questionnaires were administered on 304 married women with previous experience of buying eco-friendly fashion products. The results were as follows. First, the consumers' behavioral patterns in terms of environmental concerns and the purchasing of eco-friendly household items were significantly positive in relation to the purchasing behaviors of eco-friendly fashion products. Second, the importance of eco-friendly attributes was significantly positive in relation to the purchasing behaviors of eco-friendly fashion products. Third, the perceived value of corporate environmental activity was not related to the purchasing behaviors of eco-friendly fashion products. Finally, the purchasing behavior of eco-friendly fashion products was significantly positive in relation to the satisfaction with eco-friendly fashion products as well as the trust and repurchase intention, and satisfaction and trust positively affected the repurchase intention. The implication of the research and direction for future study were discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.395-410
• /
• 2010

This qualitative research on women in multi-cultural families aims to analyze their clothing weight, habit, management and purchasing of clothing as well as their children's in order to provide fundamental data or literature for their adjustment in Korean clothing culture and health management. The research was conducted by interviews to eleven married foreign women with nationality of various climates, and subsequently by categorical analysis and subject analysis. The final outcome in terms of subjects included 'heating/cooling system as to environmental temperature', 'scope of climate adaptation differences in the amount of clothing', 'sleepwear and bedding' and 'clothing purchasing behaviour'. The empirical survey showed that those who came from colder regions or warmer regions had difficulties adjusting to the climate. And their clothing weight & clothing habits, originated from their home countries, were found to be kept stable and to be systematically transferred to their children as well. When it comes to sleepwear and bedding, the women seemed to be less interested in them than normal outerwear, but they tended to like to cover the belly of their babies while they didn't have sufficient nightwear for themselves. And shopping and management of clothing were another area with differences between those women and Korean ones. These results imply that further research on the multicultural families, in particular on their clothing behavior, and on changeability of the behaviour through education or through evolution is needed.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.568-577
• /
• 2023

This study examined how middle-aged female consumers' environmental consciousness influences their attitudes and ethical purchasing behavior toward RUR (recycling, upcycling, and reuse) knit products. The research employs a survey method, targeting 30-40 year old women residing in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province. On-line and off-line data collection were conducted. The following conclusions emerged through statistical analyses, including factor analysis, cluster analysis, t-test, and regression analysis. Firstly, respondents' environmental consciousness variables were classified into two factors, delineating high and low environmental consciousness clusters, demonstrating significant differences between them. Secondly, the high environmental consciousness cluster exhibited more positive consumer attitudes and ethical purchasing behavior towards RUR knit products. Moreover, it was established that environmental pollution consciousness and eco-friendly product purchase consciousness influenced environmental consciousness on consumer attitudes and ethical purchasing behavior. Lastly, the study confirmed that consumer attitudes mediated environmental consciousness and ethical purchasing behavior. In conclusion, this research establishes a meaningful link between environmental consciousness, consumer attitudes, and ethical purchasing behavior in 30-40 year old women. Environmentally conscious groups positively influence attitudes toward RUR knitted fashion and promote ethical purchasing behavior. Consequently, it is recommended that knit fashion companies prioritize environmental consciousness and eco-friendly products in their marketing strategies. Furthermore, diversifying the application of RUR knit products, coupled with eco-friendly production techniques, can amplify their appeal and utility, ensuring a positive impact on consumer behavior.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.12 no.7
• /
• pp.159-167
• /
• 2021

The increasingly severe environmental problems such as resource depletion and ecological damage, and consumers' concern for sustainable fashion, make the fashion industry chain develop towards green energy saving. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitude and consumption psychology of specific groups towards sustainable fashion consumption, as well as their specific views and attitudes towards recycled textiles or fabrics for re-manufacturing clothing. This paper attempts to understand how the characteristics of recycled clothing affect consumer. Based on the review of relevant literature, a series of determinants affecting consumer behavior is determined, and the characteristics of recycled products, such as expression value and social value, are determined. An online questionnaire was designed based on this conceptual framework, and 226 valid, complete answers were received. The results show that the emphasis on social value and environmental protection consciousness can effectively affect consumers' decision-making. These findings were helpful to the research of whole green environmental protection and ecological clothing recycling industry system, promote the sustainable development of the clothing industry.

• Journal of Fashion Business
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.82-93
• /
• 2022

Sustainability is a significant change that fashion industry has undergone. Marketers and brands are looking for guidance in green advertising to most effectively motivate consumers to purchase sustainable fashion products. This study aims to reveal environmental and cultural sustainability claims on message credibility and purchase intention regarding product trendiness. We performed mediation and moderation analyses, using a 2 (sustainability message: environmental and cultural) × 2 (product design: classic vs. trendy) between-subjects experimental design. The PROCESS MACRO was used for the analysis. Results indicate that environmental claim must appear credible to consumers to motivate them to purchase a product. On the other hand, cultural claim, with and without credibility, affected consumer's purchase intention. Moreover, cultural claim and trendy design together influenced message credibility and purchase intention, showing a moderated mediation effect. The study indicates that brands should broaden their perspective regarding sustainability by considering cultural factors when providing sustainability claims. Environmental claim should be clear and transparent to avoid green skepticism. Also, it is important to focus on product's design aspect: making trendy designs. It is difficult to change consumer behavior based only on sustainability value. Thus, brands must coney their consideration of design trends. Theoretical and managerial implications also are discussed.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.336-348
• /
• 2016

This study was executed to deduce the factors affecting eco-friendly behaviors and attitudes, to analyse the difference of eco-friendly behaviors and attitudes between countries, and to draw the variables affecting clothing recycling behavior. The sample comprised people from the UK, China, South Korea. The results were as follows. The four factors related to eco-friendly behaviors and the five factors related to eco-friendly attitudes were derived from the results of factor analysis. In the case of eco-friendly behaviors, four eco-friendly behavior factors showed a significant difference all according to gender and country. In the case of eco-friendly attitudes, saving of natural resources for eco-friendly life, recycling for eco-friendly life, and individual preference for eco-friendly life showed a significant according to gender, also recycling for eco-friendly life, individual preference for eco-friendly life, social awareness for eco-friendly life, and company's awareness for eco-friendly life showed a significant difference according to country. All of the variables related to clothing recycling behaviors showed the significant difference according to gender and countries. It was verified that the stronger the behaviors or attitudes for waste recycling and environmental protection, individual preference for eco-friendly life, saving of natural resources, buying eco-friendly products, and separate collection for recycling, the more positive the action to clothing recycling. The results of this study will be helpful to establish a marketing strategy for each country and to deduce a plan to attract clothing recycling form people.