• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.145-155
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to examine the university students' awareness and attitudes on functional clothing materials, and to explore the effects of subjects' characteristics on the relationship between their attitudes to and images of the functional clothing materials. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed to university students and 409 of which were used in data analysis. The data were statistically analyzed by frequency, factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, t-test, ANOVA. The results were as follows: students thought that the first and foremost 'function' of functional clothing materials is their light-weight. The functions that consumers practically demanded are water-repellency and high absorbency & quick drying. It showed that students have an image that functional clothing materials have special, good and satisfactory qualities. Goretex and Coolmax were the most selected as brands of functional clothing materials which students knew. Attitudes to functional clothing materials revealed positively in the cognitive, behavioral and affectional attitudes. The attitudes had no significant differences according to sex and their major, but they had significant differences by subjects' amount of allowance, frequency of sports participation and sports ability. In other words, the more amount of allowance they get, the more frequently students do exercise, and the higher sports ability they have, the more positive attitude they have. The study says, in conclusion, that their conception of functional clothing materials has positive relations with their attitudes toward them.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.764-775
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• 2020

Lifespans are increasing and many consumers are interested in health issues in these busy modern days, developing functional clothing that can be worn everyday is one of the competitive solutions in the oversaturated clothing market. When developing a new item with a fresh idea, it is important to look into prior art beforehand to avoid unnecessary intellectual property right-related disputes. This study investigates Korean domestic patents and utility models about functional clothing in terms of human body performance and health promotion in order to suggest essential data to relevant developers. We selected 324 patents and utility models and made an analysis according to the year, functions, applied technologies, frequency of claims, target wearers and item types. We found problems in current functional clothing patent application trends and suggested new aspects when developing innovative functional clothing items. Data was limited to Korean domestic patents; however, this study is still meaningful giving references to technology roadmaps and encouraging new intellectual property development.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.1814-1824
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the information search behavior in functional sportswear purchasing by clothing and sports concern variables. Functional sportswear means sportswear made of functional clothing materials. The information search behavior in this study included information sources, information seeking attributes, information search differences between when consumers buy functional sportswear and when they purchase nonfunctional sportswear, and information characteristics. For this purpose, 500 questionnaires had been distributed to university students and 409 of which were used in the study. For data analysis, frequency, reliability analysis, factor analysis, and t-test were used. The results were as follows: first, the friends showed to be the most effective information source of functional clothing materials sportswear and internet revealed to be the information source that made the most frequent use of. The experts appeared to be the most reliable information source. Second, the more the students were concerned about clothing and sports, the more important they considered information seeking attributes. Third, in the aspects of information search differences between when consumers bought functional sportswear and when they purchased nonfunctional sportswear, only sports concern variables showed to be significant. The last, regardless of clothing and sports concern variables, it was found that customers considered all the information characteristics important.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.184-193
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• 2016

This study investigates the recognition and preference of functional textile material about outdoor clothing widely used in the current fashion market. The study targeted 216 males and females in their 20s to 50s who wear outdoor clothing as casual wear. To analyze data, frequency analysis, cross tabulation analysis and ANOVA were conducted with the SPSS 21.0 statistical package. The results are as follows. First, recognition of functional textile material of outdoor clothing showed that 20s was the lowest preference and all age groups preferred lightweight textile material. In information recognition of functional outdoor clothing, 40s showed the highest recognition, while 20s showed the lowest recognition. Second, 40s and 50s preferred functional material to 20s and 30s. In particular, 40s and 50s preferred clothing items with water vapor permeability & water repellent material to 20s and 30s. All age groups preferred insulation material jumpers, water vapor permeability & water repellent material jumpers and stretch pants. Third, reasons for purchasing functional material clothing was: design for the age group 20s and 30s versus health and function for the age group 40s and 50s. It is necessary to develop functional clothing products based on exact consumer information and preferences.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.900-908
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• 2011

The volume of the functional clothing market is gradually growing in Korea. This study intended to identify the relationship among benefits sought in clothing, well-being health consciousness, age, and purchase intention of functional clothing. A survey data was collected from 380 male ranging from 20 to 59 years old and was analyzed SPSS 17.0. As a result, six clothing benefit factors were identified and labeled as attraction improvement, social position, figure flaw compensation, individuality, comfort, and economy. The influences of benefits sought in clothing on the purchase intention was found. Also well-being health consciousness and age moderated the effects of benefits sought in clothing on the purchase intention.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1004-1016
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• 2021

This study aims to derive the design requirements for functional clothing worn with military wearable robots using a survey of people with military experience. Specifically, 982 adult males with military and muscular exercise experience were surveyed for their demands for the clothing worn with wearable robots during military activities. The study showed that it is necessary to develop functional clothing worn inside robots suitable for frequent movements of soldiers to improve their comfort level of wearable robots. The surveyed soldiers indicated that they preferred the top and bottom clothing with high-pressure levels because the upper body felt fatigued during transportation, while both the upper and lower body got exhausted during marches. The survey of design requirements revealed that the participants preferred a top with long sleeves and a bottom with ankle-length leggings in color similar to current military uniforms. We conclude that it is important to design functional clothing worn inside wearable robots in different forms depending on frequent movements, e.g., with differentiated pressures and material placements.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1063-1075
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• 2010

Studying awareness, importance, satisfaction, and wearing behavior of functional textiles for active silver generation related with gender and age is expected to contribute to clothing products development to improve and maintain their health and marketing strategy fit for user characteristics. For empirical research, a survey was developed and the aged 50 and above were 332 respondents. The results of the study are as follows. First, silver generation considered all the clothing comfort sensations important when wearing clothes, such as tactile sensation, clothing pressure sensation, thermal/wet sensation, and motion sensation in human physiological aspect. Also, stretchy fabrics were ranked first in awareness, the number of wearing times, and satisfaction of comfort functional fabrics. More than 30% of silver generation have fifteen items out of 36 functional clothes. Second, in analysis of awareness by gender on functional clothing products, women were more aware of health/safety-oriented fabrics than men were. Otherwise, men had more knowledge about the water-related properties of functional fabrics than women have, such as water/moisture absorptive and water-repellent/vapor permeable fabrics. While women have more indoor casual wear, men had more active sportswear. Also, women expressed a strong preference to the stretchy function of fabrics.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2007

Ergonomic methods have been effectively applied to design and evaluation of functional clothing. The goals of the present study are to: (1) develop an ergonomic evaluation system for the systematic analysis of functional clothing and (2) examine the usefulness of the proposed evaluation system by applying to flame-proof clothing. Based on the survey of literature and the brainstorming of experts in clothing design and ergonomics, factors considered for clothing evaluation were selected, classified, and complemented, resulting in an ergonomic clothing evaluation system consisting of four factor categories (clothing construction, user, work and environment, and user response). Using the proposed system, a field survey and a laboratory experiment were conducted for flame-proof clothing to identify its design problems. The field survey to workers found a comprehensive set of problems on the flame-proof clothing design in terms of pattern, textile, and color. The laboratory experiment identified additional design problems using a questionnaire that was developed based on an analysis on the relationship between clothing design components and ergonomic evaluation measures. The present study showed the ergonomic evaluation system and the relationship analysis of clothing design components and ergonomic evaluation measures are of use to identify design problems of functional clothing in a comprehensive and analytic manner.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.971-978
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• 2014

This study investigates the developmental conditions of functional clothes for the elderly. First, preceding studies and relevant web sites were analyzed along with a survey of commercial functional elderly clothes in Korea. A KIPRIS patent information database was used to study registered and disclosed patents and utility models in order to analyze patent application trends in relevant fields. Patents were searched by year of application from 1990 to 2013. Keywords used for searching included 'senior, aged, and elderly'. Among collected data, overlapping and irrelevant data were excluded to select 162 cases for analysis. Details of analysis are annual patent application trends of functional elderly clothes, topic analysis, shape and characteristics. An examination of commercially available functional clothing products for the elderly indicated that most of products were developed in the form of inner wear or protective clothing for seniors who have bodily discomfort. An annual patent application of functional elderly clothes showed slight fluctuations; however, there was an overall increase. For patent topics, technologies related to secretion and excretion were the most at 47 cases total (29%), followed by 23 cases (14%) on biometric information technology. However, the development of relevant technologies seems necessary in the future as therapeutic function and fiber technologies gradually stagnate.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1839-1852
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• 2009

This study investigates the effects of benefits pursued to clothing on the purchase intention of wellbeing oriented apparel products (eco-friendly and health-functional apparel). Data were collected from a total of 251 Korean females ranging from 20 to 50 years old and analyzed by SEM. Pragmatic benefit positively affected but aesthetical benefits negatively affected the purchase intention of eco-friendly apparel and health-functional apparel. The social benefit influenced the purchase intention of health-functional apparel but did not influence the purchase intention of eco-friendly apparel.