• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.13 no.6 s.59
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• pp.934-945
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the content and presentation style of consumer information of Korean young casual apparel brand. To collect the data for this study, the representative 25 casual brand web sites were selected, based on major search engines. In addition, to investigate exact product information, four product categories, knit shirts and casual pants for men and women, were selected and the number of products was limited as maximum 15 products per each category. A coding instrument was developed to capture the consumer information, based on the instrument by Park and Stoel(2002). The Pretest was conducted to gauge inter-coder reliability and the results showed that inter-coder reliability was highly acceptable. The results of this study were as follows. Most casual brand web sites for this study were presented well in brand and customer service information. Especially, many web sites provided various engaging information such as various events(best dresser contest, date with a star, special gift) and useful multimedia file(MP3 music file, screen saver, movie, calender). However, product information was very lack in most web sites. Especially, sizing and fitting information and textile and fabric hand information were rarely provided. Therefore, this result showed that the web sites should provide more specific product information and develop devices to get tactile sensory and experiential information for enhancement of future e-commerce of apparel products.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.32-40
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• 2007

American trendy casual styles can be characterized as fitted to body and rendering sexy and fashionable images and now very popular in Korea. This paper aims to identify diffusion channels of Amreican trendy casual style among Korean market and the characteristics of imitation for American trendy casual styles made by Korean casual brands. American trendy casual style was introduced and diffused mainly through 3 channels: American films and TV dramas, on-line communities, on-line shopping mall speciallized for purchasing American apparel brands. Some of American celebrities became fashion ikons and played critical roles in diffusing American trendy styles. After searching websites and fashion magazines and visiting brand stores, several Korean casual brands imitated the styles of American trendy casual brands and the scope of imitation was vast across items. Imitation was found mainly among T-shirts,jacket, jumper, pants, skirt and accessaries. Also imitation was found in almost every aspects of clothes such as shape, sihlouette, color, prints and stitching, belt, and drawstring.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1040-1050
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• 1995

The Purposes of this study were to investigate the choice dimensions in purchasing the medium-low priced casual clothing, the influence of them on the preference of medium-low priced casual clothing, and the brand images of six medium-low priced casual clothing using the perceptual map. The Questionnaires were administered to 540 college students living in Seoul (340) and County of Chungnam(200). The data were analyzed by frequency, factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results were summarized as follows: 1) The choice dimensions in purchasing the medium-low price casual clothing were identified as exclusiveness/style, intrinsic characteristics, promotion and price/distance. 2) Exclusiveness/style dimension influenced most on the preference of medium-low priced casual, intrinsic characteristics, price/distance dimension were followed. Promotion dimension appeared to have an insignificant influence. These results were consistent in both Seoul and the County of Chungnam. 3) Perceptual mapping showed Hunt and J-vim had the best brand images, Maypole and Omphalos were followed. Tipi Cosi and I-land appeared to have the worst brand image. The college students living in the County of Chungnam perceived that all six brands of medium low priced casual clothing to be exclusive in their style. In addition, it was perceived less promoted, more expensive and farther than Seoul counterparts.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.167-175
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• 2016

Brand personality is the human-like traits of brands that consumers can use to identify brands. Despite the importance of brand personality, there has been limited research about it in Korea recently, especially for casual apparel brands. Considering the changes in lifestyle and the increasing popularity of leasure activities in Korea, it is important to analyze the brand personality of casual brands for understanding Korean consumers. This study aimed to analyze the brand personalities of eight well-known casual brands in Korea, and to investigate the relationship between the brand personalities and brand preference. Specifically, this study questioned whether the similarity in brand personalities leads to similar patterns of preference for the brands. The eight brands were carefully selected so that they can well represent the diversity in the dimensions of perceived brand personality, while also being well-known to the participants of the survey. Factor analysis of the data from the survey of Korean university students yielded five factors of brand personality: liveliness, high class, ordinariness, rationality, and reliability. The eight brands showed significant difference across the five factors. Multidimensional scaling analyses of the brands were conducted based on the similarity in brand personality and brand preference respectively. The result showed significant difference in the relative distribution of the eight brands in the two-dimensional space of the analyses.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.1367-1377
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• 2001

Cousumers developed self-image through clothing symbolic product for reveal one’self image. When consumers select particular brand of various brand in the market that congruent with one’self image. They have to continue image. In this purpose, the research model was constituted and the questionnaire was made, reviewing preceding studies on self-image, shopping orientation. As for the method of the research, 635 female consumers were the object for the data of this research. The major results of this were as follows: 1. The factor or real self-image was composed of four factors: the refined and deluxe image, casual and simple image, decorous and dressy image, quiet and feminine image. 2. The consumer with real self-image were classified three groups: the group of feminine and dressy image 288 persons, the group of casual image 167 persons and poor image 171 persons. In the consumer’s classified real purchasing brand-image the group of feminine and dressy image was given higher score at feminine and refined and deluxe image, the group of casual image was given higher score at casual and active. 3. The factor of shopping orientation was composed of four factors: pleasant, planned, loyal, recreational shopping orientation. The group of feminine and dressy image was given higher score at pleasant and planned shopping orientation, the group of casual image was given lower score loyal and confident shopping orientation than the other group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1096-1106
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• 1996

This study was to identify the dimensions of consumers' attitudes toward imported casual brands. Another objectives were to examine consumers' attitude according to the preference group, and to ascertain the imported casual brand images. The 55 Likert type questions were selected through the results of self-questionnaire analyses. 520 females aged between 20 to 29 in Pusan responded to the second questionnaire of consumers' attitudes and brand images toward imported casual brands. The results were as follows: 1. For final factor analysis, 56 selected from 85 questions were subjected to the principal component analyses with orthogonal rotation after extraction of 5 major factors. 2. Five dimensions are brand's uniqueness and good quality, high prestige, incongruity with native emotion and ethnocentrism, conspicuous consumption, and reasonable purchasing advantages. These factors explained 45.0% of total variance. 3. Five dimensions were different according to the degree of preference. For preference group, they purchased the imported casual brands by uniqueness, good quality and reasonable purchasing advantages. For non-preference group, they disliked the imported brands by incongruity with native emotion, ethnocentrism, and conspicuous consumption. 4. Preference group had 5.47, whereas non-preference group had 1.76 pieces of imported casual brands for this 2 years. This result suggests that to develop the domestic brands with international uniqueness, good quality, and high prestige, and to improve according to preference group are necessary.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.630-640
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate and make comparison of clothing images presented in women's formal and casual brands. The data were collected from 39 formal brands out of 155 and 64 casual brands out of 256 in Korea Fashion Brand Annual in 2005/2006. 316 words selected were classified into five clothing images according to the definition of previous researches and analyzed according to age ranges and price zones of brands. The results were as follows: 1) Formal brands focused on thirties and forties in age ranges and better and prestige in price zones, while casual brands centered on twenties in age range and better and volume in price zones. 2) Luxury, modem and feminine were more frequent words than others both in formal and casual brands, but elegant was found most frequently in formal brands, while comfortable, chic and simple were found frequently in casual brands. 3) Clothing images were classified into four types and appeared in elegance, modernity, individuality, and activeness order in formal brands, while clothing images in casual brands were classified into five types including youthfulness and appeared in elegance, activeness, modernity, individuality, and youthfulness order. 4) Elegance was a highly presented as clothing image in all the age ranges except thirties of formal brands but modernity and activeness with elegance were presented in price zones of casual brands. This study found that there were differences in clothing images in women's formal and casual brands.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.156-166
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• 2011

This study investigated the casual jacket design preferences of women aged 50s and 60s and suggested a prototype design for functional clothing. All age groups liked the casual jacket with a length between the waist and hip, a convertible collar, and a single-breasted design. Those in their 50s preferred fitted or semi-fitted casual jackets while those in their 60s preferred semi-fitted casual jackets. Although, there were significant differences between the preferred jacket designs and ready-made brand jacket designs, most brand jacket designs were casual, semi-fitted, middle-hip length, single-breasted, and with stand-rolled or convertible collars. The analysis of the sleeve styles in brand jackets showed that consumers needed designs that are more decorative. Fashion designers for senior citizens need to design elderly clothing that is comfortable, fashionable, functional, and considers a universal design for ease of clothing function. It will also make the senior citizen fashion market more appealing to consumers. To provide jacket designs for senior citizens, we suggested casual jacket designs for embedding a functional device as well as a new jacket design library for women in their 50s and 60s.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.80-100
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• 2014

As men have started to show more desire to express themselves through clothing and accessories also they learn by themselves and take diverse experiences about fashion. At the same time, men's fashion-consciousness is growing together. The role of male consumers' is becoming significant in the fashion market, and there has been more research on their clothes and fashion is increasing, however research on the male casual clothing for their 30~49 years old group is still insufficient. This study aims to examine the casual brands for men in their 30~40s and their characteristics among other men's brands recently appearing in Korea. The results of the study found: first, regarding the questionnaire to give men's casual brand names, 30s males' answers showed clearer recognition about the casual brand than those of 40s males. secondly, the factors affecting attitude of male consumers' towards casual brands are designed 'aesthetics', 'surroundings' and 'price', and the men in their 40s put more important than men in their 30s on 'aesthetics' and 'surroundings'. third, when men were actually buying casual brand, they then took five characteristic factors into account namely: 'the external environment', 'functionality' design 'aesthetics', 'symbolic' and 'price'. Men in their 30s did not show much difference in actual purchase characteristics in regards for the brand factors but men in their 40s showed interest when asked about 'buying product with noticeable brand logo or trademark' item among 'symbolic' factors than men in their 30s (p< .01 of significant difference).

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.47-57
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• 1996

Ther purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptual differences in brand images of national medium-low price casual clothing according to purchase volume and brand loyalty. Additionally, differences between Seoul and County of Chungnam in purchase volume of each brand of medium-low priced casual, information source and companion in purchasing the brands were analyzed. The questionnaires were administered to 540 college student living in Seoul and County of Chungnam, and the method used to analyze the data were frequency, factor analysis, and t-test. The results were as follows: 1) Perceptual mapping showed that preference ranks among the six brands were same regardless of purchase volume and brand loyalty, but heavy users and loyal consumers to medium-low priced casual brands had more favorite brand image than light users and non loyal consumers. 2) Those who live in County of Chungnam purchased all six brands more than those who love in Seoul with the exception of Hunt. Information sources such as catalogs and celebrity were more used in County of Chungnam. Most accompanied shopping alone both in Seoul and County of Chyngnam, however family members were more influential in Seoul, whereas the same sex friends were in County of Chyngnam.