• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.304-314
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• 2023

The rapid development of digital technology is diversifying the fashion industry by influencing both the manufacturing processes and the characteristics of fashion products. Although various smart clothing technologies are being developed as part of the government's technology development policy, the number of smart clothing products available to consumers in stores remains very limited. To address this issue, this study analyzes the key attributes of smart clothing as expressed in consumer language. The CIT (Critical Incident Technique) research method was used, and data were collected through an online survey. The study focuses on identifying potential factors that may influence the development direction or strategy of smart clothing. By classifying past experiences and attitudes towards smart clothing into positive and negative categories, it was found that positive responses to smart clothing were heavily influenced by expectations from technology and convenience. Participants' experience with smart technology has had a positive impact on their evaluation of smart clothing. Consumers with negative attitudes towards smart clothing expressed expectations for new benefits resulting from technological development, and indicated that they would consider purchasing such clothing in the future when design and technology improve. Ultimately, this study provides a valuable reference for the development of smart clothing products in Korea by analyzing consumer experiences and acceptance conditions towards smart clothing.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.28-45
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• 2021

The importance of smart clothing as a product is increasingly emphasized as further growth in the potential of the smart market is expected. There is a high understanding and sympathy for the potential of smart clothing in the mass consumer market; therefore, commercialization is not actively carried out. This study enhances the understanding of the development direction of products with a focus on technical benefits, in order for smart clothing to gain access to customers as wearable devices. This study identifies major technologies used in smart clothing through an analysis of the patent technology status of smart clothing in Korea. Smart clothing is divided into three types: passive smart, active smart and advanced smart clothing based on a reaction mechanism and functional scope. We present the smart clothing and discuss the product features for three types. According to research, smart clothing products were equipped with passive, active, and advanced smart systems as well as provided new services by converging big data and AI technologies, rather than only using technologies such as sensors, controls, and actuators. Future directions for new smart clothing product development is also discussed in the conclusion.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.99-110
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• 2009

The Technology Acceptance Model(TAM) proposed by Davis(1989) has been applied as a reliable and robust model in the study of user’s adoption of different technologies. However it is necessary to incorporate additional constructs to the original model in the quest for increased predictive power. This study investigate consumer’s acceptance of smart clothing applied by the extended TAM. Besides perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, clothing involvement is included in the extended TAM. Data were collected from the adults over 20 years old living in Seoul and other metropolitan areas from March 2 to March 12, 2009. 815 copies of data were analyzed to examine a structural model and test research hypotheses using AMOS package. The study showed the extended TAM for smart clothing was validated empirically in predicting the individual’s acceptance of smart clothing and 5 hypotheses among 7 hypotheses were supported. Specifically, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and clothing involvement were the factors affecting attitude toward smart clothing. Attitude toward smart clothing was influenced directly by perceived usefulness and clothing involvement but influenced indirectly by perceived ease of use. Acceptance intention toward smart clothing was influenced strongly by attitude. From a theoretical point of view, the study extended the TAM for smart clothing. Moreover, this study would be beneficial for those who would develop smart clothing by providing information about attitude and acceptance intention of smart clothing consumers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1211-1221
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• 2007

This research investigates the effects of fashion innovativeness and technology innovativeness on the attitude and the buying intention of smart clothing. This study employs TAM(Technology Acceptance Model) proposed by Davis(1989) as a theoretical framework. Two hundred sixty-five respondents comprised a sample used to examine a structural model. The structural equation model using AMOS was performed to test hypotheses. Fashion innovativeness was found to affect perceived usefulness while technology innovativeness affected perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness was found to influence attitude towards smart clothing. Perceived ease of use was also found to affect attitude towards smart clothing. The attitude towards smart clothing has a direct effect on the buying intention of smart clothing. In addition, this study revealed that employing TAM to investigate the adoption of smart clothing was appropriate. Lastly, implications of this research and suggestions for future studies were discussed.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2009

This study identified the appropriateness of acceptance models of smart clothing and differences in the hypothesis of the path to clothing acceptance by classifying consumers depending on the level of technology innovation and fashion innovation through the extended TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) presented by Chae (2009). 815 copies of data were collected from adults over twenty living in major South Korean cities and analyzed them using a SPSS 15.0 and AMOS 5.0 package. Based on the average value of technology innovation and fashion innovation, the respondents were classified into: Group 1 with high technology innovation and fashion innovation, Group 2 with high technology innovation but low fashion innovation, Group 3 with low technology innovation but high fashion innovation, and Group 4 with low technology innovation and fashion innovation. The appropriateness of models for the four classified groups was verified. The analysis proved that an extended TAM for each classified group explains the acceptance process of smart clothing; especially the appropriateness of model of Group 1 and Group 4 was comparatively higher than other groups. Perceived usefulness was revealed as the key variable that affects consumer attitudes to accept smart clothing. Perceived ease of use has indirect positive effects on consumer attitudes passing through perceived usefulness and clothing involvement partly exerted impacts on consumer attitudes and the intention of acceptance. The mediating role of attitudes to explain the intention of the acceptance of smart clothing is high and suggests that it is necessary to take a positive role to help the consumer perceive the functional and useful aspects of the clothing.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.375-387
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• 2010

The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) presented by Davis (1989) has been regarded as highly explanatory as well as the clearest model in explaining consumers' adoption of innovative technology or products. Existing studies have expanded the model by adding related external variables to improve the explanation depending on the type of innovative technology. This study expanded TAM by adding two more variables, namely consumers' technology innovation and clothing involvement considering the feature of smart clothing. The objectives of this study are as follows: 1. to suggest the extended TAM in explaining the adoption process of smart clothing, 2. to verify the differences in the path hypotheses according to the type of smart clothing. A total of 815 effective samples were collected from adults over 20 years old, and AMOS 5.0 package was employed for data analysis. As a result, it was proved that the extended TAM was appropriate for explaining the process of adopting smart clothing according to the path hypotheses of smart clothing types. Technology innovation and clothing involvement were confirmed as antecedent variables in affecting TAM. The perceived usefulness appeared to be a more crucial variable than the perceived ease of use and attitude was found to be an important parameter in adopting smart clothing. Considering the path hypotheses of MP3 playing clothes, perceived usefulness had a direct influence on acceptance intention unlike other types of smart clothing. As for photonic clothes, the influence of perceived ease of use on attitude was supported while it was rejected in the case of MP3 playing clothes and sensing sportswear.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.529-542
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to utilize technology as basic data for smart clothing product research and development. This technology can recognize user's motion according to characteristics types and functions of wearable smart clothing products. In order to analyze the case of motion recognition products, we searched for previous research data and cases referred to as major keywords in leading search engines, Google and Naver. Among the searched cases, information on the characteristics and major functions of the 42 final products selected on the market are examined in detail. Motion recognition for smart clothing products is classified into four body types: head & face, body, arms & hands, and legs & feet. Smart clothing products was developed with various items, such as hats, glasses, bras, shirts, pants, bracelets, rings, socks, shoes, etc., It was divided into four functions health care type for prevention of injuries, health monitor, posture correction, sports type for heartbeat and exercise monitor, exercise coaching, posture correction, convenience for smart controller and security and entertainment type for pleasure. The function of the motion recognition smart clothing product discussed in this study will be a useful reference when designing a motion recognition smart clothing product that is blended with IT technology.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.969-981
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• 2010

This study explains the consumer acceptance of smart clothing using the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM); in addition, it compares the difference in the path hypotheses of the perceived group and nonperceived group from the aspect of the extended TAM. A total of 815 copies of questionnaire were collected from a web-based survey in March 2009. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the entire pattern of intercorrelations among the constructs and to test related propositions using an AMOS 5.0 package. The fitness of the extended TAM explains the process of the adaptation of smart clothing. Technology Innovation (TI) and Clothing Involvement (CI) were confirmed as antecedent variables to affect TAM. In the perceived group, Technology Innovation (TI) and Clothing Involvement (CI) showed significant impacts on the Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Perceived Usefulness (PU) while Technology Innovation (TI) did not influence the Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) in the non-perceived group. Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) influenced the Perceived Usefulness (PU) and indirectly influenced Attitude (A) through the Perceived Usefulness (PU) in both groups. In addition, Perceived Usefulness (PU) did not influence Acceptance Intention (AI) but indirectly affected Acceptance Intention (AI) through Attitude (A). Therefore, Attitude (A) was found to be an important parameter in the adaptation of smart clothing in both groups. This finding implies that consumers first perceive the usefulness of smart clothing, then take favorable attitudes towards the smart clothing, and finally have the intention to adopt it. Strategies for publishing and informing consumers of the functions of smart clothing and usefulness in life are necessary; in addition, understanding what useful values they expect from the clothing is also crucial.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.49-56
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• 2014

This study aims at providing basic data for product planning to design smart clothing and to develop applications, focusing on consumers by satisfying their emotions through analyzing emotional factors on smart clothing, comparing emotional differences between conventional clothing and it, reviewing changes of consumers' emotion by integrating the product and clothing and researching differences of preference and purchase intention between smart clothing and traditional one. As the results of the study, emotional factors for smart clothing were analyzed with total 6 including 'technical', 'comfort', 'aesthetic', 'modern', 'fun' and 'multiple' factors. Among them, except for 'comport', five emotional factors showed emotional factors between conventional sport-casual clothing and smart clothing. That is, emotional factors of 'technical', 'aesthetic', 'modern', 'fun' and 'multiple' were emphasized more in smart clothing than conventional ones, indicating that they should be considered in planning products of smart clothing. Though there was no significant difference of preference between smart clothing and conventional clothing, in case of comparison of averages, that of smart clothing was a little higher. For purchase intention, smart clothing was lower than the conventional clothing. So preference seems to be not directly related to consumers' immediate purchase. To make consumers' interests and preference to result in purchase, it is necessary to develop smart clothing with more various applications and to prepare commercializing strategies. As the results of the analysis on free-descriptive questionnaire survey, consumers were interested in development of smart clothing to help diet with functions including energy harvesting from body motion, calorification and perspiration, measurement of motion and calory consumption as well as health-care type smart clothing to measure heartbeat and ECG. Reflecting these requirements from the consumers, they should be utilized as guidance to develop smart clothing in the future.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.615-631
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• 2019

Smart healthcare clothing combines IoT, new technology, and clothing construction to perform specific care functions, and its utility has been expanding rapidly within aging and diversified societies. However, the related market remains at an early stage of development due to limited regulation, lack of consumer awareness, and the need for not only technical development but promotion plans for potential users. This paper aims to analyze factors influencing purchase intention for smart healthcare clothing with biosignal monitoring, including variables in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), clothing attributes, health-related lifestyle factors, and fashion innovativeness. A survey was conducted on a sample of 300 males and 300 females ranging in age from 20 to 50 years, and data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived aesthetic attributes, health responsibility, and fashion innovativeness were overall significant predictors of using smart healthcare clothing. Additionally, perceived ease of use and physical activity in the male subsample, and perceived compatibility within the female group, also had significant effects. Furthermore, age was a determining factor; for subjects in the 30s age group, perceived usefulness, compatibility, and health responsibility had significant positive associations. The results of this study can provide basic guidelines for designing merchandising plans to expand user acceptance of smart healthcare clothing.