• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.65-75
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to survey about the suitability of maternity dresses on the market and thus to contribute for the maternity dress makers to produce clothes which are ergonomic and wanted by customers. The chief designers of the two major maternity dress makers were questioned about design and production planning, and 195 subjects who had an experience of delivery within a year were questioned about their consumer behavior, preference, and body fitting. The suggestions according to the results of the questionnaire of maternity dress makers and customers were as follows : 1. The most important item, an one-piece dress should be produced a lot more than other items. 2. The designs of maternity dress should be more simple, sophisticated, and natural. 3. The colors of pastel tone rather than trendy colors should be used. 4. The materials of maternity dress should be washable and able to help pregnant women's activity. 5. The front patterns of maternity dress should have more ease than the back patterns have, to cope with increasing abdominal girth and bust girth.

• Archives of design research
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• v.20 no.2 s.70
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• pp.41-52
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• 2007

Today, many pregnant women also advance up the business ladder and remain very active. They are consequently increasingly aware of the clothes they can wear. Despite these social changes, maternity wear has not been specially designed to satisfy the consumer's demands. From this, the purposes of this study are to investigate the current status of maternity wear and the apparent buying trends of pregnant women through a customers' opinion survey and interviews for the future maternity markets. In summary, the survey and interviews illustrate some important points which are that: Firstly, not all pregnant women buy maternity wear. Some pregnant women said they couldn't find enough difference in maternity wear prices even though they would like to buy some, commenting that maternity clothes were too expensive for such a short period of time. Also some already had maternity wear from a previous pregnancy, or had been passed on from friends and family. Secondly, on the other hand, many respondents were strongly concerned with style and quality rather than price because they agreed that there were not enough suitable maternity clothes for work and special occasions. Therefore some respondents would buy a maternity outfit for a special occasion. It also indicates that for a particular time, place or occasion like a party, wedding or other celebration, some respondents would buy a special outfit to make themselves feel good. Finally, according to the survey, the most important design concept is for wearable designs which change with the body during pregnancy; followed closely by designs which are able to be re-used when the pregnancy has finished. Nowadays, as recycling and saving resources are the biggest issues, if maternity manufacturers are encouraged to develop new products incorporating these new design concepts, more maternity markets will be developed to buy maternity wear.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.489-497
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to most appropriately develop maternity wear according to the preferences of specific age groups of pregnant women. The specific age groups were women in their twenties, early thirties, and late thirties. This survey was conducted in the metropolitan area around Seoul, South Korea through a questionnaire given to 150 pregnant women. The study found that pregnant women purchased significantly cheaper clothes after their pregnancy than before. The participants responded that they mostly bought clothes using the Internet, but they also reported many instances of returning the clothes due to fit and sizing. It was shown that women in their twenties tended to consider the price, design, and activity more than women in their thirties when purchasing maternity wear. The study showed that pregnant women tended to wear maternity wear from early in the pregnancy-preferring leggings, one-piece dresses, pants, shirts, briefs, and bras with the girdle on the outside. More women in their late thirties purchased maternity support belts than younger age groups. In any case, in purchasing maternity wear, clothing features that the respondents focused on were comfort, functionality, fit, the covering of their body changes, and fashion. Still, many respondents 35 years and older reported more interest in safety rather than fashion in comparison to the responses of respondents under the age of 35.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.237-250
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• 2018

This study improves maternity clothes worn by pregnant women across each trimester. A total of 164 survey results from pregnant women living in the metropolitan area around Seoul, South Korea were received from November 2015 to July 2017. The results of this study were as follows. First, Internet shopping purchases were significantly lower during the first trimester of pregnancy than during the mid-trimester and third trimester (p<.001). Further, satisfaction levels with most items purchased online were significantly lower in the first trimester of pregnancy. Regarding the purchase price, there was no difference according to the pregnancy trimester. During the first trimester of pregnancy less body shape changes occur than in the mid-trimester and third trimester; however, the first trimester shows the lowest satisfaction levels for each item of maternity clothing and most body parts when worn. There were also no differences according to pregnancy trimester in terms of preferred maternity clothes purchased, but there were significant differences according to occupational status. Working pregnant women generally preferred not to reveal their body shape.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.49-62
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the combination of details on the maternity clothes of one-piece type through visual evaluation which helps compensating pregnant women＇s body defects for their more attractive fashion styles. The data evaluated by a multiple ranking test were analyzed by mean, paired t-test, general linear models procedure and Duncan＇s multiple ranged test. The result are as follows : 1) The pregnant woman wearing the one-piece dress with notched collar, pleats and whole button looks longer in lower part of bodies, smaller in upper body, slimmer, have less appeared bust and abdomen, more balanced as a Whole than when wearing others. And also, it makes a pregnant woman be seen more refined and simple. 2) In case of a pregnant woman, a one-piece dress with notched collar, tuck and whole button makes her look longer in neck, narrower in shoulder, and more active than when wearing others. 3) With roll collar, pleats and whole button, it looks taller and more graceful than when wearing others.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.147-165
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to develop design of maternity dress combined with nursing. Six maternity wears combined with nursing were developed through the literature, preceding studies, and web sites those were about pregnancy, breast feeding, a maternity wear, and a nursing wear. The results of this study were as follows: 1. In order to develop clothes of diverse styles and designs, an after five dress, a poncho style blouse, wrap culotte as well as a skirt suit, a pants suit, an one-piece dress were designed. 2. It was established to make more amounts of front ease than those of back ease and to supplement a frontal hanging portion in consideration of breast development and abdominal prominence. 3. In order to make use of a maternity wear after a birth, stretch fabric was used for an abdominal part or whole clothes. Also an empire line and pleats, a poncho style, a shirts blouse, and inserting a string were used for it. 4. the fabrics of cotton, mixed cotton, polyester were used because pregnant women and nursing mothers perspires more than others do. 5. The horizontal, vertical, diagonal slits for a breast feeding were made. The storm flap of a trench coat, a machine pleated fabric, a poncho, a bolero style were used for a nursing cover.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.337-352
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• 2015

This study suggests designs of maternity clothes wearable after childbirth and aims at confirming that maternity wear is continuously wearable during a post-natal period. As for research methods, theoretical and empirical studies with research on a production of work were conducted, focusing on the design development of the maternity dress which may be worn even after childbirth. The results of theoretical and empirical studies possibly presented various designs which require fashionability going with the trend of time. The maternity wear also requires the adaptability for a changing body shape to enable a woman to wear it during a pregnancy period and after childbirth. Besides, the convenience of dressing and undressing with wearing comfort is considered. 6 sets of one-piece dress were made as the result of the study and three factors of fashionability, adaptability and convenience were considered. The conclusions are as follows : Firstly, it verified that the maternity wear is fashionable clothes not to cover protruded abdomen but to satisfy women's desire of self expression. Secondly, it overcame the limit of dress design through fitting it to completely different two body sizes and shapes with design factors and patterns. Lastly, it suggested a research model of maternity wear corresponding to economical, environmental and ethical principles as giving an effect of "two" dresses with one. This study presented a new direction of design study with meaningful actions of fashion designing in the aspects of economical, environmental and ethical consumption unlike artificial disposal on SPA brands.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.67-77
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• 2003

This study investigated the difference of the purchasing realities and the degree of satisfaction of maternity dress according to occupation and age. The purpose of this study was to collect data needed to the maternity dress maker for the better quality of their product and the more comfortable maternity dress wearing of pregnant women. The results of study were as follows. The attitude of purchasing and the degree of satisfaction of maternity dress according to age showed significant differences as follows. First, the dress styles were the significant difference in the kind of formal trousers and casual trousers, one-piece dress, jumper skirt+shirt, vest+trousers. Second, the purchase place was the significant difference in the shop of clothes made, market, maternity dress shop, wearing together. Third, at the purchase time of dress, the satisfactory degree of an appraised standard was the significant difference in the period of wearing, the easiness of exchange and repayment, the wearing numeral degree of other people, price, discount sale, degree of brand recognition, encouragement of other people.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.37-52
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• 2007

This research developed maternity wear designed with a focus on the essential functions necessary for working women and adaptable to their body changes during pregnancy. Through Martin's anthropometry for 201 pregnant women, the size specifications for maternity wear was determined and a dress form was proposed, in order to provide the manufacturer with reference data and a prototype to verify their products' fit and suitability. From a monthly analysis on the body measurements of pregnant women, significant monthly differences and after pregnancy were found in weight, chest girth, bust girth, under bust girth, waist girth, and hip girth. Dress form was designed based on the average body measurements of women in their 6th to 10th month of pregnancy. The standard dimensions in the 8th month were 90cm (chest), 94cm (bust), 86cm (under bust), 97cm(waist: most protruding part on the side), and 99cm (hip). Compared with Japan's MAT-9 (for nine months), chest girth was the same, while the Korean waist girth and hip girth were larger by 2cm and 3cm, respectively. The woven fabric blouse was evaluated as having the best appearance, while the knitted fabric one was judged as being more comfortable it terms of functionality. For the pants, the design details of the lowered waist and curved waist belt were more functional. The tailored jacket was the best design for working women in terms of both looks and functionality. To summarize, maternity wear for working women, unlike general maternity clothes, should be designed with consideration for the wearer's somatotype and activity. Elastic materials were appropriate for functionality and dealing with physical changes. With the increasing of working pregnant women, such trials are expected to continue in this research area in order to develop functional maternity wear with multi-purposes such as breast-feeding, wearability after delivery and shielding from microwave.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.56 no.9 s.109
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• pp.66-82
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• 2006

Clothes and human body are inseparably related. Aesthetic consciousness of the body determines the form of clothing, reflecting the time and culture as well as the individual and society. Clothes can even reorganize the meaning of the body, while transcending their instrumental functions of protecting, expanding and deforming the body. Using 'body' to analyze the clothing form, my study develops a framework by which to classify the representation of the body in fashion focusing on the representation of physicality. In order to inquire the formative style and aesthetic values expressed in representing body in fashion, my study examines subjects from the 14th century European costumes to fashion collections of the 20th century. In fashion, representation of the body is visually analogous to the ideal boily shape and structure, including a realistic presentation of the body as well as reflection of aesthetic ideals. Manipulation of physicality entails the reconstruction of the ideal body image through the clothes that modify physicality into unnatural body. Ruff collar, gigot sleeve, crinoline, bustle, stomacher, and corset were all used to materialize the fictitious curves symbolizing femininity, authority, healthiness, maternity, virginity, socioeconomic status, and fertility. Accentuating specific clothing parts represents emphasizing the symbolism of the correspondent body parts. Consequently, in this phase signifiant is $signifi\'{e}$. Aesthetic ideal of the body is visualized in the firm of a dress. Fashion continues to explore forms and images that transcend the traditional representations of the clothed body. As a type of intimate architecture, fashion always mediates the dialogue between clothes and body, or fashion and figure. My study suggests a framework to analyze bodily representation in fashion, focusing on the relationship between the clothes and body.