Raymond Au

The effect of added fullness and ventilation holes in T-shirt design on thermal comfort.

This paper reports on an experimental investigation on the effect of added fullness and ventilation holes in T-shirt design on clothing comfort measured in terms of thermal insulation and moisture vapour resistance. Four T-shirts in four different sizes (S, M, L, XL) were cut under the traditional sizing method while another (F-1) was cut with specially added fullness to create a ‘flared’ drape. A thermal manikin ‘Walter’ was used to measure the thermal insulation and moisture vapour resistance of the T-shirts in a chamber with controlled temperature, relative humidity and air velocity. The tests included four conditions: manikin standing still in the no-wind and windy conditions and walking in the no-wind and windy condition. It was found that adding fullness in the T-shirt design (F-1) to create the ‘flared’ drape can significantly reduce the T-shirts thermal insulation and moisture vapour resistance under walking or windy conditions. Heat and moisture transmission through the T-shirt can be further enhanced by creating small apertures on the front and back of the T-shirt with specially added fullness. Statement of Relevance: The thermal comfort of the human body is one of the key issues in the study of ergonomics. When doing exercise, a human body will generate heat, which will eventually result in sweating. If heat and moisture are not released effectively from the body, heat stress may occur and the persons performance will be negatively affected. Therefore, contemporary athletic T-shirts are designed to improve the heat and moisture transfer from the wearer. Through special cutting, such athletic T-shirts can be designed to improve the ventilation of the wearer.

Individual Tourists from the Chinese Mainland to Hong Kong: Implications for Tourism Marketing in Fashion

Since the implementation of the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), the number of tourists from the Chinese Mainland (CM) to Hong Kong (HK) has increased dramatically. These IVS tourists have huge consumption power and account for 50–70% of the total sales revenue of many HK fashion retailers. In this context, the authors explore the consumer attitudes and preferences of the IVS tourists. Based on a random sampling method involving over 2,000 CM tourists, a questionnaire survey was conducted. The findings show that IVS tourists have complex attitudes towards higher-end brands and their extended products. Moreover, statistically significant results are found in relation to: the comparison of HK consumers with IVS tourists; the analysis of gender attitudes; and the regional analysis. Company interviews have been conducted and specific managerial insights are presented.

Improving thermal comfort in apparel

Abstract: Comfort is a key factor to be considered in clothing design. Among all the comfort factors, thermal comfort is the primary one, as an important function of clothing is to provide aids in maintaining the thermal balance of the human body and ensure that the heat loss, skin temperature, air movement and humidity at the body surface produce a sensation of comfort. There are three main approaches in the development of clothing for improved comfort, i.e. the appropriate use of textile materials, garment design and attachment of special wearable devices into the garment system. In this chapter, different design approaches to enhance the thermal comfort, particularly in terms of body cooling, are discussed.

Consumer behaviour of pre-teen and teenage youth in China

The purpose of this study is to investigate how age, gender, information sources and parent-child communication may influence Chinese pre-teen (9–12 years old) and teenage (13–18 years old) shopping behaviour. A quantitative research method and a self-administered questionnaire was employed to measure the significance of clothing evaluative cues, parent-child communication and shopping behaviour of pre-teens and teens in the Peoples Republic of China. In total, 273 usable data were collected for this study. It is evident that peer influence was considered by respondents as an important information source, followed by store displays. Parent–child communication also played an important role on clothing consumption. In order to meet the needs and aspirations of these young consumers, fashion designers should pay attention to material selection and usage. In addition, fashion retailers should focus on the visual and experiential aspects of the store environment in order to build a stronger connection and resonance with these young consumer groups.

A Study of the Perfect Suit for Young Men in Hong Kong in Terms of Aesthetics, Comfort and Functionality

ABSTRACT The suit is standard formal menswear traditionally; almost all businessmen wear suits to work every day. In Hong Kong, some retail shops only offer a list of similar suit styles to customers. However, the suit designs currently available might not be able to cope with the needs of young male customers. Young men in Hong Kong seek out styles that look good and they have their own preferences on suit design, which might be different from other age groups; hence, there is a strong market niche for this age group. The aim of this research was to understand the needs of young men aged from eighteen to thirty-two with regard to a perfect menswear suit and recommend a desirable suit design for them. Forty-seven young men and twenty-seven young women were invited to complete the questionnaire relating to the issues of creating a perfect suit for young men in Hong Kong in terms of aesthetics, comfort and functionality, and ten male respondents from the questionnaire survey were invited to the wearing trials. Finally, a menswear suit was designed according to the findings of the questionnaire survey and wearing trials.

Algebraic modelling of pattern design: the abelian pattern semi‐group

Pattern design is a transformation process from the design sketch to the final production pattern. In order to computerize such a process, a mathematical model is indispensable. When a garment is decomposed into components of pattern pieces, this decomposition process can be modelled by using semi‐group. Presents the construction of this semi‐group structure, which is called the abelian pattern semi‐group, and the associated lattice structure with proofs and examples. Illustrates the interpretation and application of this algebraic model with the optimal control problem of the production line.

Effects of athletic T-shirt designs on natural ventilation

Purpose Maintaining air circulation between the wearer and garment layer is crucial for activating heat and moisture transfer from the body. If an air gap is trapped, air circulation may become ineffective and the ventilation of the garment is, thus, hindered. To maintain and extend the air gap, this study aims to propose a design method that involves placing spacer blocks underneath the garment to prevent the fabric from clinging directly to the skin. Design/methodology/approach To study the application of this design method, a series of T-shirts were produced and tested using a thermal manikin in standing and walking postures. All the T-shirts were made of fabric ostensibly manufactured to have high air permeability. Porous mesh fabric was used to construct the vented panels on the T-shirts. The test was conducted in a chamber with controlled temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity. Total thermal insulation (Rt) and moisture vapour resistance (Ret) were measured. Findings The test results showed that extension of the air gap between wearer and fabric provided higher ventilation to the wearer if the vented panels were also present on the T-shirts. Different placements of the vented panels on the T-shirts also affected the heat and moisture transfer from the thermal manikin. Research limitations/implications Due to limited resources, the evaluation of total thermal insulation and moisture vapour resistance was based on the testing result from a thermal manikin instead of any subjective wearer trial. Practical implications This research can contribute to the clothing designer who is developing function wear for a better ventilation. Social implications This research can contribute to the clothing designer who is developing function wear for a better ventilation. Originality/value This study aimed to further develop a new design concept in T-shirt design by improving the construction of the spacer blocks. Fabric with higher air and water vapour permeability was used to determine to what extent this design method is applicable to higher performance on heat and moisture transfer.

T-Shirt with Propping Effect for Natural Ventilation: Design Development and Evaluation of its Functionality by Thermal Manikin in Standing and Walking Motions

To improve the natural ventilation of garments is often a crucial task in designing functional garments. Normally, the ventilation can be improved by using appropriate types of fabric, or applying functional design details such vented panels on certain parts of a garment. Apart from these two means, are there any other alternative ways that clothing designers can utilize? Designing is a means to solve problems. Through a patent search, it was found that some inventors have adopted different means of designing to improve natural ventilation. Putting mesh panels on the garments was the most common way to achieve such aim. This design method had been proven by scholarly researches on its contribution on heat and moisture transfer. In addition, some designers noted that the air gap between the garment and body could be a key to affect such natural ventilation. For example, Moretti proposed putting additional spacer objects under the shoulder areas to create a gap so as to improve the natural ventilation of the wearer. Although this new design was claimed to have contribution to enhance natural ventilation for the wearer, the testing results were not provided. In this study, T-shirt designed with larger air gaps on the shoulders was developed. In order to test the effectiveness of this design method on heat and moisture transfer, a series of testing were conducted by using a movable thermal manikin in a chamber with the control of temperature and relative humidity. In order to test the functionality of the chimney/pumping/ventilation effect, the testing was conducted under no wind and windy conditions with a thermal manikin in a standing position, and under a simulated “walking” motion (walking speed of 1.24 km/h). The test results showed that the T-shirt with a larger air gap on the shoulders can significantly improve moisture vapor resistance during windy conditions.

Development and trial of athletic T-shirt using spacer blocks to enhance ventilation

Purpose In previous studies, enlarging the air gap between fabric and the skin through the placement of spacer blocks has been proven to improve air ventilation, particularly when the pumping effect is activated during movement. These studies evaluated only the total thermal insulation (Rt) and moisture vapour resistance (Ret) by using a fabric thermal manikin. The purpose of this paper is to report the experience, perceived comfort level, and ventilation effect of two designed T-shirts in a wearer trial. Design/methodology/approach An athletic T-shirt (Vented Design) was designed by attaching spacer blocks to the underside of the fabric to enlarge the air gap. Eight subjects participated in the wearer trial, which comprised 30 min treadmill running, followed by 10 min of rest. At different points during the 40 min test period, subjects rated their body coolness, skin dryness, and overall comfort of the designed T-shirt. The testing was repeated with participants wearing the same T-shirt but without spacer blocks, which served as a control garment. The mean skin temperature of each subject was also measured to support survey findings. Findings The data were evaluated using independent t-tests. The T-shirt with spacer blocks provided higher ventilation than the control T-shirt after 10 min of running. Research limitations – because of limited resources, only eight subjects were recruited to this study. In addition, more T-shirt designs should be tested in the future to elucidate how T-shirt design affects ventilation performance. Originality/value This study investigated a T-shirt design wherein the air gap between the skin surface and fabric was increased. The results of the wearer trial showed that this design could be adopted as a design brief for further design development of related clothing. This study has implications for clothing designers developing functional clothing with improved ventilation.

Searching for Authenticiy in Fashion Design and Art Collaboration (FDAC)

This paper explores theoretical issues around authenticity in fashion design and art collaboration (FDAC). The aim is to understand the marketers actual momentum and cultural properties of this phenomenon. Based on multiple case studies and interview surveys, this research identified that: FDAC is in widespread use as a way of above commerce; additionally, it bridges a gap between authenticity and fashion (especially youth fashion), while it represents the value of being free, true to the self and having passion for life. It is also heavily linked with creative youth culture and fashionisation featuring fun, excitation and hedonism.