Textile-based compression interventions (e.g. compression stockings and bandages), as an essential “source of pressure”, have impacted the effectiveness of pressure dosage delivery. The homogeneous ...structures of traditional compression shells generate highly uneven pressure distributions around leg geometrics in a passive mode, resulting in side effects and uncomfortable wearing perception. With this in mind, new heterogeneous compression sleeves with hybrid elastic properties were fabricated utilizing advanced three-dimensional seamless knitting technology and a unique laid-in structural design. PicoPress pressure assessment revealed in vivo that the developed heterogeneous compression shells with appropriate configurations for the lower limbs demonstrated the capability to proactively reshape skin pressures around leg cross-sections via calibrated proportions of segments with hybrid elastic moduli. The reduced anterior peak focal pressures and increased pressures at muscle-dominated posterior calves together provided a promising measure to enhance pressure function and user compliance in practice. The results will contribute to the development of a new generation of heterogeneous compression stockings with “bi-axial” pressure profiles for improved compression performance in extensive applications.
► Hydrophobic multilayered systems and hydrophilic multilayered systems are tested by the H&M evaluation device. ► The amount of relative humidity in a hydrophobic multilayered system is higher. ► ...Endothermic reaction, caused by heat energy and water molecules, is faster in a hydrophobic multilayered system.
Functional clothing, sportswear and military uniforms, are mainly made of polyester or cotton fabrics for dealing with sweat absorption and heat transfer produced by the human body. The human body typically wears two or three garments, such as innerwear, T-shirt, and jacket, thus comprising a multilayered system. Garments’ responses to heat transfer and vapor flow differ depending on whether their physical structures are hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Hence, this study analyzes differences in heat transfer and vapor flow, induced by the human body covered with multilayered garment systems, consisting of three polyester or cotton layers. In particular, it verifies three differences in the heat transfer and relative humidity, amount of relative humidity, and response time of thermal equilibrium in multilayered systems by using a new measurement system, “H&M evaluation device”. Resultant data provide precise information regarding several differences in hydrophilic and hydrophobic multilayered fabric systems.
Purpose - Mass customization (MC) is one of the changes for the US apparel industry that will provide a competitive advantage and offer products needed by consumers. However, as the points of ...customization and their extent of customization characterize business models including the process strategies to achieve a successful MC strategy, it is imperative to define the points of customization. The purpose of this research is to investigate and introduce the critical points of customization and their extent for apparel.Design methodology approach - An apparel industry survey together with case studies was used to collect information to test and support the hypothesis developed through the comprehensive literature review.Findings - Five critical points of apparel customization are defined. These points and their extents of customization are compared, analyzed and validated. It is suggested that the success and the capability of apparel MC will depend on how effectively a company can combine the defined points of customization and their extent of customization in pre-production, production and post-production of the apparel product.Research limitations implications - The research findings of points of customization is for an apparel product. However, the concepts may be applied to products in other industries.Practical implications - The post-production customization point using current technologies is a popular practice for mass customization. However, to achieve a higher level or extent of customization such as design point of customization, it is essential to use advanced product development, manufacturing and processing technologies.Originality value - The points of apparel customization and their extent of customization have not been studied before for the apparel MC domain. These points and extent of customization provide new insights into the mass customized apparel manufacturing and apparel MC business models.
Compression textiles as adjuvant physical interventions are increasingly applied for prophylaxis and treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), providing benefits of calibrated compression and ...controlled stretch. Pressure dosage delivered and mechanical properties (stiffness, elasticity and hysteresis) are determined by material nature, stitches structures, fabrication technology and delivery modes. Laplace’s Law and Pascal’s Law contribute to elaborate the static and dynamic working mechanisms behind the interaction between compression interventions and a biological body. However, there is still a lack of sufficient awareness on compression materials, and there is controversy regarding the best solution for clinical application of compression. This study integrates the views from physiology, pathophysiology, biomechanics, material science and textile engineering, to review and clarify physical–mechanical characteristics of compression materials, working mechanisms of textile-based compression interventions and their medical benefits in chronic venous insufficiency treatment. The aim is to enhance understanding of compression textiles applied in compression therapy, and to facilitate cooperation among multiple parties working in related supply chains, thus promoting textile-based compression interventions in chronic venous insufficiency treatment and growth of technical textiles applied in healthcare, medical and rehabilitation fields.
Purpose
3D garment design technology is developing rapidly thereby creating a need for different approaches to developing the patterns. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the 3D dynamic ease ...distribution for a 3D garment design.
Design/methodology/approach
Standard garments were created from Size 2 to Size 14 for ten human subjects. Landmarks location on both human body and the standard garment under dynamic postures are recorded, and he fit and comfort evaluation of the standard garment were collected from the ten human subjects. Finally, these data were used to evaluate the 3D dynamic ease distribution for a 3D garment design.
Findings
3D dynamic ease evaluation is challenging and the findings showed that the upper-arm design is a core element of the whole 3D garment design. The upper arm is not only a connecting part for both front and back pieces of the garment, but is also the main active part of the body, so it is the essential element to affect the comfort and fit of the garment under dynamic postures.
Originality/value
This research provides a novel 3D ease evaluation by analyzing the landmarks location of both human body and standard garment, and fit and comfort evaluation of the standard garment, which are all carried under dynamic postures.
Purpose - This paper presents a model for an effective product development process, which is now becoming increasingly critical to success of apparel firms.Design methodology approach - This research ...modeled apparel product development as a market driven process and integrated the consumer purchase decision in the model of proactive product development integrating consumer requirements (PPDICR). The PPDICR links the consumer purchase decision and multiple consumer research strategies to specific stages of the no-interval coherently phased product development model for apparel through 15 avenues of consumer input.Findings - The PPDICR model contributes to our understanding on how consumer input can be used to facilitate the process and through what avenues that input may be acquired. This model provides an effective tool for intra-company to inter-business analysis of consumer input into the apparel product development process.Research limitations implications - The PPDICR provides a theoretical understanding of apparel production, and is useful to researchers in visualizing the impact of changes in the business environment, integrating research projects, and establishing research priorities.Practical implications - Practitioners may use the model to improve and develop products, select appropriate consumer input, and strategically plan organizational changes.Originality value - This model is a useful tool for effective product development both for researchers and industrialists alike. It brings in the important element of the integration of consumer information.
Poor fit has become one of reasons for high non-compliance in the use of garments made of compression textiles in venous deficiency treatments. A novel methodology to categorize lower body shapes and ...sizes has been established via three-dimensional digital anthropometric technology in this study based on 208 Hong Kong subjects aged 40–60 years. Three new parameters were introduced to classify body shapes, namely the “A-angle” for assessing the “alignment” of lower extremities, the “cosine values of the key angle” at the turning point for below-knee shape determination, and “gradient” for above-knee shape categories. The mathematical simulation via the interpolation function was employed to explore the characteristics of shape variation trends with the involvement of dynamic interactions of both circumferences (Cir) and heights (Hei) of lower extremities. The clustering analysis quantitatively segmented the sample population into three stratified leg morphologies (i.e. diamond, inverted trapezoid, and balanced leg shapes) in terms of the determined anthropometric landmarks along the lower extremities, in which the Cir(s) of the brachial (cB1), calf (cC), and thigh (cF) exhibited most obvious differences among the clustered lower limbs. The created stratified shape-driven sizing system and methodologies further involved the body shape classifications into the Cir-based size categories to cater for diverse body morphologies in product size selection, thus improving dimensional fitness and accurate treatment using compression textiles in practice.
The engineering of fabric design properties within the shape of a product is an iterative and often highly collaborative design process. Two emerging technologies, ink jet printing and integral ...knitting epitomize the ability of digital technologies to alter the design workflow and enable engineered designing. With both technologies, the end product can be simulated before production, facilitating strategic placement of fabrication features and properties. This research summarizes two comparative case studies: one detailing the engineered design process for ink jet printing and the other dealing with the engineered designing for integral knitting. Results of this study showed that the current software is fairly sophisticated for aesthetic design, however, the software is lacking for strategic placement of functional attributes within a product.
Pressure performance and moisture management properties (MMP) of compression form-fitted athletic wear (CFA) play important role in achieving their mechanical functionality, wearing comfort, and ...physiological health for athletes during intensive exercises. Based on the 5Ps model, pressure and liquid moisture transfer attributes and their resultant subjective perceptions are analyzed and discussed through adopting objective and subjective measuring methods in this study. The MMP of eight types of fabric specimens were evaluated when the specimens were stretched at tension ratios of 0 %, 10 % and 20 % by applying an innovatively improved moisture management test method. Most of the tested specimens presented satisfied MMP when tested in a relaxed state. Testing under tension status significantly influenced the MMP of the tested specimens. The changes were mainly reflected in the prolonged wetting time, the increased absorption rates at the skin-contacted fabric surface, the reduced wetted radius and spreading speed at outer side of fabric, and the weakened one-way transfer properties. The tested fabrics with stretch of 20 % showed, in general, better performances in MMP than those with a stretch of 10 %. Pressure characteristic values ranging from 1679.88 to 2752.89 Pa on average were extracted from the different six pressure zones around the tested athletes’ bodies. Our improved MMT test method provides a new approach to study the fabric MMP when fabrics are under different tensions. Five sensory dimensions were used to analyze psychophysical responses to the physical stimulus of pressure and MMP, which revealed complex interactive mechanisms existing between pressure action, moisture transfer attributes and comfort perceptions related to compression athletic wear.
The apparel design process involves gathering and analysing information on fashion trends, markets and past line sales and editing ideas for successful combinations of fabric, style and price. These ...ideas are the result of creativity. Creativity is most often modelled as a problem-solving process involving complex chaotic systems. In the fields of architecture and software design, pattern languages have been developed to help understand the various fundamental components and dynamics of complex systems by using a series of related generic problem-solving patterns empirically proven to be successful in a specified context of forces. Patterns record existing knowledge to make it rapidly and easily accessible and communicated between different users. A pattern language for the apparel design process could channel creative efforts and enhance communication between design team members by providing them with a common working language. Furthermore, pattern languages are increasingly used in the design of software and user-interface programs (Booch 1996; Gamma et al. 1994). Preparing the ground by developing a pattern language for apparel products could save resources and time as well as improve the quality of future customised information.
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