Characteristics of Colors and Color Communication tools applied in the Korean Fashion Industry

국내 패션의류업계의 활용 색채전달도구 개발을 위한 색채 연구

The purpose of this study is to classify the characteristics of color communication tools and the color range applied in the Korean fashion industry. To collect the color sample and related references, a questionnaire was distributed during the time period, December, 1995 to June, 1996. From the responses, 2641 color samples used by 109 domestic brands, from 1993 spring/summer to 1996 spring/summer, were collected and analyzed. The data was measured by L*a*b*, and the H V/C formula found in the Munsell notation was used to calculate the data. To classify the color range served for the fashion industry, the distribution of colors are analyzed by difference of season and fabric. The results of this study are as follows : 1. Dominant colors in the Korean fashion industry are Red, Yellow-red, Yellow, purple-blue and low chromatic range colors. 2. While high value colors, such as pale, light greyish, light, dull, dark and vivid tone colors, are dominant in the spring/summer season, low value colors, such as greyish, dark greyish. and deep tone colors and warm colors such as Red, Yellow-red, are prevalent in the fall/winter season. 3. The number of colors commonly used for color planning is less than 20 colors, and both hue and tone are considered important when making color selections. 4. All brands take consumers' color preferences into consideration for color planning, and most of them also take color trends into account. 5. Hue and tone color characteristics analyzed by types of fabrics show more seasonal influence than the fabric itself.