Abstract
The colors of apparel have become an important element to be used strategically in order to give differentiated character at the level of fiber and fabric production. The colors of apparel have a close relationship with the skin colors of consumers and their preference colors. This study was carried out to classify the skin colors of Korean elderly women into several similar skin colors and to analyse their preference colors. Sample size was 471 Korean elderly women. With color spectrometer, JX-777, we measured 4 points of the body; cheek with removing cosmetics off, forehead, rear neck and arm on the interior part near elbow. All subjects had been shown with 40 color chips and answered the preference colors of apparel and the preference colors. Data weirs analysed to classify skin colors using K-means Cluster Analysis and Duncan test. Independent variables for Cluster Analysis were 12 variables out of L value, a value and b value of 4 points. In doing so, we used SPSS WIN 10 statistical package. Findings were as follows: 1) The skin colors of the Korean elderly women were composed of skin colors of YR, R, and Y. 2) 355 subjects were classified into 4 kinds of skin color groups. 3) The average face color of type 1 was 6.7YR 5.1/4.3 and 56 observations out of 355 subjects were composed of Type 1 and of Type 2 was 6.1YR 6.1/4.5 and 166 observations out of 355 and of 3 Type 6. YR 4.8/4.2 and 75 observations out of 355 and of Type was 6.17 YR 5.7/4.7 and 58 observations out of 355. 4) The average skin color of Type 1 was 7.0YR 5.9/4.4 and of Type 2 was 7.2YR 6.3/4.2 and of Type 3 was 7.0YR 6.2/4.2 and of Type 4 was 7.6YR 5.4/4.2 respectively. 5) The mean values of 12 variables between the 4 classified face color and skin color groups showed significantly different except H value of skin color. 6) All 4 groups showed that the most preference color of apparel and the most preference color were 2.5R 5/14 respectively.
