• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.968-979
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• 2008

Since community growth and vitality frequently depend on local businesses and community inhabitants depend on local retailers for their daily necessities, studying small businesses in rural areas is important to community sustainability. The purpose of our research was to investigate what marketing, merchandising, customer service, or business operation strategies were being implemented by successful independent rural retailers(i.e., clothing, jewelry, floral, hardware etc.), in competition with large discount stores in the U.S.. In addition, social capital as indicated by community involvement was examined for its use as a business strategy that contributes to the success of small retailers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 27 rural retailers representing three communities within a Midwestern state. Data were content analyzed. Participants were following several of the recommended business strategies but opportunities existed to implement changes. Results are discussed in terms of key practices followed by these successful small business owners.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.389-399
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• 2023

Sustainable fashion products have different characteristics from typical fashion products. Therefore, this study focuses on shoes while exploring the expansion and development of sustainable fashion consumption as well as consumers' perceptions of the sustainability approaches practiced by shoe companies. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 consumers, who had purchased sustainable shoes, in order to understand their purchase decision-making process and consumption characteristics, using the seven stages of the EBM model. In the "need recognition" stage, the survey participants' social background and family influences were categorized as macro factors, while their personal background influences were categorized as micro factors. In the "evaluation of alternatives" stage, participants reconfirmed whether or not to make a purchase based on the product's properties, such as price, brand value, and offered services. In the "purchase" stage, participants' purchase channels were determined according to their preferences as well as the selection pattern they followed until the final purchase within the chosen channel. In the "consumption" stage, the start of product ownership coincides with the start of using the products after making a purchase. In the "post-purchase assessment" stage, higher positive experiences led to a higher repurchase intention of sustainable shoes, while negative experiences caused participants to defer consumption and made them experience a sense of guilt for failing to consume sustainably. During the "post-purchase behavior" stage, which focused on the categories that the customers prioritized, many participants spread information about sustainable fashion to specific individuals through active online WOM behavior.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.34-49
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• 2018

Sustainability in fashion pertains to all stages within the product lifecycle, starting with the procurement of raw materials and ending with the disposal of the product. To clarify, the Lifecycle Management (LCM) views the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) from the perspective of a product's lifecycle. Sustainable products are identified based on their lifecycle, causing public attention to turn towards Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). As of now, PLM is largely known to have a strong impact on New Product Development (NPD). As such, the objective of this research is to study how PLM-based sustainable NPD models, when applied to the fashion industry, can produce a wide understanding of sustainable fashion products from a variety of angles. In order to achieve the research objective, this study did a selective case study on 20 sustainable fashion brands; conducted 1:1 in-depth interviews with 24 fashion experts, including both sustainable and non-sustainable experts; and took part in participant observation of 5 sustainable fashion brands. The results of the study indicate that there are specific conditions that must be met at each stage of production for the development of sustainable products by fashion brands. However, due to the lack of technological skills and the dearth of sustainability experts within the organization, management, monitoring and systematic collection of data is not properly implemented - leading to problems with the quantification of crucial data. This study aims to further forward the debate regarding the development of sustainable fashion products and its future implications.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.421-433
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of consumer's ethical consumption consciousness and lifestyle on sustainable fashion. The data was analyzed by reliability analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA, Duncan's multiple range test, and multiple regression. The major results of this study were as follows. First, three factors of sustainable fashion were identified: eco-friendliness, recycling, and safety. Second, three factors of ethical consumption consciousness were identified: social ethics, environmental ethics, and public ethics. Based on these factors, the subjects were categorized into three clusters (high, middle, and low ethical consumption consciousness group). Third, four factors of life style were identified: pursuit of brand, appearance, cautiousness, and information. Based on these four factors, the subjects were categorized into three clusters (brand/appearance, cautiousness/information, and unconcerned group). Fourth, three factors of ethical consumption consciousness significantly influenced eco-friendliness factor of sustainable fashion. Also, the recycling factor of sustainable fashion was influenced by social ethics, environmental ethics, pursuit of brand, and pursuit of information. The safety factor of sustainable fashion was influenced by environmental ethics, public ethics, and pursuit of information. The results of this study suggest that practical and various environmental education need to be provided to consumers, because high environmental ethical consciousness consumers evaluated sustainable fashion positively. Additionally, accurate information on eco-friendliness, recycling, and safety of clothing products would need to be provided by fashion businesses through various routes, because those with information-pursuing lifestyle were found to have deep interests in sustainable fashion.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.207-220
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• 2017

Today, the fashion industries, which are appearing in the world, can satisfy their economic needs, as well as provide and distribute their products in order to introduce sustainable methods and avoid becoming a bad influence on future generations. Recently, SPA brands have contributed to the sustainable development of society with different kinds of products, such as organic, recycled and environmental products. For this research, among different SPA brands, we chose H&M as the most representative one. Using Russian and Korean consumers as examples, we analyzed how sustainable activities affect a consumer's ethical consciousness, brand loyalty and purchase intention. The results of this study show that firstly, all sustainable activities have positive effects on the ethical consciousness of Russian and, in particular, Korean consumers. Secondly, ethical consciousness has a positive effect on brand loyalty, which, in turn, has a positive effect on purchase intention. Consequently, by adding to the existing sustainable and cultural activities, we can propose new perspectives for future research on sustainability. Due to the effect on a consumer's ethical consciousness, future research might consider ethical consciousness as the main factor. By focusing on H&M as a representative of SPA brands with Russian and Korean consumers as target audiences, we can advise global SPA brands on the direction of their sustainable activities and exporting of their products to foreign markets.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.572-584
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• 2021

The emergence of environmental and social issues has led to global discussions for the realization of sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to propose a method of sustainable fashion design using waste Hanbok, focusing on men's Hanbok with cultural values. The study utilizes literature research and fashion design development. From the literature study, reform was judged to be a higher concept encompassing reduction, recycling, and upcycling. Reduction is a design method through removal, and recycling design transforms from its original form into a completely different product. Upcycling design focuses on improvement and change in functionality. Accordingly, nine redesigns using men's Hanbok were developed from which three were produced. Consequently, the reduction design demonstrated a small range of variation without changing the item, and cultural sustainability was confirmed through the design that removed the components and recombined the Hanbok. Second, recycling redesign can be reconstituted into a different item. Third, upcycling enables various designs through module assembly, which prolongs the lifespan of the product and confirms its value as a raw material for waste Hanbok. This study is meaningful in realizing sustainable fashion and suggesting practical measures for the sustainability of Korean traditional culture and creative fashion design planning.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.17-23
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• 2012

The convergence of IT technology and fashion is a marked trend in recent years induding sportswear, m-dress (mobile phone dress), and wearable computing. Despite continued research and record high development in the field, however, there still are unsettled issues like power supply, fit, washability and mobility when it comes to commercializing technological fashion product. In this context, this thesis is to propose feasible technology effectively applied to a portable bag. The first case is a bag designed to maximize sensitivity for a family who enjoys leisure activities often. The second one is a limited editionHaute Couture style bag targeting single women in their 20s and 30s. These two case studies are an attempt to demonstrate the possibility of applying wearable technology to a product design.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Dyers and Finishers Conference
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.58-58
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• 2011

현 의류 섬유산업의 트렌드는 친환경, 무공해, 인체친화, 고감성, 고급스러움 등을 표현할 수 있는 제품으로의 전환이 이루어지고 있으며, 최근 부드럽고, 편안하고, 모던한 특징 및 내추럴한 느낌을 나타내는 천연섬유에 대한 요구가 더욱 늘어나고 있다. 양모 섬유는 천염섬유 중 많은 비중을 차지하고 있는 단백질 섬유로서, 이를 이용한 다양한 직물과 의류제품은 국내외적으로 유명 브랜드 바이어와 지속적으로 내수와 수출이 이루어지는 대표적 섬유이다. 그러나 양모 소재에 특유의 구조와 형태로 소재간 섬도차로 인해 고급섬유에의 복합시 물리적, 감성적 이질감으로 상품화가 제한되고 있으며, 소비자 및 바이어들은 기존 보다 더욱 부드러운 고급감의 양모소재를 선호하고 있다. 이에 천염섬유 중에서도 세섬도 생산의 한계가 있는 양모섬유에 대해 양모섬유의 끝단을 마이크로 분활화 및 세섬화를 가능하게 함으로서 새로운 고감성 및 고급감을 부여할 수 있을 것이며, 본 연구에서는 산 및 초음파 등의 물리화학적 분할 기술을 적용하여 부분적 피브릴화 세섬화된 양모소재에 대한 염가공 특성을 기존 양모소재와 비교 함으로서 개질 양모소재의 제품화 실용성 여부를 검토하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.1039-1057
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• 2022

The fashion system has been criticized for relying on a linear economy to reduce short-term costs and increase profits. Meanwhile, the circular economy strives to expand the value chain through a closed loop for companies, society, and the environment by separating consumption from resources. This study aims to elucidate the strategic characteristics of the technological measures that fashion companies and brands are trying to innovate into a sustainable fashion system on the basis of the circular economy concept. Thus, we conducted case studies by dividing the value chain of the fashion system into design, production, and consumption to identify the technological development of the circular fashion system from a technologization perspective that incorporates technological values. First, design appeared to strengthen emotional durability, design and process with circulation in mind, and fashion product digitalization. Second, production manifested itself as material development for the new fiber economy, improvement of non-environmental processes, and customization of demand-driven, responsive production. Third, consumption was the spread of the environmental consumption culture through the sharing economy platform, the realization of a virtual wearing experience to prevent rapid disposal, and the provision of information on sustainable consumption.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.560-576
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• 2023

Drawing on gamification affordance theory, this study examines the relationships among key affordances of avatar fashion styling, perceived enjoyment, and engagement behavior intentions-defined as the intention to share content on avatars in the metaverse platform-and the moderating role of metaverse familiarity. Based on survey data collected from 198 Korean ZEPETO users with avatar fashion styling experience, the hereby proposed research model was tested with structural equation modeling. The results demonstrated that self-expression and competition positively influenced perceived enjoyment, which subsequently affected customers' engagement behavior intention. Furthermore, metaverse familiarity as a moderating effect intensified the positive association between affordances and perceived enjoyment as well as between perceived enjoyment and engagement behavior intentions. The individual interaction effect of each affordance dimension on perceived enjoyment was different, with self-expression having a greater influence on enjoyment among the high-familiarity group and competition having a greater influence on enjoyment among the low-familiarity group. Considering that users with low metaverse familiarity might have higher needs for social interaction for adaptation, competition, being more socially triggering, might have affected these users more crucially.