• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.28-45
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• 2021

The importance of smart clothing as a product is increasingly emphasized as further growth in the potential of the smart market is expected. There is a high understanding and sympathy for the potential of smart clothing in the mass consumer market; therefore, commercialization is not actively carried out. This study enhances the understanding of the development direction of products with a focus on technical benefits, in order for smart clothing to gain access to customers as wearable devices. This study identifies major technologies used in smart clothing through an analysis of the patent technology status of smart clothing in Korea. Smart clothing is divided into three types: passive smart, active smart and advanced smart clothing based on a reaction mechanism and functional scope. We present the smart clothing and discuss the product features for three types. According to research, smart clothing products were equipped with passive, active, and advanced smart systems as well as provided new services by converging big data and AI technologies, rather than only using technologies such as sensors, controls, and actuators. Future directions for new smart clothing product development is also discussed in the conclusion.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.420-426
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• 2006

Korean prior studies on smart clothing seeking complete mixture of clothing and computer with diverse functions in the ubiquitous environment were so mere, while there have been aggressive activities to develop diverse smart clothing products led by the relevant industries and universities in foreign countries. Given prospective growth of the smart clothing market, there should be customers' evaluation of functions and utility of and sensitivity to smart clothing as well. This study conducted a questionnaire to Korean customers in their twenties regarding their perception and liking of and willingness to use smart clothing, and examined the needs of new functions of smart clothing. As a result, the customers in their twenties turned out to like well-designed and comfortable clothing, and be exposed to diverse and continuous computing environment. Also, they have relatively low perception but considerably high liking of smart clothing, indicating their high willingness to use smart clothing products. They cited 'selectable functions' and 'mobile and convenient ' as merits, and 'too expensive' and 'easy to wash' as demerits of smart clothing. In the respect, they proposed many interesting smart clothing ideas, such as 'clothing with automatic temperature-sensing function, which gets higher heat- insulating function by tightening the textile structure in winter and higher ventilating function by loosening the textile structure in summer.' We hope the results of this study will serve basic data for development of more efficient smart clothing in the future.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.304-314
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• 2023

The rapid development of digital technology is diversifying the fashion industry by influencing both the manufacturing processes and the characteristics of fashion products. Although various smart clothing technologies are being developed as part of the government's technology development policy, the number of smart clothing products available to consumers in stores remains very limited. To address this issue, this study analyzes the key attributes of smart clothing as expressed in consumer language. The CIT (Critical Incident Technique) research method was used, and data were collected through an online survey. The study focuses on identifying potential factors that may influence the development direction or strategy of smart clothing. By classifying past experiences and attitudes towards smart clothing into positive and negative categories, it was found that positive responses to smart clothing were heavily influenced by expectations from technology and convenience. Participants' experience with smart technology has had a positive impact on their evaluation of smart clothing. Consumers with negative attitudes towards smart clothing expressed expectations for new benefits resulting from technological development, and indicated that they would consider purchasing such clothing in the future when design and technology improve. Ultimately, this study provides a valuable reference for the development of smart clothing products in Korea by analyzing consumer experiences and acceptance conditions towards smart clothing.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.473-478
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• 2008

Since the late 1990, "Smart clothing" has been developed in a various way to meet user centered design and human engineering that considered usability, wearability with clothing. Under this circumstance, research and development of smart clothing has been demanded usability and wearability test. But, Study of the usability evaluation for sensor based smart clothing is insufficient. In this study, we suggest criterion of usability evaluation for sensor based smart clothing that evaluate on the point of view such as wearability of clothing, interaction of clothing and devices, interaction of body and devices. we performed qualitative and quantitative test with developed smart clothing to present usability evaluation criterion for sensor based smart clothing. As a result, total 7 categories such as 'usefulness', 'wearability', 'appearance', 'riskness', 'facility of management', 'perceived change', were extracted as the usability and wearability criterion. Additionally, 28 factors of evaluation criterion for sensor based smart clothing were indicated on the result of this research. This study have meaning to indicate usability evaluation criterion for sensor based smart clothing.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.99-110
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• 2009

The Technology Acceptance Model(TAM) proposed by Davis(1989) has been applied as a reliable and robust model in the study of user’s adoption of different technologies. However it is necessary to incorporate additional constructs to the original model in the quest for increased predictive power. This study investigate consumer’s acceptance of smart clothing applied by the extended TAM. Besides perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, clothing involvement is included in the extended TAM. Data were collected from the adults over 20 years old living in Seoul and other metropolitan areas from March 2 to March 12, 2009. 815 copies of data were analyzed to examine a structural model and test research hypotheses using AMOS package. The study showed the extended TAM for smart clothing was validated empirically in predicting the individual’s acceptance of smart clothing and 5 hypotheses among 7 hypotheses were supported. Specifically, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and clothing involvement were the factors affecting attitude toward smart clothing. Attitude toward smart clothing was influenced directly by perceived usefulness and clothing involvement but influenced indirectly by perceived ease of use. Acceptance intention toward smart clothing was influenced strongly by attitude. From a theoretical point of view, the study extended the TAM for smart clothing. Moreover, this study would be beneficial for those who would develop smart clothing by providing information about attitude and acceptance intention of smart clothing consumers.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.157-171
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• 2018

As the next generation of smartphone and tablet computers, wearable devices are currently being developed and available in market in various forms. Smart clothing is a wearable device that holds the greatest potential for future development but low in market penetration. This study was designed to identify factors that influence adoption and diffusion of smart clothing. In-depth interviews with potential consumers who were knowledgeable about and interested in smart clothing were conducted. A semantic network analysis method was used. The results showed that consumers perceived smart clothing as a garment rather than as a type of wearable device and had a positive perception of smart apparel as more convenient and advanced than functional apparel. At the same time, however, consumers had a negative perception of smart clothing as unnecessary, ugly, and injurious to health. Consumers also worried that wearing smart apparel over long periods of time would negatively impact their health. Factors affecting resistance to smart apparel included low utility, perceived risk, and lack of aesthetic completeness. Usefulness and convenience were factors that affected the acceptance of smart clothing. The innovativeness of the product was more influential than consumer innovativeness in the process of adoption and diffusion of smart clothing.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2010

According to diversity of life style, introduction of well-being trend and increase of demand based on the IT-convergence, Recently "smart clothing" study has been diversified on user applications such as entertainment, healthcare, business and sports. And the smart clothing's market has been progressed in diverse aspects. But, study of smart clothing based on consumer aspect and market diversification is insufficient. The purpose of this study is to identify consumer's needs on smart clothing and to suggest directions for development of smart clothing based on their lifestyle that focused on digital and fashion lifestyle that be closely connected with smart clothing product development. This study is focused on the ages of 20-30 who are considered to be high demand consumers on the smart clothing market. As a result of study, life style based on clothing and digital is categorized 3 types as trend-pursuit style, sensual information-pursuit style and practical function-pursuit style. we suggested direction for development of smart clothing based on consumer's needs of the smart clothing according to the customer's lifestyle types.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.49-56
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• 2014

This study aims at providing basic data for product planning to design smart clothing and to develop applications, focusing on consumers by satisfying their emotions through analyzing emotional factors on smart clothing, comparing emotional differences between conventional clothing and it, reviewing changes of consumers' emotion by integrating the product and clothing and researching differences of preference and purchase intention between smart clothing and traditional one. As the results of the study, emotional factors for smart clothing were analyzed with total 6 including 'technical', 'comfort', 'aesthetic', 'modern', 'fun' and 'multiple' factors. Among them, except for 'comport', five emotional factors showed emotional factors between conventional sport-casual clothing and smart clothing. That is, emotional factors of 'technical', 'aesthetic', 'modern', 'fun' and 'multiple' were emphasized more in smart clothing than conventional ones, indicating that they should be considered in planning products of smart clothing. Though there was no significant difference of preference between smart clothing and conventional clothing, in case of comparison of averages, that of smart clothing was a little higher. For purchase intention, smart clothing was lower than the conventional clothing. So preference seems to be not directly related to consumers' immediate purchase. To make consumers' interests and preference to result in purchase, it is necessary to develop smart clothing with more various applications and to prepare commercializing strategies. As the results of the analysis on free-descriptive questionnaire survey, consumers were interested in development of smart clothing to help diet with functions including energy harvesting from body motion, calorification and perspiration, measurement of motion and calory consumption as well as health-care type smart clothing to measure heartbeat and ECG. Reflecting these requirements from the consumers, they should be utilized as guidance to develop smart clothing in the future.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.618-624
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• 2008

The purposes of this study were to explore the perceived risk of smart clothing, to classify consumers by risk perception of smart clothing, and to investigate the differences among the segmented groups in regard to the evaluation of newness and innovativeness of smart clothing. In addition, the relationship among perceived risk, evaluation of newness and innovativeness of smart clothing were examined. A questionnaire was administered to 338 male and female subjects aged from 17 to 50. Analysis was performed by factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation analysis. The results showed that the perceived risk of smart clothing was composed of 4 factors: economic risk, social risk, functional risk and physical risk. Consumers were classified into four groups: high risk perception group, low economic risk perception group, low functional risk perception group, and low social risk perception group. ANOVA showed that there were significant differences among four groups regard to the evaluation of newness and innovativeness of smart clothing. High risk perception group most highly evaluated the newness and innovativeness of smart clothing. There were positive correlation among the perceived risks, the evaluation of the newness and innovativeness of smart clothing.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2007

Smart Clothing is digital wear progressed from wearable computer that the function of clothing is unified with that of a computer to extend human ability in everyday life. To study consumers' perception and responses toward the Smart Clothing, this study tested the influence of fashion innovativeness and technological innovativeness on attitudes and buying intention related to the Smart Clothing. Data were collected through a survey with 256 male and female adults in age from 18 to 45 year old. The results of Pearson correlation analysis revealed that there was not a positive relationship between fashion innovativeness and technological innovativeness. Multiple regression analysis indicated that fashion innovativeness was a significant predictor of attitudes and buying intention regarding the Smart Clothing. In addition, respondents were classified into four groups according to the scores of their fashion innovativenss and technological innovativeness. A series of ANOVA and Duncan test were used to determine if significant differences existed among four groups. The group having high level of innovativeness on both fashion and technology had the most positive attitudes toward smart clothing. The individuals having cognitive experiences of the Smart Clothing had higher level of fashion innovativeness and more positive attitudes to it. Based on these findings, recommendations for the developer of Smart Clothing and future research are offered.