• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.433-445
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• 2015

This study examines factors that influence consumer behavior regarding the usage intentions and repurchasing behavior of counterfeits. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior by Ajzen (1991), this study looks at the impact of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, as well as the moral norm of consumers about intentions to use and repurchase counterfeits. An online survey was conducted on males and females over the age of 20 with previous experiences of purchasing counterfeits; subsequently, 209 responses were collected and analyzed. The covariance structure model was used to analyze the data in order to measure the factors that influence the usage of counterfeits and repurchasing behavior. The results show that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control have significantly positive effects on usage intentions, while moral norm has a significantly negative effect on usage intentions. Usage intentions also have a significantly positive effect on repurchasing behavior and confirmed that usage intentions functions as the mediator. The variables that influence usage intentions are attitude, perceived behavioral control, moral norm, and subjective norm, in descending order. Consumer attitudes towards counterfeits is a major factor that influences usage intentions. Therefore, ethical problems should be emphasized to encourage a negative attitude towards counterfeits. This study identifies an important aspect to show that usage intentions toward counterfeits, and not purchasing intentions, influences repurchasing behavior. Findings are significant in that they reveal the role of the moral norm variable added to the TPB model.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.625-639
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• 2015

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea has rapidly increased over the last decade. It is important to understand Chinese consumption patterns and shopping behavior because they have become major customers in the Korean fashion market. This study focuses on how Chinese tourists feel while shopping in Korea and how emotions influence their attitude towards purchased products. We examine how planned purchase and unplanned purchase impact shopping emotions and product usage satisfaction. A survey was conducted on 550 women between 20 and 60 years of age who have visited Seoul more than once with an online panel from an international survey firm. Data are analyzed using structural equation modeling by AMOS 20.0. Respondents were asked to recall most impressive fashion product that they bought in Korea during their recent visit and to answer if it was a planned or unplanned purchase. This study also measures emotions during product purchases and usage satisfaction. The respondents are categorized into heavy and light buyers according to purchasing power to determine the moderating effects of purchase amount. The results indicate that planned purchases tend to deliver positive emotions that enhance product usage satisfaction. In the case of unplanned purchases, without the mediating role of positive shopping emotions, it has a negative impact on product attitude and shows the importance of positive emotions during shopping. The influence of unplanned purchases on shopping emotions or product attitude in light buyers is not significant for the moderating effect of purchasing power. Only planned purchases trigger product usage satisfaction when it is mediated by positive emotions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.4 s.152
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• pp.633-643
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• 2006

When women are exposed to images of other attractive women such as media models, it is known that many go through a social comparison process and a contrast effect occurs which results in unfavorable perception and attitudes toward the self. This paper suggests women's perception of control over their appearance as one of the factors that may moderate the contrast effect of a social comparison with attractive media models. An experiment with 211 women was conducted to examine the differential effect of viewing attractive models versus non-human images on the responses of women with high/low perceived control over appearance. A two(Stimuli Type: attractive-model image vs. non-human image) by two(Perceived Control over Appearance: High vs. Low) MANCOVA model was tested with physical appearance anxiety, self-esteem, and body satisfaction as dependent variables and appearance orientation, body mass index, age, years of schooling, ethnicity, and marital status as covariates. A significant Perceived Control main effect on Physical Appearance Anxiety and Self-Esteem and a significant Stimuli Type by Perceived Control interaction effect on Physical Appearance Anxiety and Self-Esteem were found. Those who perceived high control over their appearance were more likely to have higher self-esteem and lower appearance anxiety. However, among those who saw attractive model's images, women perceived low appearance control showed less anxiety and higher body satisfaction than those perceived high appearance control.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.14-28
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• 2013

This study aims to identify the elements of black culture and use it to analyze the formative characteristics of casual fashion items as well as the symbolic meanings presented in the graphic designs of the items. First of all, in order to distinguish the identity of black culture, this study made a division into racial, social, and artistic aspects based on cultural specificities of Stuart Hall, a culture theorist. This was for a theoretical review and based on this review, a theoretical framework was developed to analyze the characteristics of American casual fashion design of black people. The case study selected 1719 fashion images of 137 male brands and 33 female brands from websites of companies manufacturing casual wear of black people in America. The following is a summary of the study results. The conceptual characteristics based on specificities of black culture can be categorized into ten attributes: playfulness in order to digest human grief and emotion positively, satire of the mainstream society, spontaneity through emotional expression from the heart, abstractness of various emotions elating suffering, humor trying to express negative aspects as the meaning of light and innocent laughter, dependence with passive attitudes toward discrimination and master-slave relationships in history, resistance against discrimination and disadvantages, African orientation and primitiveness pursuing natural conditions, aggressiveness against violence and unfair treatment, and confidence and defiance against social deprivation and corruption. Based on the results of an analysis through formative classification system founded on racial, social, and artistic aspects of black people, specificities of black culture are of formative characteristics of their casual fashion design. These elements are presented on graphic t-shirts through strong colors, loose silhouette, and details with many pockets. These characteristics were reflected in symbolic meanings presented in the graphic.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1956-1964
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• 2009

Understanding ethical fashion consumers in Korea is essential for the expansion of the ethical fashion market. This study analyzed ethical consumers in Korea in an examination of the factors that influence ethical purchase behavior and attitudes. The differences between ethical fashion consumers and non-ethical fashion consumers were investigated using eight variables (perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), self-direction, benevolence, universalism, social responsibility, perceived behavioral control, face saving, and group conformity). Data were collected by means of a questionnaire through both on-line and off-line surveys from April 20 to June 7, 2009. Only the respondents knowledgeable of ethical products or ethical consumption were asked to complete the questionnaire. A total of 494 samples were used for analyses. Using independent samples t-test, the differences in each variable between two groups were examined. There were significant differences between ethical fashion consumers and non-ethical fashion consumers in attitudes toward ethical consumption behavior, behavioral intention, PCE, self-direction, universalism, social responsibility, and face saving variables. The factors influencing attitude and behavior intention were investigated by step-wise regression analyses. For ethical fashion consumers, the attitudes to ethical consumption behavior were largely influenced by PCE and benevolence. Social responsibility was the most predictable variable in guiding behavioral intention. Behavioral intention was also influenced by benevolence and attitude. Group conformity was found to be negatively correlated with behavioral intention. The findings of this study provide significant guidance for marketers of ethical fashion products. This study is the start of ethical fashion consumer research in Korea and can develop into variable subfields in the future.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.93-104
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• 2006

The main purpose of this research is to examine what are the factors that affect consumer attitude by the types of clothing window display, and find if there is any difference by gender of consumer group. Total 357 data from random sample of 347 adults(156 male and 191 female) who were between 19 to 49 years of age were analyzed. Sources for the sample were companies and apartment complexes and several colleges in Seoul and Chonan to diversify by such demographics as age and social status. Factors were measured by respondents' rating of 9 statements using a 5-point Likert-type scale. SPSS(Statistical Package for Social Science) Version 10.0, is used for factor analysis in order to comprehend the factors of consumer attitude and Cronbauch's ${\alpha}$ in order to measure the credibility of questions in each factor. The main findings are as follows: First, three dimensions of consumer attitude to two types of window-display of product centered display and image centered display were identified as interest, information, and impression and theses are same to both male and female consumer group. Second, for both male and female consumer group, three dimensions of consumer attitude toward two types of window-display were same, however, included sub categories in each dimension showed a little difference. In product centered display, both male and female consumer group showed high interest in the sub categories of 'fashion' and 'informations related to the product' and they were considered same factor. Otherwise, In image centered display, two sub categories of 'having some interests in the display' and 'recognize the display that projects the image or impression of clothing well' were showed high relationship each other and they were also considered same factor. Third, Cronbauch's ${\alpha}$ of three dimensions of consumer attitude demonstrated high credibility from 0.75 to 0.91. Mean score of subcategories of attitudes toward the type of display by the gender of consumer showed high scores of 'interest' and 'impression' categories in image centered display and showed high scores of 'information' category in product centered display for both gender.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.127-156
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• 2012

A lot of interest in the baby-boomer generation, those who were born after World War II, has emerged since their retirement has been accelerated. The retirement of baby-boomers has caused many health, public welfare, social policy and family relationship problems. However, their increased purchasing power has made them more attractive consumers than any other generation, and they have become a fascinating niche market in the depressed economy. This research selected middle-class women of the baby-boomer generation who have had powerful effects on society and have emerged as an attractive niche market, and attempted to understand their lives intensively. Based on research activities, the purpose of this research is to identify baby-boomer generation middle-aged women's life values. Qualitative research methodology was used to achieve research objectives, and this research aimed to suggest marketing implications to connected industries based on the research results. The research objectives are as follows. 1. understanding the lives of baby-boomer middle-class women who have powerful effects on socio-economic phenomena 2. identifying the life values of baby-boomer middle-class women 3. generating marketing implications based on an understanding of baby-boomer middle-class women's lives and life values This research conducted FGIs(focus group interviews), one of the qualitative research methodologies, to figure out baby-boomer middle-class women's life values intensively and selected 10 women living in Seoul for data collection. The qualitative data of collected FGIs were analyzed with spiral data analysis methodology proposed by Creswell(2007). The most effective factors to influence these middle-class women's lives powerfully were 'time' and 'independence'. Their consciousness of the importance of using time affects their life pattern generally, and their independence also impacts greatly on the way they exploit time and on their diverse relationships. They maximized their self-realization and showed long-term partnership with their surrounding circumstances because of those effective factors. Baby-boomer middle-class women's self-realization was divided into two areas. One was their outside activities and another was perfect management of their physical appearance and home interior. Like the results of this research, their need for social entrance will be reinforced more strongly since their internal and external activities aim for the achievement of self-realization. In addition, this research suggests that baby-boomer middle-class women's activities are connected with their management of their physical appearance and home interior decorations, and that such management is caused not only by a simple interest in fashion and beauty but also a profound desire for self-realization. On account of their consciousness, which is different from other generations, Korean baby-boomer middle-class women are able to maintain positive partnerships with their surrounding circumstances; however, they also show ambivalent emotions to retain effective partnerships. To overcome those stressful situations, they make greater efforts to keep up their health and youth, and also engage in diverse activities to maintain their mental health. Finally, they generate positive attitudes toward their economic situation and extra time to develop self-realization and pursue happy, youthful and healthy lives. Based on those results, this study suggests the following implications. First, industries targeting the baby-boomer generation should develop innovative products and services which help the baby-boomer generation maximize their efficiency of time since time is one of the most important factors powerfully impacting the baby-boomer generation. They will engage in various activities to fill up their extra time and consume helpful products and services. Second, such industries should supply the baby-boomer generation with opportunities which propose new ways of self-realization since this generation shows a great desire for self-realization because of their self-efficacy. With customized strategies of satisfying their needs, the baby-boomer generation would discover opportunities to utilize their abilities, relationships and aesthetic senses, and industries would develop a niche market. Third, market segmentations which target the baby-boomer generation's desire to maintain their physical appearance and home interior should be executed since such activities are the main strategies to develop this generation's self-realization. The baby-boomer generation's desire to study those areas would be expanded, and those education systems should produce innovative products and services targeting the baby-boomer generation. This implication also offers to government officials new policies related with the baby-boomer generation. This exploratory study utilized qualitative research methodology to understand baby-boomer middle-class women's lives, and proposed propositions and limitations for further researches. As for the limitations, first, it is hard to generalize the research results so that they may apply to all areas and economic classes of the baby-boomer generation since this research selected only 10 women living in Seoul for the data collection process. To overcome this limitation, extended data collections of subjects from diverse regions and economic classes should be designed. Second, quantitative research should be conducted to supplement the findings with validities. Third, this research focused on only general ideas of the baby-boomer generation's lives since the range of this study was focused on their overall lives. Therefore, intensive research related to specific areas of their lives should be conducted.