• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.4
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• pp.47-61
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• 2004

This study analyzed the buying patterns of American and Korean female college students in terms of criteria for clothing selection； store preferences； criteria for store selection； fashion information sources； expressions of customer dissatisfaction； purchasing frequency and motivations for purchasing clothes. The study was implemented through self-administered questionnaires which were back translated for validity. The samples consisted of 730 female college students majoring in the fields related to clothing and textiles： 310 U.S. and 412 Korean students. Likert scales were used for most measures with 1＝never or very unimportant and 5＝always or very important. Data were analyzed by factor analysis, analysis of covariance, Duncans multiple comparison, and t-test. Results are as follows： 1) Design factor was the most important criteria in clothing selection with no differences between country groups. There were, however, significant differences for psychological exhibition factors, practical and economic factors. 2) Both groups preferred specialty and department stores, with department stores more popular in Korea. 3) Merchandise was the most important store selection criterion and fashion magazines and self-experience were rated as the most important information sources for the both groups. 4) Korean group expressed their dissatisfaction with and observable problem with a product before purchase more often than U.S. group, but the U.S. group was more vocal about color loss or shrinkage after care procedures. 5) Some clear differences between the two countries emerged. Marketers targeting American consumers should pay more attention to practicality and service； to Korean consumers more symbolic meaning of products.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.26-38
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• 2023

This study aimed to develop a visually differentiated quarantine suit design for giving 119 paramedics comfort to work and psychological stability and to awaken awareness without fear or pressure of the public through literature review and practical research. Basic research was conducted on firefighting uniforms and quarantine suits in Korea and abroad, focusing on domestic and foreign related literature. An interview survey was conducted to identify the current status, problems, and preferences of the design. Research subjects were eight dispatched paramedics and two executives in Seoul and Gwangju. The survey period was from September 15, 2022 to October 10, 2022. Interviews were conducted through phone calls. Results of this study were as follows. Most of the quarantine suits currently worn were Level D style ready-made clothes without coverall patterns. The current quarantine suit was designed without reflecting the symbolism of the National Fire Agency. They were wearing a generous size without having to think about the fit. Most of these quarantine suits were white. In addition, the quarantine suit could not be equipped with a camera for the safety of paramedics. After identifying improvements based on results of the above interview analysis, the following quarantine suit design was proposed. First, it would be differentiated from other institutions by designing suits with symbolism. Second, the convenience of size, camera equipment, and better breathability and style than Level D should be considered. Based on these results, a total of five quarantine suits were designed.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.642-648
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• 2013

This study investigates the changes inconsumer sensibility and product preferences according to theirecofriendly productperceptions. Stimulants (released by three companies of sport casual brands)include three shirts made of recycled polyester and three made of organic cotton. A surveymethod was used to respond to the emotion and image while watching the presented pictures of the clothes. The change in the reactions was analyzed before and after the presentation of eco-friendliness information. The questionnaire consists of sensibility adjectives, open-ended questions about the associated image of eco-friendliness, color attractiveness, product favorability, price satisfaction, and reasons for an eco-friendly productpurchase. The survey was conducted on 200adult male and female participants. Two factors ('eco' and 'design')were identifiedthrough the factor analysis of image adjectives. There was a statistically significant increase in the evaluation of sensibility, color attractiveness, product favorability, and price satisfactiondue to the re-evaluation of the same products after consumers recognized the eco-friendly information of apparel products. When consumers recognize products aseco-friendly, they evaluate the products more positively than before. The result of the analysis of the increases by textile materials shows no significant difference in the sensibility changes depending on the materials. However, with regard to 'eco', the increase of sensibility change for organic cotton products was larger than for recycled polyester products.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.18-28
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• 2009

Korea Ancient Gagye in Clothing history has the following meanings with ceremonial, social, and aesthetic aspects, related to symbolism of its formality and procedures, flexibility about social aspects, and clothing beauty. First, Gagye must be worn in formal ceremonies with its clothes. Different Gagye in different time and place means the symbolism of its formality and ceremonies. Gagye played a big role as a means to carry out national ceremonies In diplomatic relationship with China. Second, Korea Ancient Gagye had been worn in every class irrespective of social status. Because it could be worn reflecting personal preferences even in old communities. Additionally Gagye had flexibility to reflect the historical aspects and improved various Gagye types reflecting Buddhism and practical science. So Gagye becomes significant sharing the common value with Korea Clothing culture. Third, Korea Ancient Gagye developed aesthetic spirit concerning beauty of Clothing. In the Age of the Three States, Clothing and Gagye types kept balanced and made good harmony. Gagye had gotten little exaggerated and expanded and become changed into loaded hair type.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.155-164
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• 2013

Purpose : This study was conducted to assess whether Korean medicine doctors' attire influences patients' preference (confidence, comfortability, neatness) in a university hospital. Materials and Methods : Employing a cross-sectional design, outpatients answered a questionnaire in a university hospital of Korean Medicine. Respondents were asked for completing the questionnaire to estimate their preference of doctor's attire for confidence, comfortability and neatness after watching 4 types of attire in both male and female Korean medicine doctors, including white coat, traditional attire, formal suit and casual clothes. Whether Korean medicine doctors' attire on a patients' preference is important was also asked for the respondents using a 5-point Likert scale. Results : All 175 patients were enrolled, of whom 38.9% were male respondents, 46.3% graduated from a university at least and mean age of responders was 47.1. Most had a tendency for preferring white coat followed by traditional attire and only a small portion of respondents preferred for formal suit and casual clothes. When comparing preferences in confidence between white coat and traditional attire only, male patients preferred white coat more than female patients did with statistical significance. In addition, 85.4% of respondents answered that Korean medicine doctors' attire is important to a clinical situation with higher ratio of female respondents (87.9%) than male respondents (80.9%). Conclusion : Patients preferred white coat and traditional attire mostly for the Korean Medicine doctor's attire with only small preference for formal suit and casual clothes. Also, Patients recognized that Korean medicine doctors' attire is important in the clinical situation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.151-160
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• 2008

`Early adopters,` a term first used by Everett Rogers in 1957, refers to people who are among the first to try a new product and like to evaluate the product for others. Early adopters in the digital age of the 21st century, greatly influence others by exchanging information on products and writing product reviews on Internet boards. Technological products have recently been released in the fashion world to become important fashion items, and early adopters are active buyers of these products. The purpose of this study is to examine the values and characteristics of early adopters as consumers of technological fashion products, and present a standard for designing fashion products in the future. This study was based on documentary research, Internet research and in-depth interviews. Documentary research was carried out to examine the lifestyles, characteristics and consumption habits of early adopters. Internet research was done to understand the tendencies of Korean early adopters, and a total of 18 websites were studied in 7 product categories. The subjects of in-depth interviews were 6 people who were either webmasters or members of early adopter-related websites. IT field early adopters tended to pursue new technologies, and fashion early adopters placed importance on how well a person could express their own style. New, unique, useful and pretty were the key words to describe the tendencies of early adopters, and fashion early adopters preferred the latest contemporary styles. Interviewees placed most importance on price, design and function of products. Since IT related products are continuously being added on to clothes and becoming fashion products themselves, further research on technology-related fashion design would be significant.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.64 no.8
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• pp.97-110
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• 2014

Animals, as a part of nature, have much influence on children's emotional development and are one of children's favorite subjects of design. This study analyzes the differences in animal expression methods and types of animals, in relation to gender and item based on a collection of children's clothing and accessories that use animal as their theme. The collection consists of 148 clothing and 75 accessories (total of 223 items), which were collected from on-line shopping sites for children's clothes. Analysis results showed the following observations. Animal expression was categorized into four methods: emblem, illustration, character, and pattern.(The most common method was character, followed by pattern, illustration, and emblem. In relation to gender and clothing item, animal expression methods varied widely:(character was the most popular for) boys' t-shirts and accessories, while girls' bottoms and dresses. As for (animal) types, Mammalia was the most common, followed by birds and insects. Dogs and puppies were popular both genders.(However, differences in preferences existed as) boys liked big and wild animals such as bears, tigers, and foxes, while girls liked small and cute animals such as rabbits, cats, owls, and butterflies. Based on these results, six types of animals (rabbits, elephants, large-beaked bird Toco Toucans, fish, penguins, and bees) were selected as themes for kids' vest designs and, among them, three designs were made.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2016

This study aims examine specific image preferences through selected fashion style and evaluation terms. Therefore, this study provided basic information in order to help select a suitable fashion style within a desired image. As times are changing, most people obtain information about fashion through the use of the Internet by utilizing mobile phones and personal computers and less through magazines, newspapers and so on. When people buy clothes, they seem to be more influenced by the design and color than by price and quality. It is not perceived important for buying like company, advertising, the place of purchase etc. The results of the analysis reveal the structural elements of an image having a sense of fashion style and can be categorized as a natural image, romantic image, elegance image, casual image and avant-garde image. Among the six fashion styles, the natural image is regarded the highest A style. The romantic image is the highest B style and elegance image is the C, D, E style. The casual image is the highest F style and avant-garde image is a D style. In regards to appropriate fashion style by ages, the twenty-something population is investigated in finding a fit that is lively and vibrant in style while the thirty-something population is perceived to identify with a more feminine style. The forty-something population has shown to prefer a more luxurious style. Through this observation one can see that there is a distinction is fashion style between ages.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors mainly recognized by customers regarding environmental elements of clothing store. The respondents are classified into several groups according to their preferences on the environmental elements of clothing store. Also the relationship between the factors and the shopping characteristics of customers is reviewed based on the results. This survey was carried out through a questionnaire of male and female university students(Busan region) in their twenties. The data were analyzed by using Factor analysis, Cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA, Duncan test as a post identification and regression analysis. The results of this research can be summarized as follows; The perceived 7 factors about environmental elements of clothing store were service policy, store atmosphere, product variety, shopping convenience, trend of products, freedom of shopping and reception service. The respondents were classified into three groups(high recognizing group, middle recognizing group and low recognizing group) by the level of recognizing 7 factors. There were significant differences among 3 groups divided by the degree of recognizing the factors regarding environmental elements of clothing store and there was the meaningful relationship between these 7 factors and shopping characteristics. The high recognizing group has shopping characteristics like more shopping time, large expenditure for clothing and a lot of comparative stores. They are frequently in contact with clothing shopping environment and easily purchase clothes. Finally, the factors perceived by the environmental elements of clothing store significantly affected the shopping characteristics of the customers. So, store managers have to look for the perceived environmental elements of store by business and seek after the marketing factors which efficiently stimulate consumer.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the trends of product design for textile convergence wearable smart textile fashion products according to college students' fashion life style. In this study, we used information obtained from a questionnaire issued to 201 female college students who were 20 years old for the final analysis. The questionnaires were to classify female college students groups according to the fashion life style, to examine characteristics, needs and wants of each group. The survey on the tendency of wearable smart textiles consisted of 22 items about concept and type of smart clothing product, functional material and intelligent material, recognition, preference, purchase intention, purchase factor and brand preference tendency. A total of 201 samples were analyzed by factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA, crosstabs and $x^2-test$ using SPSS package program. 'brand preference oriented type was found to be interested in 'wearable' smart clothing product with monitoring function of bio-signal' and 'high functional fiber and textile product', but the credibility of 'smart clothes that can be worn and smart textile products to be useful in modern life' was low. 'fashionable individuality oriented' type showed interest in 'smart clothing and smart product', 'intelligent fiber' and 'wearable smart clothing product with monitoring function of bio-signal', but the preferences of 'light emitting fiber products' was low. 'practically purchasing-oriented' type was very interested in 'high-functional fiber and its textile products', but had inadequate knowledge on 'smart clothing and smart textile product' and showed low interest. Despite the fact that 'wearable smart clothing and smart textile products' are expensive, they were willing to purchase considering practicality and sophisticated style.