• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2010

Green or an environmental consciousness has been a major issue for businesses and government offices, as well as consumers, worldwide. In response to this movement, the Korean government announced, in the early 2000s, the era of "Green Growth" as a way to encourage green-related business activities. The Korean fashion industry, in various levels of involvement, presents diverse eco-friendly products as a part of the green movement. These apparel products include organic products and recycled clothing. For these companies to be successful, they need information about who are the consumers who consider green issues (e.g., environmental sustainability) as part of their personal values when making a decision for product purchase, use, and disposal. These consumers can be considered as eco-sumers. Previous studies have examined consumers' purchase intention for or with eco-friendly products. In addition, studies have examined influential factors used to identify the eco-sumers or green consumers. However, limited attention was paid to eco-sumers' disposal or recycling behavior of clothes in comparison with their green product purchases. Clothing disposal behaviors are ways that consumer can get rid of unused clothing and in clue temporarily lending the item or permanently eliminating the item by "handing down" (e.g., giving it to a younger sibling), donating, exchanging, selling, or simply throwing it away. Accordingly, examining purchasing behaviors of eco-friendly fashion items in conjunction with clothing disposal behaviors should improve understanding of a consumer's clothing consumption behavior from the environmental perspective. The purpose of this exploratory study is to provide descriptive information about Korean eco-sumers who have ecologically-favorable lifestyles and behaviors when buying and disposing of clothes. The objectives of this study are to (a) categorize Koreans on the basis of clothing disposal behaviors; (b) investigate the differences in demographics, lifestyles, and clothing consumption values among segments; and (c) compare the purchase intention of eco-friendly fashion items and influential factors among segments. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on previous studies. The questionnaire included 10 items of clothing disposal behavior, 22 items of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) characteristics, and 19 items of consumption values, measured by five-point Likert-type scales. In addition, the purchase intention of two eco-friendly fashion items and 11 attributes of each item were measured by seven-point Likert type scales. Two polyester fleece pullovers, made from fabric created from recycled bottles with the PET identification code, were selected from one Korean brand and one US imported brand among outdoor sportswear brands. A brief description of each product with a color picture was provided in the survey. Demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, marital status, education level, income, occupation) were also included. The data were collected through a professional web survey agency during May 2009. A total of 600 final usable questionnaires were analyzed. The age of respondents ranged from 20 to 49 years old with a mean age of 34 years. Fifty percent of the respondents were males and about 58% were married, and 62% reported having earned university degrees. Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to identify the underlying dimensions of the clothing disposal behavior scale, and three factors were generated (i.e., reselling behavior, donating behavior, non-recycling behavior). To categorize the respondents on the basis of clothing disposal behaviors, k-mean cluster analysis was used, and three segments were obtained. These consumer segments were labeled as 'Resale Group', 'Donation Group', and 'Non-Recycling Group.' The classification results indicated approximately 98 percent of the original cases were correctly classified. With respect to demographic characteristics among the three segments, significant differences were found in gender, marital status, occupation, and age. LOHAS characteristics were reduced into the following five factors: self-satisfaction, family orientation, health concern, environmental concern, and voluntary service. Significant differences were found in the LOHAS factors among the three clusters. Resale Group and Donation Group showed a similar predisposition to LOHAS issues while the Non-Recycling Group presented the lowest mean scores on the LOHAS factors compared to the other segments. The Resale and Donation Groups described themselves as enjoying or being satisfied with their lives and spending spare-time with family. In addition, these two groups cared about health and organic foods, and tried to conserve energy and resources. Principal components factor analysis generated clothing consumption values into the following three factors: personal values, social value, and practical value. The ANOVA test with the factors showed differences primarily between the Resale Group and the other two groups. The Resale Group was more concerned about personal value and social value than the other segments. In contrast, the Non-Recycling Group presented the higher level of social value than did Donation Group. In a comparison of the intention to purchase eco-friendly products, the Resale Group showed the highest mean score on intent to purchase Product A. On the other hand, the Donation Group presented the highest intention to purchase for Product B among segments. In addition, the mean scores indicated that the Korean product (Product B) was more preferable for purchase than the U.S. product (Product A). Stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the influence of product attributes on the purchase intention of eco product. With respect to Product A, design, price and contribution to environmental preservation were significant to predict purchase intention for the Resale Group, while price and compatibility with my image factors were significant for the Donation Group. For the Non-Recycling Group, design, price compatibility with the factors of my image, participation to eco campaign, and contribution to environmental preservation were significant. Price appropriateness was significant for each of the three clusters. With respect to Product B, design, price and compatibility with my image factors were important, but different attributes were associated significantly with purchase intention for each of the three groups. The influence of LOHAS characteristics and clothing consumption values on intention to purchase Products A and B were also examined. The LOHAS factor of health concern and the personal value factor were significant in the relationships with the purchase intention; however, the explanatory powers were low in the three segments. Findings showed that each group as classified by clothing disposal behaviors showed differences in the attributes of a product, personal values, and the LOHAS characteristics that influenced their purchase intention of eco-friendly products. Findings would enable organizations to understand eco-friendly behavior and to design appropriate strategic decisions to appeal eco-sumers.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.904-910
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• 2009

The aim of this study is to help out-size consumers purchase the ready-made clothes and improve clothing fitness by classifying the lower bodies of abdomen-obese adult males and by setting up some size system according to each size interval of obesity types. The including criteria for subjects in this study was over 25 kg/$m^2$ of the BMI, over 90 cm of waist, and over 0.85 of WHR, and a total of 538 adult males satisfying them were enrolled. Results are as follows; 1st, the higher the age bracket was, the more increase in each age bracket's lower-degree obesity rate there was along with the more decrease in moderate-degree, while the higher the age bracket was, the more increasing tendency toward each age bracket's abdominal obesity there was. 2nd, 3 clusters were categorized by cluster analysis, into abdominal obesity, high-degree-type, trapezoid-type and cylinder-type. And 3rd, as a consequence of size system establishment according to lower-body types, the basic body sizes and reference body sizes were different according to types even in commonly-appeared size names at sections of respective types. The research findings above suggests that it is necessary to figure out the obesity types according to waist and hip sizes representing basic sizes and to design the patterns in consideration of the characteristics of obese body shapes when lower-half body clothes are designed among obesity groups. And it may be used as a basic data to decide the desirable output of production according to respective body types.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.708-719
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• 2013

Purchase of clothes has recently picked up pace at mobile fashion shopping malls. One of the biggest weak points is that consumers can't coordinate clothes. Since individuals increasingly want to make coordination, a fashion coordination system to satisfy the demand should be developed. As the technology of digital clothing which is about reproducing dresses using computer graphic has been activated in the fashion industry, many changes in consumers' life patterns and interests in fashion shopping malls are taking place. Some consumers are increasingly more keenly interested in shopping on the Internet and Smart phones than in offline stores. This study was conducted to understand production of iPhone-based augmented reality fashion fitting contents which is suitable for Koreans' body shape. This system is about designing and materializing UI(User Interface), an augmented reality fitting system, so that users can confirm if they look nice with those fashion items using Smart phones. A new fashion shopping method satisfying user convenience was suggested using the materialized system.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.803-816
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• 2016

The purposes of this study were to investigate the influences of channel assessments on the usage of multi-channels by product types, and the differences in the usage of multi-channels among product types in buying decision making process for fashion products. Data were collected from 510 consumers in their 20s to 50s with purchasing experiences through multi-channel distribution system and living in Seoul and Kyunggi province; 491 were analyzed after deleting incomplete questionnaires. Factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis by using SPSS 18.0. The results were as follows: 5 factors were extracted for channel assessment: utility, accuracy, risk, price benefit and sharing information. Price benefits, utility and sharing information for online channel tended to influence positively on the usage of online channel and online+offline channels. Accuracy and low perceived risk of offline influenced positively on offline and on+offline channel usages. The usage levels of on-line and off-line channels for cosmetics were significantly lower than the usage levels for clothes and accessories on information search, evaluation of alternatives, and purchase stages. Significant differences were also found in the usage levels of multi-channels (on+off-line) on information search and evaluation of alternatives stages. The usage levels of the multi-channels for clothes were the highest followed by those of accessories and cosmetics in order.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.85-99
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• 2004

The purpose of the study is to survey the current state of tween generation boys' clothing-wearing, to identify problems in the current apparel sizing system, and to contribute to the improvement of the fitness of ready-made clothes. 1. According to the result of surveying the current state of clothing-wearing, boys prefer casual wear and, as they grow old, they tend to purchase clothes alone or in company with their friends. In addition, they use mainly easy casual wear or sports wear stores. They appear to be highly dissatisfied with price and size and think that the fitting of coats, pants and jackets is poor. Moreover, they complain about sizes such as waist circumference, pants length and upper-arm circumference. 2. According to the result of comparing apparel sizing system with body measurements, the waist circumference and hip circumference of young casual wear are fit to the large size of body at the age of 12 and the over-average size of body at the age of 13 and 14, but its bust circumference is fit only to the extra-large size of body at the age of 13 and 14. Such results come from differences in body shape between adults and adolescents. Although adolescents' body size has been enlarged, their body line is still immature and, accordingly, their drop-value is smaller than that of adults, which appears to cause adolescents to be highly dissatisfied with fitting.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.159-167
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• 2021

The increasingly severe environmental problems such as resource depletion and ecological damage, and consumers' concern for sustainable fashion, make the fashion industry chain develop towards green energy saving. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitude and consumption psychology of specific groups towards sustainable fashion consumption, as well as their specific views and attitudes towards recycled textiles or fabrics for re-manufacturing clothing. This paper attempts to understand how the characteristics of recycled clothing affect consumer. Based on the review of relevant literature, a series of determinants affecting consumer behavior is determined, and the characteristics of recycled products, such as expression value and social value, are determined. An online questionnaire was designed based on this conceptual framework, and 226 valid, complete answers were received. The results show that the emphasis on social value and environmental protection consciousness can effectively affect consumers' decision-making. These findings were helpful to the research of whole green environmental protection and ecological clothing recycling industry system, promote the sustainable development of the clothing industry.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.265-284
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• 2020

This study aimed to analyze the performance of Disney-collaborated fashion lines based on online consumer reviews. To do so, the researchers employed text mining and network analysis to identify key words in the reviews of these products. Blogs, internet cafes, and web documents provided by Naver, Daum, and YoutTube were selected as subjects for the analysis. The analysis period was limited to one year after for the 2019. Data collection and analysis were conducted using Python 3.7, Textom, and NodeXL. The research terms in question were as follows: 'Disney fashion collaboration' and 'Frozen fashion collaboration'. Preliminary survey results indicated that 'Elsa's dress' was the most frequently mentioned term and that the domestic fashion brand Eland Retail was the most active in selling Disney branded clothing through its own brand. The writers of reviews for Disney-collaborated fashion products were primarily mothers with daughters. Their decision to purchase these products was based upon the following factors; price, size, stability of decoration, shipping, laundry, and retailer. The motives for purchasing the product were the positive response of the consumer's child and the satisfaction of the parents due to the child's response. The problems to be solved included insufficient quantity of supply, delay in delivery, expensive price considering the number of times children's clothes are worn, poor glitter decoration, faded color, contamination from laundry, and undesirable smells immediately after the purchase.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.105-120
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship of self-efficacy, which is a kind of the self concept about one's own ability, to the decision-making process, which is the key part of consumer behavior. The subjects in this study were 985 male and female undergraduates of a university located in the city of Kyongsan, the north Kyongsang province. The collected data were statistically processed by MANOVA and ANOVA. For post test, Scaffle and $\chi$$^2$-test were employed. The followings are findings of this study : 1. Concerning incentive to buying, the group having the weaker general self-efficacy is stimulated more highly by the incentives of self-display, fashion pursuit and economic utility than the group having the stronger general self-efficacy does. 2. Regarding information sources. the factor of observation is frequently used by the group having the weaker general and social self-efficacies more than the group having the stronger general and social self-efficacies. 3. As to the evaluative criteria of clothes, the group having the stronger general and social self-efficacies put a higher value on functional and economical points than the group having the weaker general and social self-efficacies does. 4. As for the evaluative criteria of store the group having the stronger general self-efficacy lays stress on store atmosphere, store attributes and convenient shopping condition, while the group having the weaker general self-efficacy puts emphasis on brand and fashion. 5. In buying apparels, the group having the stronger general and social self-efficacies makes more planned purchase.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.73-81
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• 2016

The electronic commerce environment allows customers to search for information and purchase products and services via direct contact with internet markets. Purchasing through the internet is not a real experience of purchasing, but is based on some pictures, information and advertisements of products. To improve E-commerce environment in Iran, purchasing behavior of Iranian young adults in the internet shopping mall is analyzed in this study. The factors which influence the motivation of internet shopping and the selection of internet shopping mall is investigated, and statistical tests were applied between these factors and other variables such as gender, job, age and education. The results of the tests showed that there is a gender difference on one of the shopping mall selection factor (i.e., abundant information about products); also there is a gender difference on the one of the shopping motivation factor (i.e., possibility of comparing products). Besides, there is a job difference (student or non-student) on the factor of 'Purchase frequency per month'. Other facts are also found that Iranian consumers are not sure about a product's quality, so they refuse to buy products such as foods, clothes and other products. Additionally, they are dissatisfied about the safety of internet shopping malls.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.149-161
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• 2008

Internet shopping provides convenience to consumers, however, in recent years the consumer's return rate and return-related disputes continue to increase. This article examines the characteristics of return behavior through return experiences of internet clothing purchases. For an empirical study, questionnaires were handed out to 317 undergraduate male and female students, in which the results had been used for data analysis. Data were analyzed through SPSS 12.0 software, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, t-test, ANDVA analysis, Duncan test, and $x^2-test$. The results are the following: The analysis of consumers' return factor for clothes in Internet shopping showed there are five factors: product and quality, delivery, impulse buying, change of mind, and service. There is a significant difference in product quality of return factors depending on the availability of the return experience. Thus, consumers with return experience showed more return tendency owing to product quality factor than consumers without return experience. The availability of consumer's return experience was significantly related to information search. Consumers with return experience showed more consistent information search than consumers without return experience. There were significant differences in perceived risks depending on the availability and degree of consumer's return experience. In other words, consumers with return experience perceived more account related risk than consumers without return experience. Moreover, the more return experience the consumer has, the more risks consumers perceived in product performance.