The sensory research on the style of women's overcoats

Abstract

Purpose

The research in this paper aims to investigate the perception created by clothing style and semantic space to describe this perception. The results of study could be applied to establish relation between customers' feelings and design elements.

Design/methodology/approach

Women's overcoats were chosen as research objects. The technique of sensory engineering was applied to investigate the customers' feelings and demands related to product images. Card system, shape analytical method, and regression analysis were applied in this research.

Findings

Six word‐pair were selected to establish the semantic space. The product elements space with seven items and 25 categories was established. The relation between two spaces could be quantified according to the principle of sensory engineering.

Research limitations/implications

The findings can be applied to women's overcoat and similar clothing for customer‐orientated design.

Originality/value

The theory of sensory engineering was applied for practical application purposes. Some useful parameters were obtained to explain the reliability of the research results and influences of design elements on perception judgment.

Citation

Wang, Y., Chen, Y. and Chen, Z. (2008), "The sensory research on the style of women's overcoats", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 174-183. https://doi.org/10.1108/09556220810865229