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This study aims to propose and demonstrate a practical application of a new three-part holistic sensory evaluation (HSE) method for textiles and apparel based on the senses of sight, touch, hearing and smell. HSE method development was carefully documented, described and successfully applied to evaluate sensory characteristics and consumer perceptions and acceptance of bacterial cellulose (BC), a novel sustainable material for apparel.

In Part One of the HSE method, research participants described the material in their own words based on the senses of sight, touch, hearing and smell. In Part Two, they rated the intensities and their linking for 25 predetermined attributes describing BC. Part Three measured participants’ overall liking of BC and its perceived suitability for apparel and accessories.

Application of the HSE method resulted in an in-depth understanding of BC material. Areas for material improvements and positive characteristics were identified, providing direction for further development. Consumers found BC suitable for accessories and outer-layer garments but not for apparel.

Sensory evaluation of textiles and apparel has traditionally focused on the senses of touch and sight. The new HSE method allows evaluating the full range of sensory characteristics of materials/products and holistically assessing consumer perceptions. The method is especially useful for novel materials and wearable technology. BC has gained increased interests as a novel sustainable material, yet consumer studies have been lacking. This study reports a comprehensive evaluation of BC material from consumer perspective.

This paper argues that cultures with the same climate have similar handicrafts as they have similar cultivation and identical raw materials. This study focuses on how mountainous, coastal and hot regions partaking in similar crafts and cultural heritage use palm leaves and analyses the resulting handicrafts' similarities.

A review of mapping these samples establishes this similarity in the traditional industries of some civilizations' cultural heritage from countries sharing similar climates.

The handwoven crafts using palm leaves were significant patrimonial artifacts in different societies' and communities' cultural heritage. Our studies revealed that climate plays an active role in influencing all aspects of humanity’s life. It affects the construction methods and style, agriculture and lifestyles.

Traditional handwoven palm leaf product models, especially plates and baskets, are studied from South America, Africa, Gulf Countries and Asia.

Additionally, this paper focuses on preserving these treasures as an essential part of interior elements as accessories for most inhabitants of these areas.

Cultural heritage also embraces intangible aspects such as skills passed down through generations within a particular society. The tangible and intangible elements complement each other and contribute to an overall legacy.

Cultural heritage reflects a society’s way of life carried down through the years across lands, items, customs and aesthetic concepts. People are the gatekeepers of society, as they preserve their way of life for future generations to emulate. Tangible artistic and cultural heritage comprises artifacts. It comprises all human evidence and expressions, such as traditional handicrafts, pictures, documents, books and manuscripts.

This paper aims to understand the underlying motivations and factors that drive millennials to embrace smartwatches as fashionable accessories, health monitoring tools and eco-friendly alternatives.

In June–July 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted, gathering 285 complete responses through an online survey using convenience sampling. These responses were then analyzed to obtain valuable insights using structural equation modeling.

This study’s findings confirm the mediation effect of fashion innovativeness on the relationship between subjective norms and attitudes toward smartwatch usage (b = 0.034, lower limit confidence interval (LLCI) = 0.007, upper limit confidence interval (ULCI) = 0.086, p = 0.015). In addition, it highlights the mediating role of healthology in the association between subjective norms and attitudes toward using smartwatches (b = 0.062, LLCI = 0.006, ULCI = 0.151, p = 0.029).

This research has limitations in terms of sample representativeness, self-reported data, cultural and regional factors and technological advancement.

Understanding millennials’ motivations behind smartwatch usage has implications for marketers, designers and manufacturers in targeting this generation effectively. By highlighting smartwatches’ fashion-forward and health-conscious aspects, companies can appeal to millennials’ preferences and develop innovative features that align with their values.

This study provides validation for the increased level of environmental concerns among millennials, emphasizing its substantial influence on their purchasing decisions when it comes to smartwatches. Furthermore, it highlights that health-consciousness holds greater significance than fashion-forwardness as a determining factor for consumers of smartwatches.

This pioneering study explores the adoption intentions of smartwatch usage, examining it from the unique perspectives of health theology and environmental concerns. By delving into these novel dimensions, the research fills a significant gap in the existing literature. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing millennials’ decision-making processes when embracing smartwatches.

This paper analyses the factors that make fashion-product crowdfunding campaigns successful. The authors argue that crowdfunding is an innovative and functional way of bringing new fashion items to the market. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question whether product innovation, lifecycle and sustainability have a positive effect on the success of fashion crowdfunding campaigns. The findings highlight that the success of the fashion crowdfunding campaigns depends on creators' adherence to the values of the platform which they use to raise capital.

A total of 300 fashion crowdfunding projects running between the 17th of October and the 15th of December 2017 were collected from Kickstarter – the world's largest crowdfunding platform based on reward-based all-or-nothing model. Two-step binomial logistic regression was used to analyse the data.

The model predicted a significant increase in the odds of success for the fashion items crowdfunded during the first-time production, and innovative and environmentally sustainable products with a higher price range of rewards. In line with previous literature, regression analyses predicted a significant effect of the control variables of goal amount (negative) and the number of rewards (positive). Contrary to previous studies, neither the presence of a video nor the campaign length predicted success.

The novel findings of this study contribute to the literature by providing an analysis of success factors of fashion items on crowdfunding platforms. The results show that innovative, environmentally sustainable and higher-priced products produced by early-stage ventures are better welcomed by the audiences.

This study aims to comparatively reveal the physical, thermal and mechanical properties of horse tail and mane hairs, which have the potential to be used in many areas.

Physical properties of horsehairs such as diameter, density, moisture and water absorption were measured. Fourier transform infrared, field emission scanning electron microscopy and amino acid analyzes were applied to the hairs. Thermal stability of horsehair was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. In addition, breaking strength and elongation values of mane and tail hairs were measured.

As a result of morphological analysis of horsehair, it was observed that there are usually gaps in the internal structure of horsehair, but the size and continuity of these gaps vary. It has been determined that there is a significant difference between the tenacity values of tail and mane hairs as well as geometric characteristics. In addition, amino acid analysis has shown that the amino acid contents of horse tail and mane hairs are similar and not much different from sheep’s wool.

Horsehair has been used for various purposes such as clothing, accessories, brushes, upholstery and reinforcement material. To use horsehair in accordance with its application area and performance characteristics, it is necessary to know its physical, thermal and mechanical properties. It is considerable to reveal the similar and different aspects of tail and mane hairs to determine whether they are alternatives to each other. Therefore, revealing the characteristics of tail and mane hairs comparatively constitutes the originality of this study.

The rise of interactive fitness games in the post-epidemic era has resulted in the need to establish a quality evaluation index system. This study aims to develop such a system and provide a reference for enhancing the quality of interactive fitness games.

To achieve this, interviews and questionnaires were conducted to identify the factors that influence the quality of interactive fitness games. The Kano model and SII (Satisfaction Increment Index)-Dissatisfaction Decrement Index (DDI) two-dimensional quadrant analysis were then used to explore differences in quality judgment between males and females, as well as their priorities for improving interactive fitness games.

The study revealed that males and females have different quality judgments for “rich and diverse content,” “motivational value,” “sensitive motion recognition detection” and “portability.” However, both genders share similar views on the other quality factors. In addition, the study identified differences in the priority of improvement between men and women. “Very interesting,” “effective fitness achievement,” “motivating fitness maintenance,” “sensitive motion recognition detection,” “portability” and “educational value” were found to be of higher priority for men than women.

These findings provide a valuable theoretical reference for developers and designers of interactive fitness games seeking to enhance the user experience.

This study aims to measure the competitiveness of top apparel exporting nations competing with China in different apparel product categories across the global environment.

Compound annual growth rate, trade competitiveness, market share percentages, revealed comparative advantage and its variant normalized revealed comparative advantage using two-, four- and six-digit harmonized system codes for the period of 2016–2021 were used to understand the comparative advantage of competing apparel exporting nations.

The findings revealed that China still holds a more decisive comparative advantage than its competitors over the majority of the product categories within the knitted or not knitted apparel and clothing accessories. The other competing nations hold better export competitiveness over China in specific categories. However, that is not sufficient to be the “Next China.”

The study has important implications for different stakeholders of the global apparel industry, such as governments, industry officials, policymakers, investors, researchers and students. The study’s limitations arise from using product categories as competitiveness indicators, notably relying on a macro level approach for measurement while the micro level perspective is not analyzed, which constitutes a significant limitation of the study.

This research thoroughly analyzes the competitive position of the top ten apparel-exporting countries in the global market.

This study aims to examine the export competitiveness of Vietnam’s apparel sector by identifying the precise product categories that create its comparative advantage.

Revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA) form the research methodology, and the RCA/NRCA values are calculated for the 2011–2020 period.

In total, 29 out of 34 product categories at four-digit levels and 65 out of 217 subcategories at six-digit levels elicited a consistent export comparative advantage throughout the 10-year study timeframe. The study also identified 13 subcategories at six-digit levels, which indicated 10 consecutive years of relative disadvantages.

The study’s findings have far-reaching implications for economic policy, development strategies and global economic integration. By providing a nuanced understanding of a country’s export strengths in the international apparel trade, this study offers valuable guidance for informed decision-making at various levels. The findings will serve as a significant source of information for policymakers and help them formulate novel policies aiming to diversify Vietnam’s apparel product offerings and export destinations. The results will also inform the government regarding the industry’s potential and attract necessary support, enabling it to grow further. This study reveals patterns in Vietnam’s apparel trade but does not provide insights into the underlying causes of comparative advantage.

The study provides an in-depth overview of Vietnam’s comparative advantages and disadvantages at two-, four- and six-digit harmonized system levels and helps understand Vietnam’s apparel export competitiveness.

The process of redesigning is one of the essential steps in upcycling, which comprises ideation, reconstruction and fitting. This paper aims to study the best practice of upcycling in the clothing industry. This study is an attempt to standardise upcycling/redesign process.

An exploratory approach was adopted to perform the research. This study draws on the multiple organisations involved in the upcycling of clothes. The organisations chosen for this study are located in Sweden and Romania using the snowball technique. Semi-structured interviews, direct and participatory observation approaches were used to collect information. The collected data are systematically analysed using NVivo 10 software.

This paper provides empirical insights into the diverse practices of upcycling. Process, product and demand-based were three fundamental approaches to performing the redesigning process. The fabric quality and durability, variations in size, colour and pattern, skills and efforts required in the extraction of parts and environmental consciousness and awareness were the main factors influencing upcycling process.

The use of the European case may miss best practices from the other region. This study may help scholars to understand the method of upcycling. A practitioner of upcycling can use the findings to improve and standardise the existing process. This research is beneficial for society, as this leads to the reduction of textile wastage.

This paper conceptualises some of the best practices of clothes redesign. This provides a good insight for the organisation for the improvement in the redesign business.

This study aims to answer the question of how to structure a circular ecosystem for extractive fishing in the Amazon region. It explores possibilities for implementing a circular ecosystem management model in an imperfect market with low technological availability, high informality and limited public assistance.

Qualitative approach was adopted for this paper, with a case study on extractive fishing in the state of Amazonas. Data was collected through 35 interviews and direct observation of the processes of collecting, storing and transporting fish on two routes: Tapauá-Manaus and Manacapuru-Manaus.

Through the data collected, it was possible to observe the importance of an orchestrating agent – such as an association or even a public authority – for the establishment and development of a circular ecosystem for extractive fishing in the region.

The paper makes theoretical contributions by presenting how a circular ecosystem management model could be implemented for an imperfect market in the Global South, as well as contributing to the literature on how the circular economy contributes to mitigate the threat to biodiversity posed by the linear economy.

It contributes to the management practice of structuring circular ecosystems.

The role of public authorities and the collective organization of fishermen as orchestrators connecting the network of actors that develop the extractive fishing ecosystem is fundamental, guaranteeing effective social participation in solving local problems.

The idea of circular ecosystems was applied to imperfect contexts, with high informality, weak institutions and bioeconomy, topics still little explored in the literature.