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This study adopted the functional, expressive and aesthetic (FEA) consumer needs model, aimed to examine the influence of consumers' FEA perceptions of three-dimensional printing (3DP) integrated apparel products on their product satisfaction and purchase intention.

An online survey was employed with a sample of 332 participants (165 female and 167 male) aged 19 to 76, mean age of 35 years. A gender-neutral, 3DP integrated hooded sweatshirt was developed for this study featuring flexible, white 3D printed insets fabricated with an FDM 3D printer and white TPU filament sewn with traditional gray knit fleece.

The findings of this study suggest that the FEA model is appropriate in predicting consumers' satisfaction with 3DP integrated apparel products. Specifically, aesthetic (perceived beauty) and expressive (perceived coolness) dimensions are more influential than functional factors, except for the positive influence of perceived fit, in predicting consumers' satisfaction and purchase intentions for 3DP integrated apparel products.

Future studies could consider data collection from participants' physical fit testing or try on evaluation to determine the importance of the functional dimension in consumer response to 3DP integrated apparel product. Future studies could also examine full 3D printed apparel, or other 3DP integrated wearable products to expand the understanding of consumer perception of the application of 3DP technology.

Despite the increasing exploration of 3DP integrated apparel products and industry attempts to make this innovation in apparel more mainstream, research on how mainstream consumers perceive such 3DP integrated apparel products is limited. This study addresses this gap, providing critical implications for future research and design.

The purpose of this study was to explore the determinant factors of the adaptive clothing market for disabled customers and to identify the influential elements in the fashion industry, with the aim of establishing the influential factors that drive the adaptive apparel business in the local market. The study developed a path model of relationships incorporating the disabled consumer background, consumer purchase intention and demand and elements of the fashion industry. This model can be used as a reference for fashion practitioners.

A quantitative approach was adopted for this empirical study. A survey was designed to investigate the connections between the consumer-related and industry-related variables. A set of measurements was developed and validated for the survey. The data were collected from a sample of 175 local wheelchair users, with a response rate of approximately 6.6 per cent. The data were analysed using SmartPLS, and structural equation model analysis was applied to identify the relationships between the variables.

The results of this study demonstrated that consumer purchase intention for adaptive apparel was affected closely by environmental factors, and consumer demand was significantly related to industry aspects including the product complexity and the business operations along with all elements of the industrial practice. The findings also revealed that the disability level was related to the users' purchase intentions, but the financial capability of the disabled consumers did not affect the intention to purchase adaptive clothes products. These results could suggest that economic issues are not the consumer's prior concern when purchasing apparel, but rather the disability condition. Those who demand adaptive apparel require advanced performance levels of product design, technology application and service.

The study originated from the situation that the Hong Kong fashion market lacks an adaptive market specifically for the minority group of disabled consumers. Why such a niche market has not been developed is unclear to the practitioners. It is necessary to investigate from both consumer-related and industry-related factors. Specifically, the research explored the consumer background and industry elements to identify the factors that influence disabled consumers to purchase apparel, in order to inform fashion practitioners who are interested in the niche market of disabled consumers in Hong Kong. It is anticipated that the determinants of adaptive market development can be extended to wider areas of the Chinese or other Asian markets.

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

This paper aims to present a systematic review of the development process of Industry 4.0 in the textile and apparel sector, as well as to show some concepts, examples found in the literature on the application of the principles and technologies involved like the internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, Big Data, autonomous robots, three-dimensional (3D) printing, augmented reality, virtual prototyping, horizontal and vertical system integration and cybersecurity.

The methodology adopted in this study was a systematic literature review aided by the use of SciMAT, a scientific mapping software. Documents were collected from the Web of Science and Scopus database from 2011 to 2020 using the words “Textile” and “Industry 4.0” that result in 865 documents and 115 were analyzed.

The literature review showed that the textile industry in the international context is at an incipient stage of the implementation of Industry 4.0. The main aspects of Industry 4.0 that were identified in the textile industry initially focus on the implementation of technologies aimed at computerization and automation of processes, whose main focuses are increasing productivity and reducing costs. Projects for the implementation of augmented reality and 3D printing and simulation technologies in the textile industry, clothing and apparel area are still embryonic, normally implemented through tools and software oriented toward the creation and development of new models of processes, products and commerce.

The search in the databases was carried out on October 17, 2020. Therefore, for future study, other combinations of search terms and time update are suggested, in addition to including more databases besides Scopus and Web of Science.

This literature review served as the basis for the development of a questionnaire that was applied to 72 people in an industry in the clothing sector, located in the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil.

The benefits of industry 4.0 are perceived in people with its implementation, such as a reduction in energy consumption of around 15%, an increase of up to 25% in work efficiency, in addition to more assertive decision-making, improvement of processes and balance between life and work.

Machine learning, artificial intelligence, smart fabrics, IoT, supply chain management, environmental protection, Big Data, autonomation and cyber physics were the strongest terms found, consolidating as a prominent field for current and future studies. From emerging and/or still unexplored areas of Industry 4.0 in the textile sector, there is real-time communication, computer applications, carbon, fibers, health care and sustainable development. Some strategic actions that are taking place in some countries are summarized and in Brazil the adoption rate is 29% for this sector, revealing itself as a needy area and suitable for the development of studies that address the subject.

Examines the fifthteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

This study aims to produce textile-like surfaces using fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printers and create a garment collection.

Experiments were conducted using different types of materials in FDM 3D printers until the sufficient flexibility was achieved to create textile-like structures. During the research, properties of polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were observed. Geometrical patterns were printed and each of them gave a different result depending on the pattern. Based on the information obtained from the experiments, a garment collection with four total looks was designed inspired by Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”.

Among the materials used, TPU, a flexible filament, yielded the best results. Because of the rigid properties of PLA and ABS, chain-like structures were printed to create relatively flexible surfaces, but the results were still not successful enough to create a clothing material. Therefore, TPU was preferred for the garment material selection.

In this study, combinations of 3D printed flexible structures and different types of fabrics were used to create a garment collection. It was concluded that, with the right material selection, 3D printing can be used as an alternative method to create a new aesthetic language in fashion design.

In order to present a significant usage of the computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems in the apparel and textile industry, the current literature has been observed. Although the CAD/CAM systems have also been increasingly applied to all fields apparel and textile manufacturing for the last few decades, improving the precision, productivity and the organization of the information flow, they have not been fully utilized in these industrial fields. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The paper is structured in three main sections showing the vast applicability of the CAD/CAM systems, the benefits provided by them and the future trend in their development.

Although the initial development of the CAD/CAM systems strived to completely eliminate manual and time-consuming operations, they have not been accepted in practice due to their inflexibility at making changes and the time needed for regenerating a complex parametric model. The textile and apparel industries show slow progress in acquiring the CAD/CAM systems.

This CAD/CAM technology enabled the customization in the design process according to individual needs and directed the textile and the apparel industry to moving into new directions such as the mass customization to personalization. The paper makes clear that although this technological concept is rather old, the use of the CAD/CAM systems will inevitably broaden in terms of applicability to new production stages.

Looks at the eighth published year of the ITCRR and the research, from far and near, involved in this. Muses on the fact that, though all the usual processes are to the fore, the downside part of the industry is garment making which is the least developed side. Posits that the manufacture of clothing needs to become more technologically advanced as does retailing. Closes by emphasising support for the community in all its efforts.

Examines the fifteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

Examines the seventeenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.