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The ergonomic performance of protective clothing for earthquake disaster search and rescue team members is significant for its protective performance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

By experimental simulations of the rescue tasks, an evaluation system for the protective clothing in both static and dynamic conditions was designed and established in this study. In static evaluation, motion capture system was used to measure the ranges of motions. The mobility was analyzed by the comprehensive evaluation method. In dynamic experiments, three types of rescue tasks were simulated for ergonomic evaluation. The results were analyzed based on the multi-levels joint evaluation method.

It was shown that the established evaluation system could meet well with the requirements of the ergonomic evaluation.

Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method is an effective tool in ergonomic evaluation of clothing. The newly designed coverall and suit are of better ergonomic performance compared with the in-service clothing.

Mobility is one of the important elements in clothing design. The purpose of this paper is to examine the predictability of clothing mobility via musculoskeletal simulation.

In order to carry out the musculoskeletal simulation considering the influence of clothing, simulation of the dressed state was attempted. This paper simulated the dressed state and measured the motion-related deformation of the clothing to estimate the force applied to the human body based on the material property of the clothing samples. The dressed state was simulated using an external force in the musculoskeletal model.

When the elbow flexion torque with an elbow supporter was calculated using the above-mentioned method of musculoskeletal simulation, it was confirmed that the lower the stretchability of the sample, the higher the elbow flexion torque. In addition, the sensory evaluation performed under the same condition as that in the simulation showed that the lower the joint torque during the motion, the higher the subjective mobility, and that the higher the joint torque, the lower the subjective mobility. Thus, it is suggested that musculoskeletal simulation of the dressed state can predict the clothing mobility.

However, the method proposed in this paper requires the measurement of the deformation of the clothing to estimate the force applied to the human body. Thus, it is difficult to apply this in the measurement of general clothing that allows enough space between it and the human body, requiring further improvement of the dressed state simulation method.

Because it is difficult to estimate the force applied by the clothing to the human body, only a few studies have performed analysis on the effect of clothing by using musculoskeletal simulation. Conversely, although the force applied by the clothing to the human body needs to be estimated in advance by the measurement of the deformation, the utility of the simulation in clothing design seems to be high because the simulation can estimate clothing mobility and the effects of clothing on muscle activity.

Combining the collected human body variables by a 3D body scanner and the research results of medical computed tomography (CT) imaging, this research aims to develop a military bulletproof vest that is both protective and fit. In particular, the protective part must be able to cover the vital human internal organs completely. The results of this research help to make military bulletproof vests of different sizes for Taiwanese male and female soldiers. At the same time, the research results can provide a reference for the industry of making special-purpose clothing.

17 important human body variables of 988 participants (male: 716, 72.5%; female 272, 27.5%) are used for the analysis. The K-means algorithm firstly builds clusters of different body shapes for both sexes; the silhouette coefficient helps to determine the optimal number of clusters to be six. Thus, the standard size of the bulletproof vest for soldiers is determined. The specifications of the bulletproof vest's inner core and textile vest are calculated for each cluster user. Our research then makes twelve prototypes of the bulletproof vest. After that, 12 subjects are invited to try on the new version (the vest designed in this study) and the old version (the vest currently used) to contrast the differences between the two.

According to the index of the silhouette coefficient, the optimal number of clusters is determined to be six for both male and female clusters. Therefore, this study has designed six sizes of the bulletproof vest for male and female soldiers in Taiwan. After trying the new and old vests on, the subjects all indicate that the new vest fits better than the old one. In addition, the coverage of the bulletproof vest designed in this study is 94.38% for male users and 92.75% for female users.

The design of bulletproof vests must take note of the fit of the clothing itself and its protective function. Apart from the size design of general clothing only focusing on the human shape exteriorly, the bulletproof vest also needs to pay attention to the relative positions of vital organs inside the human body. Besides, for practical applications, it is quite effective to use the silhouette coefficient to determine the results of cluster analysis. Thus, the value of this research lies in the cross-field combination, enabling the integration of body measurement, data science and clothing design. Generally, bulletproof vests of newly designed sizes can meet the requirements of Taiwan's military. The research results can be used in the development of various military clothing for Taiwanese military personnel. At the same time, the results can be provided to the clothing industry as relevant parameters for designing unique functional clothing.

Discusses the 6th ITCRR, its breadth of textile and clothing research activity, plus the encouragement given to workers in this field and its related areas. States that, within the newer research areas under the microscope of the community involved, technical textiles focuses on new, ‘smart’ garments and the initiatives in this field in both the UK and the international community at large. Covers this subject at length.

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.

Promoting sustainable consumption among young consumers has become a key priority on the research agenda in such different fields as education for sustainable development, environmental psychology and consumer policy. Progress in this field has been hampered by a lack of sophisticated research instruments capable of measuring consumption behaviors that are relevant both in terms of their sustainability impacts and their suitability for teenagers. This study aims to address this research gap and presents a scale for young consumers’ sustainable consumption behaviors (YCSCB) in the areas of food and clothing.

The scale was developed in a two-step, mixed-methods approach. In an initial qualitative interview study, the actual behaviors of theoretically selected young consumers (n = 8) were identified with regard to acquiring, using and disposing of consumer goods in the areas of food and clothing. The YCSCB scale was constructed using the findings of this qualitative study and then validated in a subsequent quantitative study (n = 155).

The YCSCB scale is a valid and reliable scale to measure young consumers’ sustainable consumption behavior in the areas of food (n = 14 items) and clothing (n = 13 items).

The findings of this research provide a twofold contribution to advancing research on YCSCB. Firstly, it presents a consolidated scale that is explicitly constructed for teenagers and their consumption contexts. Secondly, it proposes a heuristic for developing more sophisticated measurements of SCB among young consumers that would allow a comparison between studies, is focused on behaviors (instead of confounding behaviors with intentions, attitudes or values) and is impact-oriented in terms of sustainability relevance.

The emergence of smart wearables using clothing as a technology platform is a significant milestone with considerable implications for industrial convergence, creating new value for fashion. This paper aimed to present a premeditated prototype to integrate a human activity recognition (HAR) system into outdoor clothing.

For the development of wearable HAR (WHAR) clothing, this paper explored three subject areas: fashion design related to the structural feature of the clothing platform, electronics related to wearable circuits and modules design and graphic user interface design related to smartphone application development.

For WHAR functions in outdoor terrains, the coexistence of accelerometer–gyroscope sensing and distance-sensing could be practical to surpass the technological limitation of activity and posture recognition with gyro sensors highly depending on the changes of acceleration and angles.

Through the vital sign check and physical activity–change recognition function, this study's WHAR system allows users to check their health by themselves and avoid overwork. A quick rescue is possible manually and automatically in a dangerous situation by notifying others. Thus, it can help protect users' health and safety (life).

This study designed the modularization of HAR functions generally installed in indoor medical spaces. Through the approach, smart clothing–embracing WHAR systems optimized for health and safety care for outdoor environments was pursued to diversify expensive roles of clothing for technological applications.

Perspiration and heat are produced by the body and must be eliminated to maintain a stable body temperature. Sweat, heat and air must pass through the fabric to be comfortable. The cloth absorbs sweat and then releases it, allowing the body to chill down. By capillary action, moisture is driven away from fabric pores or sucked out of yarns. Convectional air movement improves sweat drainage, which may aid in body temperature reduction. Clothing reduces the skin's ability to transport heat and moisture to the outside. Excessive moisture makes clothing stick to the skin, whereas excessive heat induces heat stress, making the user uncomfortable. Wet heat loss is significantly more difficult to understand than dry heat loss. The purpose of this study is to provided a good compilation of complete information on wet thermal comfort of textile and technological elements to be consider while constructing protective apparel.

This paper aims to critically review studies on the thermal comfort of textiles in wet conditions and assess the results to guide future research.

Several recent studies focused on wet textiles' impact on comfort. Moisture reduces the fabric's thermal insulation value while also altering its moisture characteristics. Moisture and heat conductivity were linked. Sweat and other factors impact fabric comfort. So, while evaluating a fabric's comfort, consider both external and inside moisture.

The systematic literature review in this research focuses on wet thermal comfort and technological elements to consider while constructing protective apparel.

As a leading sector that has entered the international market, the Indonesian Textile and Apparel (T&A) industry has begun to focus on sustainability issues; however, this study is still limited. This paper aims to conduct a systematic review and explore future research opportunities in developing sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in the T&A industry in Indonesia, particularly in the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector.

A systematic literature review (SLR) through five academic databases, including Science Direct, IEEE Explore, Scopus, Google Scholar and Web of Science, was conducted and followed by a content analysis of the selected papers.

Directions for future research include designing a standardized and sustainable measurement of SSCM performance; analyzing SSCM practices in T&A SMEs through the concept of sustainable entrepreneurs; and exploring the application of a circular economy in the T&A industry, known as circular fashion, which is preferred by the community, affordable and environmentally friendly.

This research only used secondary data. In-depth interviews with relevant experts should also be conducted to get a more comprehensive picture of this issue.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first SLR analyzing the implementation of SSCM in the T&A industry in Indonesia.

The purpose of this paper is to verify whether the horizontal grab bar for the toilet and the bathtub suggested by the Code du bâtiment du Québec conform to users’ preferences. Perceived effort, comfort and safety were considered.

In total, 31 adults and seniors using manual and powered wheelchairs were asked to test different grab bar configurations for both the toilet and bathtub. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate participants’ perceptions and preferences after the trials with each grab bar. Effort was measured using the ten-level Borg scale, while participants’ comfort and safety were assessed with a five-point Likert scale. Participants were finally invited to express an overall personal preference between the two grab bar used in each setup.

Participants showed preference for an L-shaped grab bar for the toilet, and a horizontal grab bar for the bathtub. The authors’ results differ from the recommendations of the barrier-free design standards of the province of Quebec’s construction code, which states that horizontal grab bars should be used for the toilet and bathtub.

This study suggest that despite the limited sample, there is an undeniable need for testing norms for public spaces, whenever is possible and has a direct effect on end-users, before publishing them.