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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.

The study of fabric behaviour during its transformation from a two‐dimensional (2D) product into a three‐dimensional (3D) article of clothing is presented in this paper. Actual fabric transformation into a 3D article of clothing occurs in sewing processes, where the fabric is exposed to different mechanical loads and behaves accordingly. Fabric behaviour responses as an outcome of the mechanical loads to which it has been exposed, as well as their correlation with the parameters of the analysed fabric mechanical properties are investigated from this point of view. The system was designed for fabric behaviour prediction in garment manufacturing processes, based on wide fabric behaviour study. The ORANGE software tool used incorporates a lot of machine learning methods. On the basis of the input data (the parameters of mechanical properties) and input knowledge (fabric behaviour responses), it offers the prediction of fabric behaviour in garment manufacturing processes for the fabric selected.

Identifies a set of manufacturing data interfaces that could be standardized for the effective computer integration of the information required to operate an apparel manufacturing enterprise. The interfaces are called Application Protocols. Describes a method using pieces of information, referred to as Units of Functionality, as building blocks for designing Application Protocols.

The authors compared garments made in Poland, Japan and China to investigate the effect of country of manufacture (COM) on garment marketability by Japanese and Chinese experts. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differences between the Japanese and Chinese experts.

The authors compared ten jackets and ten skirts manufactured by four factories in Poland, Japan and China and one Japanese sample maker using five different textiles. The authors provided the same specifications and sample pattern to each of the garment makers. The garment’s marketability was evaluated by 16 Japanese and 18 Chinese experts using a questionnaire survey, considering garment shape, silhouette, face fabric, sub-materials, anticipated appeal to consumers, sewing and ironing skills, and estimated selling price.

There were high correlations between the Japanese experts’ estimated selling price and evaluation scores in relation to shape, silhouette and face fabric. There were high correlations between the Chinese experts’ estimated selling price and evaluation scores in relation to all items except for face fabric and buttons. However, there were no significant differences between manufacturing countries. Therefore, the garment quality was not dependent on COM because the manufacturing skills of all selected factories were adequate.

This study experimentally investigated the effect of COM on garment marketability by evaluating garments manufactured in Japan, China and Poland using the same pattern and specification sheet. Moreover, these results show differences between the Japanese and Chinese experts for the COM effect.

The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.

This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.

To illustrate the development and use of a manufacturing strategy audit tool for both assessing the current manufacturing strategy and for selecting appropriate alternative strategies with a view to implement benchmarks, specifically in garment making companies.

The paper is a supplement to the existing literature on the process of manufacturing strategy. The methodology is mainly based on the generic frameworks proposed by Platts and Gregory and Skinner and involved the development of a manufacturing strategy audit tool through the use of manufacturing system models constructed for the purpose using the IDEF0 technique. An analysis of the manufacturing system models together with company surveys led to the compilation of data regarding poor, average and better practices within garment‐making companies. The developed audit tool is a compilation of extensive data with regards to these practices for comparison purposes and for setting strategic targets.

The manufacturing strategy audit tool has been used in five case study companies which have been selected on the basis of their turnover, size and products manufactured. Only one case study has been presented here, as an exemplar, to illustrate the appropriateness of the audit tool for identifying poor, average and good practices for each of the functional areas within the company. Moreover, the use of the audit tool as a guide for the formulation of alternative strategies is illustrated.

The use of the audit approach supported by manufacturing system modelling has been found to be very appropriate for manufacturing strategy formulation and analysis. The present research illustrates its relevance and importance in the garment‐making sector for benchmarking purposes among others. The use of this methodology needs further investigation in other sectors.

Use of the tool has shown promising results in the set of companies considered for the research. It is in fact seen as a vital instrument for garment making companies around the world, willing to achieve enhanced product competitiveness in an era of liberalised apparel trade.

This paper fulfils the needs of companies, which see the process of manufacturing strategy formulation and analysis as a myth. It adds to the literature on the process of manufacturing strategy. The novel methodology using the case study technique sets the foundation for all people involved in the organisation to work in teams for identifying areas of poor performance and while appreciating benchmarks within the sector, set targets for meeting better performance levels.

Applies Kirzner’s concept of entrepreneurship to explain the economic success of Hong Kong. The city economy possesses neither natural resources, nor sophisticated technologies, and yet it has successfully developed into one of the most prosperous economies in East Asia. This study argues that Hong Kong’s industrial dynamism relies mainly on a large number of adaptive entrepreneurs who are constantly alert to opportunities, maintain a high degree of flexibility in their production and respond rapidly to change. In the textile and garment industry, firms survived by pursuing a product imitation strategy, operating at a small‐scale, extensively utilizing subcontracting networks, producing customer label garments as well as performing spatial arbitrageurship. Employing these adaptive entrepreneurial strategies, Hong Kong manufacturers have learnt from foreign firms and imitated their products. By selling improved commodities at lower prices, they have competed against the original suppliers from the western advanced countries. Furthermore, to exploit new profit opportunities, Hong Kong’s entrepreneurs have shifted their production activities from one product to another, from one industry to another, from higher cost to lower cost regions, from traditional fishing and agriculture into manufacturing, and then to finance and other services. Their efforts have brought about structural transformation in the economy and enabled Hong Kong to catch up with early industrialized nations.

Examines the thirteenth 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.

Amidst offshoring and reshoring trends, the purpose of this paper is to explore why business practitioners, especially from the labour-intensive clothing industry, choose to manufacture some products in proximity to the high-cost European market. Moreover, the rise of sustainability concerns led us to further explore whether these reasons relate to triple bottom line (TBL): business, environment and society.

The content analysis was adopted for within-case and cross-case analysis of data from semi-structured interviews of managers from 12 clothing companies.

Within-case analysis showed enablers and barriers (factors) of proximity manufacturing within each company’s characteristics under TBL. Cross-case analysis showed the most-mentioned enablers (high-quality suppliers, short lead-time and fast replenishment) and barriers (expensive production cost and lack of industrial set-up and seamstresses). The findings revealed both common and different factors from existing studies.

Besides being motives for companies to bring manufacturing back to Europe, the results can be used by researchers and companies to develop criteria and performance measures of manufacturing locations for enhancing the TBL sustainability. Future research may explore different locations and industries for possibilities of proximity–manufacturing generalisation.

Findings show that governments could focus on eliminating barriers of proximity manufacturing and creating favourable institutional infrastructure for the European clothing industry and sustainability.

This paper highlights updated proximity–manufacturing factors from practices in relation to TBL sustainability, including support for proximity manufacturing as a practice for TBL enhancement.

The purpose of this research was to determine the level of nonylphenols (NPs) present in wastewater from the first launder of new activewear garments purchased in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Fifteen garments were purchased and prepared, and each was laundered separately. Wastewater was collected from each of the garments being laundered and tested for NPs, along with the controls.

According to the obtained results, detectable levels of NPs were present in all the garments tested.

The results obtained from the detection of NPs present in activewear garments is the first study of its kind in New Zealand and adds to the understanding of the distance that toxic chemicals can travel when used in textile manufacturing.