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Sports garments play an important role in the well-being of an athlete by protecting the wearer from changing environmental conditions and providing a comfortable feel. Clothing requirements have changed in recent years and demand for apparel with a higher comfort performance has been rising. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore consumers’ expectations and perception of comfort and to examine how different textiles are perceived by consumers to provide useful knowledge that allows to engineer comfort into fabrics and sports garments.

This online survey comprised 292 respondents, classified by sex, age, nationality and physical activity. The respondents were asked a total of 18 questions through the Bristol Online Survey tool to explore expectation, perception and preference of clothing comfort, specifically of sportswear.

Fit and comfort are closely linked together, both forming part of the clothing comfort concept. When purchasing garments online, the haptics of fabrics were identified as a crucial missing parameter. However, priorities of attributes within the concept varied according to the person’s sex and nationality. Women put more emphasis on garment fit and showed a higher need for tactile input, whereas men prioritised physiological comfort descriptors, i.e. properties which facilitate thermoregulation. Furthermore, there is an increased importance of physiological comfort parameters for people exercising for 10 or more hours per week. Finally, it was possible to identify common associations and preferences for textile materials (cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester blend and wool). However, consideration should be taken concerning sex and nationality.

Sex and nationality are parameters modulating the clothing comfort concept and the conceptualised feel of materials. Therefore, the sex and nationality of the end-consumer should be considered during the development phase of sports garments and particular attention should be given to the targeted market in which these will be sold.

This article reports the results of an experimental study in which four factors were manipulated in the context of an evaluation of two sports garments by 172 consumers: t-shirts and athletic shoes. These factors were intended usage situation (sport versus pleasure), brand name (national versus private brand), price (discount versus no discount), and store name (sports shop versus department store). Some significant interactions were obtained between some of the manipulated factors suggesting the necessity of qualifying the brand name, store name, and price discount effects on consumer perceptions. The results of the study are discussed in light of the existing marketing literature and the implications for sports marketing practice.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the difference in purchase decision behavior of compression sportswear by Baby Boomers and Generation Y.

Two methods were used for data collection: a simulation study with 17 Baby Boomers and 23 Generation Y subjects using eye-tracking technology; and a questionnaire from a sample of 82 Baby Boomers and 84 Generation Y consumers.

Generation Y are more inquisitive and focus greatly on technical information. Baby Boomers are more confident with their choices, taking a shorter time to reach a purchase decision; they are more concerned with aspects that protect the wearer.

Limited demographic information was collected from participants in the simulation study, further research is required in this area.

This study provides important insights into the purchase decision behavior of Baby Boomers and Generation Y for compression sportswear. By providing better understanding of some of the key drivers for purchase decisions it enables marketers to develop more effective marketing plans to engage with these important consumer groups.

The focus and findings of this study provide further understanding of the motivations of two significant consumer cohorts. This study provides further momentum to the body of cohort research already available.

This study addresses a gap in literature with reference to the comparison of consumer behavior of generational cohorts when purchasing compression sportswear. Findings can be applied in other areas of sportswear and to other countries.

The activewear industry would benefit from an evidence-based understanding of how activewear is incorporated into women’s lives and their changing participation in physical activity. Activewear brands may be missing the trend of women moving from organised sport to non-organised and individualised sport and recreation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the degree to which academic and industry research understood patterns and influences on female’s activewear consumption and identified what significant gaps are evident in understanding the drivers and industry trends that pertain to female consumers of activewear.

The systematic literature review sought academic and industry research papers. Articles were selected if they included female participants; and/or addressed consumer related information; and focussed on active wear. Article findings were thematically analysed.

Most literature exploring activewear consumption fails to take gender into consideration or explore unique female consumer profiles. Females are bringing activewear into other parts of their wardrobe and place more value on fashion, even for sports attire. Research identified the need for activewear brands to consider lifestyle, emotional and personality elements of consumer behaviour. However a specific focus on women’s branding was absent. Women’s age and generation influenced their activewear consumption. Although some industry reports discussed the shift in use of activewear, no studies explored the impact of the critical shift in women’s physical activity patterns on the activewear industry.

This review identifies the gap in knowledge regarding women’s activewear consumption patterns and needs, and the importance of reflecting the changes in female physical activity participation. It also links marketing and design of women’s activewear to the needs of female consumers based on their actual patterns and trends in physical activity. The findings are relevant to activewear researchers, brands, marketers and producers.

The conception of a compression garment that applies a desired interface pressure level has been a great challenge for therapists and compression garment manufacturers even today. The purpose of this study is to develop a new method for designing a compression legging that exerts Class I interface pressure to the lower limb.

This research presents a new method for the design of Class I compression garment. It consists of theoretically calculating the circumferences of the Class I compression legging based on the reduction factors. To assess the effectiveness of the method, we used both objective and subjective evaluations. For the objective evaluation, we have developed a measuring device to measure Class I legging interface pressure in different measuring points using a force pressure sensor. Concerning the subjective evaluation, 10 healthy female subjects agreed to take part in this study in order to evaluate the ergonomic comfort when wearing the designed compression legging.

Participating subjects delivered their feeling about comfort and motion restriction during the use of the legging. Referring to the volunteers’ answers, the Class I compression legging can be described as comfortable and has a satisfactory fit during wear.

The important feature of this study was the effectiveness of the new designing method in producing a compression legging that delivers the desired amount of pressure and offers a comfort sensation during wear. The outcome of this research is a new method that could be used to create a variety of compression garments that can apply different pressure levels.

During 2008 Olympics, Michael Phelps had a record-breaking performance. One contributing factor to his success was the full-body swimsuit he was wearing. Cases like these were the reason for the initiation of study and research for improvement in the new generation of sport gears. The purpose of this paper is to show that drag force plays a significant role in swimmers’ speed through the water; thus, using swimsuit with minimized drag force becomes imperative for Olympians like Michael Phelps.

This paper shows a comparative evaluation of hydrodynamics of three PET fabrics with different finishings that have hydrophobic behavior over a range of Reynolds number 1.0218×10³ and 1.365×10³ in the air medium at 20°C ambient temperature, and Reynolds number ranging from 15.68856×10³ to 20.958×10³ in the water medium at 20°C ambient temperature under stable stretch conditions.

The results show that hydrophobic finishing reduces the drag force by 1.5 percent at the angles of attack of 0 and 90 degrees.

If all the factors are considered to be stable for the swimmer, the drag force reduces by 1.5 percent, thereby increasing the speed of swimmer by 1.22 percent, which means that the record of the swimmer improves by 0.819 seconds.

This paper aims to prove the expediency and effectiveness of magnetic textiles use obtained by adding nanopowder synthesized on the basis of oxides of divalent and trivalent iron oxides, taking into account bacteriostatic, magnetotherapeutic and compressive properties.

The research includes methods of synthesis of nanoelements of bivalent and trivalent iron, methods of the theory of elasticity for determining the pressure between compression clothing and a limb, methods of creating an annular magnetic field with determination of its voltage, methods of determining the growth dynamics of mold bacteria and methods of approximation of experimental data.

On the base of the determination of the forces arising from the interaction of magnetic nanotextiles with a magnetic field, the expediency of using these materials in the creation of compression clothing has been proven. An additional medical value of magnetic textiles is the bacteriostatic effect. The content of magnetic nanoelements in the textile composition of 0.2% almost completely suppresses mold infections

Cotton samples with the addition of nanocomponents based on ferric and ferric oxides were studied.

Magnetotextile materials can be used in magnetotherapy, compression clothing, in textile products that provide bacteriostatic properties.

The use of magnetic textile materials is a perspective direction for the creation of medical textile products with complex properties.

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.

Choosing the adequate garment for sports practice in adverse weather conditions, either cold or hot, is an aspect of great influence on activity performance. The purpose of this paper is to describe how the Institute of Biomechanics of Valencia has developed a methodology which allows assessing the fit of the garment to the real situation of use by evaluating its influence in the thermoregulatory response of the human body.

Under controlled environmental conditions and at fixed activity levels, two shirts are tested in the laboratory. Eight subjects performed a test which consisted of six phases of different activity level in two conditions (25°C/50 percent RH and 10°C/60 percent RH). Throughout the test, physiological parameters of the thermal response as well as work load indicators are registered. Skin temperature at three different locations (chest, arm, and thigh), microclimate variables in some areas of subject‐garment interface (in armpit and upper back) and heart rate are measured continuously. Six samples of sweat are also collected regularly from dorsal region during the test to estimate the sweating rate and the loss of salts. Weight loss is also checked before and after performing the test to estimate the dehydration level. Subjects will be asked during the test about humidity and temperature perception on the body as a whole or by different zones. The results allowed measuring a significant influence of the shirt in skin temperature. Therefore, the methodology developed for studying of the user‐product interaction through the assessment of the thermophysiological response and the subjective perception allows recommending the comfort ranges for each piece of garment as well as indicating those work load and environmental conditions for which the influence of garment on user's performance is optimal.

The user‐product interaction through the assessment of the thermophysiological response and the subjective perception allows recommending the comfort ranges for each piece of garment as well as indicating those work load and environmental conditions for which the influence of garment on user's performance is optimal.

Choosing a suitable garment for sports practice in adverse weather conditions, either cold or hot, is an aspect of great influence on activity performance and this paper presents new results.

Examines the fourteenth 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.