Emotional Images of Knitwear According to the Color Combinations of Tone on Tone and Tone in Tone

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate emotional images of knitwear arising from different combinations of colors and tones. The subjects were 486 university students in Daejeon and Chungnam, South Korea. The measuring instruments were 8 stimuli of different color (red, blue) and tone(light, vivid) combinations, and self-administered questionnaires on emotional images and subjects’ demographic attributions. Using SPSS, the data were analyzed by Cronbach’s α, factor analysis, t-test, MANOVA and Duncan’s multiple range test. The results were as follows. First, five factors, attractiveness, visibility, gracefulness, comfort, and mildness, emerged as emotional images of knitwear. The most important factor was attractiveness. Second, when tone on tone combination was used, red knitwear exhibited more visibility and comfort than blue knitwear. Blue knitwear exhibited more gracefulness than the red. Color combination of light-toned background with vivid-toned pattern exhibited more mildness and less attractiveness than the color combination of vivid-toned background with light-toned pattern. Color combination of light-toned background with vivid-toned pattern is likely to take advantage as the design process of feminine style knitwear. The analysis of emotional images created by four stimuli using tone on tone combination revealed that there were meaningful differences in visibility, gracefulness, and mildness. Third, when tone in tone combination was used, red knitwear of blue pattern exhibited more visibility and mildness than the blue knitwear of red pattern. The background color that occupies larger portion of the cardigan played a more important role than the pattern color when it is perceived emotional images. Also, light tone showed more mildness than the vivid tone. The analysis of emotional images created by four stimuli using tone in tone combination revealed that mildness was the only difference. Forth, tone on tone combination showed more gracefulness and mildness than tone in tone combination. Tone on tone combination was more effective in delivering images of intelligence, gracefulness, femininity, and warmness than did tone in tone combination.