Outdoor Clothing Research Articles

Comfort temperature prediction according to an adaptive approach for educational buildings in tropical climate using artificial neural networks

Following the adaptive thermal comfort approach, we show a thermal comfort modeling by artificial neural networks to predict the preferred comfort temperature Tcomf for educational buildings occupants in a tropical climate. The field data collected in 27 educational buildings, climatized with air conditioning systems AC, and natural ventilation NV, in Tuxtla Gutiérrez-México, allow developing the Tcomf modeling by artificial neural network-based models ANN-BM. The predictor variables were the outdoor running mean temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, weight, clothing insulation, and activity level. For AC, the R2 and the mean absolute error were 0.985 and 0.319°C; for NV, 0.981 and 0.286°C. Concerning local models and current standard models, the accuracy improvement to determine Tcomf was significant, following R2; for AC mode, the ANN-BM was 50 times better; for NV was 41.5 times better. The mean Tcomf by ANN-BM was 2.4°C above obtained with the CIBSE guide and 1.3°C concerning a Local model. For NV, the mean Tcomf was 0.5°C above following CEN standard EN15251, 2.0°C above ASHRAE standard 55, and 1.1°C above the Local model. Thus, allowing the air conditioning to run at a higher Tcomf than calculated with current standard models, making it possible to reduce thermal cooling loads while thermal satisfaction also increases.

Environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane nanofibrous membranes by emulsion electrospinning for waterproof and breathable textiles

There is a growing demand worldwide on smart nanofibrous membranes with waterproof and breathable performances owing to their wide potential in medical hygiene, wearable electronics, and outdoor clothing. Design of such high-performance materials based on environmentally friendly solvents is crucial but highly challenging. Here, we report a facile and powerful strategy to create environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane nanofibrous membranes with high waterproofness and breathability using water-based emulsion electrospinning technique combined with heating treatment. The hydrophobic channels of waterborne polyurethane nanofibrous membranes with small pore size and high porosity are constructed using emulsion electrospinning technique by in-situ doping of water-based fluoropolymer and aziridine crosslinker combined with heating treatment. The resultant environmentally friendly nanofibrous membranes exhibit good hydrostatic pressure of 74.3 kPa, impressive air permeability of 9.3 mm s−1, outstanding water vapor transmission rate of 12.8 kg m−2 d−1, and high elasticity of 67.4%, thus providing the high-level personal protection and comfortable microclimate in harsh environments. The successful construction of such intriguing nanofibrous membranes could serve as a source of inspiration for the green synthesis of other fibrous materials for a variety of applications.

Pharmacokinetics, Metabolite Measurement, and Biomarker Identification of Dermal Exposure to Permethrin Using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry.

Impregnating military uniforms and outdoor clothing with the insecticide permethrin is an approach to reduce exposure to insect borne diseases and to repel pests and disease vectors such as mosquitos and sandflies, but the practice exposes wearers to prolonged dermal exposure to the pesticide. Key metabolite(s) from a low dose dermal exposure of permethrin were identified using accelerator mass spectrometry. Metabolite standards were synthesized and a high performance liquide chromatography (HPLC) elution protocol to separate individual metabolites in urine was developed. Six human subjects were exposed dermally on the forearm to 25 mg of permethrin containing 1.0 µCi of 14C for 8 h. Blood, saliva and urine samples were taken for 7d. Absorption/elimination rates and metabolite concentrations varied by individual. Average absorption was 0.2% of the dose. Serum concentrations rose until 12-24 h postdermal application then rapidly declined reaching predose levels by 72 h. Maximum saliva excretion occurred 6 h postdosing. The maximum urinary excretion rate occurred during 12-24 h; average elimination half-life was 56 h. 3-Phenoxybenzyl alcohol glucuronide was the most abundant metabolite identified when analyzing elution fractions, but most of the radioactivity was in still more polar fractions suggesting extensive degradative metabolism and for which there were no standards. Analyses of archived urine samples with the ultra performance liquid chromatography-accelerator mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (UPLC-AMS-MS) system isolated a distinct polar metabolite but it was much diminished from the previous analyses a decade earlier.

Comparative analysis of sustainability measures in the apparel industry: An empirical consumer and market study in Germany

The pressure on the apparel industry to make its products more sustainable is growing. Concrete measures have hardly been taken so far, also because they aim to avoid consumption which reduces profits. Studies mostly examine impacts on the environment, but not how the market volume can remain at a maximum for producers. To uncover direct market effects from sustainability approaches, this study asked 500 German consumers about their willingness-to-pay and preference order for three different measures, namely “slowing in consumption”, “recyclability of petrochemical clothing” or its “production from bioplastics”. An outdoor trekking jacket served as test object, and influences from sociodemographic and latent variables, as sportiness and environmental awareness, were measured. The results were mapped in a market model from which the output volume was derived. It was found that interest in the topic of plastics-containing outdoor clothing was rather determined by the application. This increased with the sportiness of the respondents (r = 0.13; p = 0.003), but not with their personal environmental awareness. Consent to bioplastics use did not depend on the level of experience, but older consumers appreciated this option more (p = 0.027). Only 20% of the respondents favoured slowing, 26% bioplastics, but 53% recycling of petroplastics. Therefore, research should investigate recyclability, policy should support this measure, and companies should practice take-back and reuse in new clothing. Consumers can maintain fast consumption and would even accept higher prices.

Silica Aerogel Application to Polyester Fabric for Outdoor Clothing

Most producers want to have a cheap, one-step system that will successfully apply multi-finishing operations without affecting any of the desired textile properties. Silica aerogel, used for isolation purposes in different areas such as construction, has been used in textile finishing in this study. 100 % polyester fabrics, which are widely used in outerwear, were impregnated with silica aerogel paste and binder at lower temperature and time than that applied for conventional coating method, providing decreased energy consumption. The samples were tested for wettability, soil release and hydrophobicity both before and after repeated laundering. Burst strength tests were also performed to investigate strength properties of the fabrics. The presence of silica groups on the treated fabrics was confirmed by FTIR spectra and thermal characteristics of the samples were evaluated by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The results showed that aerogel impregnated fabrics provide superhydrophobic properties with a contact angle of around 170° and improved soil release properties even at very low add-ons. It was also found that the silica aerogel treatment has no adverse effect on the fabric appearance or strength properties.

Innovating Contemporary Designs for Enriching the Functional and aesthetical Values of School Uniform for Students in Adolescence age

This research aims at preparing designs for school uniforms for adolescence and working on enriching the beauty and the functional value and handle the idea of dissatisfaction to go to school because of the uniform and that is why they are bored especially teenagers who wears the same uniform frequently throughout the school year. It keeps them in a specific pattern and the lack of adaptation to modern styles for outdoor clothes that affect his frame of mind.

One-step hydrothermal method to prepare superhydrophobic cotton fabric with antibacterial properties

Superhydrophobic antibacterial cotton fabric can be widely applied in outdoor clothing, hospital bedding, and other fields. However, the existing manufacturing methods are difficult or complicated. Herein, a facile and straightforward fabrication strategy is proposed via a one-step hydrothermal method to construct micro-nanometer hierarchical structure with low surface energy on fabric. In an appropriate amount, 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTES) and tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) were mixed in a hydrothermal reactor to generate titanium dioxide. Meanwhile, the PFOTES agent was hydrolyzed and condensed, bonded with titanium dioxide, and finally grafted onto the fiber together. Morphology and elements results demonstrated that the fabric surface was covered by the TiO2 nanoparticles with superhydrophobic coating. The chemical bonds of Si-O-Ti, Ti-O-C, and Ti-O-Ti revealed the structural relationship between TiO2 with PFOTES and cotton fibers. The water contact angle of the fabric obtained can reach to 168°. The fluorinated-TiO2 cotton fabric showed high antibacterial properties in visible light against E. coli and S. aureus. This simple method of preparing superhydrophobic and antibacterial fabric exhibited great potential in the field of functional textiles such as outdoor garments and hospital-related applications.

A validation study on the thermal simulation of the human body-clothing-environment system through wear trials

The following analysis deals with the validation study for the already published thermal simulation of the human body-clothing-environment system through wear trials. Three test persons and a clothing system were selected for this study. The simulation process chain includes 3D scanning, clothing fit considering the deformation properties of fabrics, 3D analysis of air gaps between skin and clothing, and thermophysiological analysis of the human body taking into account different metabolic rates. Moreover, subjective wear trials were performed in a climatic chamber to validate the simulation results. The results show good validation for the core body and mean skin temperature, however, discrepancies were observed on comparing the local skin temperatures. The presented simulation approach offers a holistic solution for product development in the areas of sportswear, workwear, outdoor, and protective clothing.

일본 소설 『호토토기스(不如帰)』(1900)를 통해 본 복식문화

This study was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the costume culture at the time the modern Japanese literary work, Hototogisu, was written. The study analyzes costumes described in the novel and considers the contexts in which they are expressed, along with the contemporary costume culture. The following findings have been verified. The traditional knot, a kind of female hairstyle, varied depending on the age or marital status of the wearer: short hair for childhood, Osage[垂髪] for students, Shimada[島田] before marriage, and Marumage[丸髷] after marriage. It was impossible to infer the marital status of any females from the Western roll-up hairstyle. Kimonos worn by upper-class females were divided between modest and gorgeous ones. Dignified figures were often described to wear the former, while rich or young women with strong characters were often depicted wearing the latter. On the other hand, farmers were often described as wearing coarse cloth. Western clothing was not yet introduced for females; only Western hairstyles and some items were imported. The engagement ring culture was introduced and shawls were added to Kimonos. Males wore suits or the traditional costumes as their outdoor clothes, depending on their jobs. The representative traditional costume for going out was Haori-hakama[羽織袴]; whether they wore suits was important, but a common understanding of the details had not yet been established. When they returned home, they usually work Kimonos as roomwear. They often wore hats, bags, and shoes and carried walking sticks. Even people who wore the traditional costumes for going out had disheveled hairstyles and used some Western items, such as hats and bags. The social status of the wearers of such traditional costumes was determined by the clothing materials, and there were rain outfits used only for a specific job class.

Green-Solvent-Processed Fibrous Membranes with Water/Oil/Dust-Resistant and Breathable Performances for Protective Textiles.

Waterproof and breathable membranes (WBMs) are highly demanded worldwide due to their promising applications in outdoor protective clothing, medical hygiene, and electronic devices. However, the design of such materials integrated with environmental friendliness and high functionality has been considered a long-standing challenge. Herein, we report the green-solvent-processed polyamide fibrous membranes with amphiphobicity and bonding structure via ethanol-based electrospinning and water-based impregnating techniques, endowing the fibrous membranes with outstanding water/oil/dust-resistant and good breathable properties. The developed green smart fibrous membranes exhibit integrated properties with robust water and oil intrusion pressures of 101.2 and 32.4 kPa, respectively, excellent dust removal efficiency of above 99.9%, good water vapor transmission rate of 11.2 kg m-2 d-1, air permeability of 2.6 mm s-1, tensile strength of 15.6 MPa, and strong toughness of 22.8 MJ m-3, enabling the membranes to protect human beings and electronic devices effectively. This work may shed light on designing the next generation green smart fibrous WBMs for protective textiles.

Investigation of thermal comfort properties of electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane fiber coated knitted fabrics for wind‐resistant clothing

AbstractThe integration of nanofibers into conventional fabrics may open up new opportunities such as improving the comfort performance and thermal management properties of outdoor clothing. Nanofibers are able to form a highly porous mesh and their large surface‐to‐volume ratio improves performance for many applications. This study shows the possible utility of the nanofiber coating on conventional knitted fabrics for improving the wind‐resistance and breathability properties. It was seen that nanofiber coating did not cause a significant effect on water vapor and thermal resistance of electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane nanofiber coated cotton (CO), modal (CMD), viscose (CV), and lyocell (CLY) single jersey fabrics, while resistance to air permeability was increased with the increased nanofiber coating. High level of air resistance was achieved with 30 min of coating. In terms of comfort properties, the nanofiber coating proved to be advantageous due to its lower air permeability with its water vapor permeable structure. However, thermal insulation level of these fabrics was still low and fragile nanofiber layer needed to be protected. Therefore, a multi‐layered fabric form was derived from combination of cotton and lyocell fabrics with a nanofiber layer. The results showed that nanofibers could be used to improve the wind‐resistance and comfort properties of multi‐layered knitted structures.

An Innovation of Children Outdoor Clothing to Increase the Risk of Playground Injuries

Children need clothes that are suitable to play. Clothing worn not just giving comfort to move, but it will guarantee the safety of the child's body from susceptible to injury. Variety of children's clothing brand now produced according to the needs and comfort of the children. Especially in terms of design, the use of fabrics, clothing accessories capable captivate consumers, such as parents. In the process create a new ideas and design to produce specific clothing for the children play at the playground, various factors and important features should be applied. Appropriateness of clothes according to the age of the child, the use of appropriate materials and fabrics, styles and designs, use of colour and motive is very important. In addition, other factors such as safety, protection and functions of clothing should be preferred. The quality clothing is not just showing the uniqueness of design and comfort, but also has its advantages and importance to the user.

Designing Business Models through a Combination of BMC and UML Methods at Eiger Adventure Store Bandung

Eiger Adventure Store Bandung is a company that manufactures outdoor clothing and accessories. The problem with Eiger, related to the lack of activities to educate customers about the difference between original and counterfeit products. Referring to the problems in Eiger, the purpose of this study is to design a Business Model Canvas (BMC), design a business model using the Unified Model Language (UML), create a User Interface visualization through a MockupMockup. The research method used is qualitative through SWOT support. Referring to the BMC of this research, a new business model recommendation has been produced, namely QR Code Scan. This business model has been described through UML and is visualized with Mock-Up. The UML diagram involved, among them, is the Use Case Diagram, which consists of five actors, namely customers, employees, cashiers, admins, and warehouse employees. The actor interacts on four Use Cases, namely choosing a product, QR Code Scan, Database, and payment. The Class Diagram consists of five main classes: customers, employees, cashiers, admins, and warehouse employees. The process contained in the QR Code Scan is a solution to provide education to customers to be able to distinguish genuine or imitation products.

Graphene oxide/zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 coating for cotton fabrics with highly flame retardant, self-cleaning and efficient oil/water separation performances

A coating comprising graphene oxide (GO) and oleic acid (OA)-modified zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) was deposited to cotton fabrics with the aim of obtaining a flame-retardant, self-cleaning and superhydrophobic features. SEM images showed a rough surface with hierarchical structure for GO-cotton/ZIF-8. Existence of the coating on the surface of cotton fabrics was proved by XPS spectra and FT-IR characterization. Surface of the GO-cotton/ZIF-8 fabrics achieved a remarkable degree of thermal and mechanical stability and superhydrophobicity. The results from a flame test demonstrated a protective effect of the coating on the cotton fabrics against fire. Additionally, the GO-cotton/ZIF-8 cotton showed superior self-cleaning ability and oil/water separation performance due to its superhydrophobic surface. Thus, it has a wide range of potential applications in military equipment and outdoor clothing.

Wool Fabrics Colored with Fluorescent Pigment Emulsion: Their Color Performance and Fluorescent Properties

ABSTRACT The fluorescent hue is brilliant and attractive, and is usually used in outdoor, traffic, and teenage clothes industry, as well as in marker and fields of warning signs. But the fluorescence coloration of natural fibers with fluorescent dyes is rare because of the inherent polymeric and optical property of natural fibers, and the dyes state on fiber. The wool fabrics can be colored with pigments emulsion or water dispersions by exhaustion process. In this paper, the wool fabrics were colored with fluorescent pigment emulsions by padding, and their dyeing properties were investigated by color measurement, spectrofluorometer, SEM, TG, and fastness testing. The color data, dominant wavelength (or complementary wavelength), and excitation purity of colored samples were measured and illustrated with chromaticity diagram. The fluorescence spectrum of colored samples was tested as well. The results showed, with the raise of amount of pigments emulsion, the K/S value, reflectivity, durability, and shrinkage of colored samples increased, whereas the softness decreased. There were FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) phenomena in the colored samples. The fluorescent pigments emulsion deposited on the fabrics as resins between the wool fibers. The migration and rubbing fastnesses of all samples were good and were at grade 4 or above, but the light fastnesses were not good, and only at grade 3 or grade 3–4.

Development of a superhydrophobic cellulose fabric via enzyme treatment and surface hydrophobization

Enzymatic hydrolysis is a common finishing method for cellulosic materials, to improve fabric softness, appearance, and surface properties. However, its potential to trigger superhydrophobicity has not been studied in depth. In this study, a superhydrophobic cellulose fabric was fabricated in two steps. Micro-/nano-hierarchical roughness on the fabric surface was achieved by cellulase from Aspergillus niger, through enzymatic hydrolysis. Subsequently, hydrophobization was carried out by a dip coating method, using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Enzyme concentration and treatment temperature were varied to find the values that provided the greatest superhydrophobicity. As enzyme concentration and temperature increased, the nano-scale roughness increased, along with weight reduction. The degree of crystallinity and reduction in tensile strength were also increased with weight loss via enzyme hydrolysis. As air pockets were formed by micro-/nano-structures on the fiber surface, the water contact angle increased and the shedding angle tended to decrease. The sample treated with 5 g/l enzyme at 60 ℃ for 60 min and coated with PDMS 1 wt.% coating solution had the greatest superhydrophobicity, with a water contact angle of 162° and a shedding angle of 7.0°. The weight loss and reduction in tensile strength of the developed superhydrophobic fabrics were 2.9% and 39.0%, respectively. This approach reduces the necessity for an additional process to introduce nano-scale roughness, and it has the potential to produce superhydrophobic cellulosic biomass for outdoor clothing.

Acceptance of Smart Clothing Based on Outdoor Consumption Behavior

Recently, following the commercialization and market entry of smart clothes with diverse functions, smart clothes have been changing from technology-centered products to user-centered products. However, the analysis of consumer demand centered on actual commercialized products is lacking. Therefore, this study classified commercialized smart clothes by func tion and analyzed the demand and requirements of smart clothes according to sports/outdoor clothes consumption behaviors. As a result, consumers were classified according to their sports/outdoor clothes consumption behaviors into an outdoor leading group with high consumption propensity, an outdoor pursuit group with medium consumption propensity, and an outdoor fol lowing group with low consumption propensity. Among the commercialized smart clothes, those with a heartbeat measuring function, those with a heating function, and those with a light-emitting function were presented and demand analysis was con ducted. According to the results, the outdoor leading group and the outdoor pursuit group had higher levels of awareness, pref erence, and purchase intentions than the outdoor following group. In addition, the outdoor leading group showed the highest level of purchase price acceptance while the outdoor following group showed the lowest level of purchase price acceptance. However, this study has a limitation that the acceptance for smart clothes were analyzed with consumers who had experience in sports outdoor clothes consumption. Therefore, in future, studies will be conducted with a wide range of consumers.

Predictors of Tick Exposure Risk-Reduction Behavior in Indiana.

To identify significant predictors of the adoption of more than one tick-exposure and tick-borne disease risk reduction behavior among a cross-section of Indiana residents. Study participants were recruited through quota sampling, before completing an online self-administered questionnaire in Qualtrics. The most adopted tick exposure risk reduction behavior (TERRB) (was 'Walking on established trails and avoiding contact with adjacent vegetation' (83%, n = 2418). This was followed by 'Conducting a thorough check of clothing and the body soon after returning from the outdoors' (81%, n = 2373). The two least adopted TERRBs were,' Treating outdoor clothing with special insect repellent (e.g. Permethrin)' (48%, n = 1409) and 'Wearing appropriate clothing' ('Tucking shirt into pants, and the pants into socks when outdoors') respectively (52%, n = 1524). Study participants who engaged in residential tick control practices (i.e. 'three-foot wide barrier of wood chips/gravel between lawn and woodland', 'yard pesticide application', 'shrub & tree-branch trimming', 'yard fencing', 'fixed time lawn mowing', and 'leaf litter removal') were significantly more likely to adopt nearly all the assessed TERRBs. Higher scores on TERRB efficacy index were associated with engaging in multiple TERRBs. Higher degree of worry about safety/health because of ticks was also associated with adoption of multiple TERRBs. In conclusion, increased risk perceptions, among Indiana residents is significantly associated with adoption of multiple TERRBs. Identifying the predictors of the adoption of more than one TERRB is vital for the prevention of tick-borne diseases.

Development of the zip-up T-shirt design for men’s outdoor clothing in summer

As the population of consumers of outdoor wear expands, there is increasing interest among consumers in trendy lifestyle outdoor. Accordingly, it is essential to develop designs that are drawn from outdoor wear. This can be limited to traditional mountaineering suits, and designs developed from men’s outdoor zip-up T-shirts, which are highly utilized in everyday life, are very important. This study developed the design of a summer zip-up T-shirt for men with both functional and aesthetic qualities. Visual images of foreign brands and domestic outdoor-focused T-shirts from the spring/summer seasons of 2013-2019 were collected to analyze the following modeling elements: silhouettes, details, colors, materials, and prints. In addition, the design concept was derived by analyzing presentations from the global outdoor trade Fairs (2013-2019). To develop a sustainable eco-friendly outdoor summer T-shirt for men, the concept was derived according to three categories: eco-friendly, sportismexpressed active elements of sports, and an outro-concept of urban town wear as an outdoor lifestyle. Thus, a total of 12 styles of design were developed. High utilization of the outdoor wear T-shirts (which are also popular as lifestyle wear), is an important aspect of building a segmented lineup of the slow-growing outdoor wear market and supports expansion of the scope of theoretical research on outdoor wear design.

The effect of weathering on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from durable water repellent (DWR) clothing

To assess the effects of weathering on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from durable water repellent (DWR) clothing, thirteen commercial textile samples were exposed to elevated ultra violet (UV) radiation, humidity, and temperature in an aging device for 300 h, which mimics the lifespan of outdoor clothing. Before and after aging, the textile samples were extracted and analysed for the ionic PFASs (perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA)) and volatile PFASs (fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), acrylates (FTACs) and methacrylates (FTMACs)). Results showed that weathering can have an effect on PFASs used in DWR of outdoor clothing, both on the PFAS profile and on the measured concentrations. In most weathered samples the PFAA concentrations increased by 5- to more than 100-fold, while PFAAs not detected in the original textiles were detected in the weathered samples. DWR chemistries are based on side-chain fluorinated polymers. A possible explanation for the increase in concentration of the PFAAs is hydrolysis of the fluorotelomer based polymers (FTPs), or degradation of the FTOHs, which are used in the manufacturing of the FTPs. The concentrations of volatile PFASs also increased, by a factor up to 20. Suggested explanations are the degradation of the DWR polymers, making non-extractable fluorines extractable, or the transformation or degradation of unknown precursors. Further research is needed to unravel the details of these processes and to determine the transformation routes. This study shows that setting maximum tolerance limits only for a few individual PFASs is not sufficient to control these harmful substances in outdoor clothing.