Prediction of selected clothing comfort performance using fabric physical properties / Athirah Mansor

Comfort properties of fabric plays an important role in attribution to consumers’ desirability on clothing products. In this study, the relationship between clothing comfort and fabric physical properties were investigated on non-sensorial and sensorial comfort properties of the knitted fabric. This includes moisture management transport properties, water vapour permeability, air permeability, fabric stiffness, crease recovery angle and surface friction of the fabric. An alternative way to improve comfort properties of the knitted fabrics was produced. Prediction of the selected clothing comfort was developed based on physical properties of knitted fabrics. The comfort parameters of ten different types of fabric that are available in market were evaluated. The evaluations were done by testing non-sensorial and sensorial comfort properties of the knitted fabric mentioned. The clothing comfort can be predicted with regression models produced by using basic physical properties of the fabric and nine models produced are valid. Seven models were selected for comparison between experimental and predicted results based on the goodness model fit (R2 ≥ 0.5). Six models have good correlation results between the experimental and predicted results. It shows that predicted results from models have good relationship with the experimental results which includes air permeability, crease recovery angle (course), bending length (course and wale) and flexural rigidity (course and wale).