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Clothing is continuously in an interaction with the body both thermally and mechanically. Different sensations constituting the comfort status of a person arise as a result of this interaction. Coolness sensation perceived during skin-fabric contact is one of these sensations arising from the transient heat flow from skin to the fabric as skin is usually warmer than clothing. In this study, coolness to touch and dampness sensations created by knitted fabrics having different compositions and physical surface characteristics were investigated by forearm test conducted on seven males. Besides physical properties (weight, yarn count, thickness, density), surface roughness and friction properties of the inner surfaces of the fabrics touching the skin were also determined. Microscopic photographs were taken to have an idea about hairiness properties of the inner surfaces and optical porosity values were calculated by analysis of the microscopic images by using MATLAB software. It was found out that coolness and dampness sensations arise during skin–fabric contact are mostly related to the permeability and surface roughness characteristics of fabrics, and the effect of fabric material is more on dampness sensation than coolness sensation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In the recent years, consumers pay attention more to the mechanical, thermal and visual sensations stimulated by the dynamic body–clothing interactions besides the aesthetic properties of their clothing. They take into consideration feelings they have during first touch with the clothing into their purchase decisions. Coolness to touch sensation perceived during first contact with the fabric and dampness sensation – which is very important during wear conditions including sweating – are two of them and they are related to the thermophysiological aspect of clothing comfort. For producing garments giving desirable feelings, it is very important to determine fabric properties influencing these sensations. A subjective evaluation method – the forearm test – was used to find out the relationships between coolness and dampness sensations and fabric properties. Results of this study are thought to be beneficial data for fabric manufacturers aiming to produce clothing for specific end users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers prefer garments that not only look good but also feel good especially during the last years because of their increased consciousness about a better life. Therefore, there have been many studies about subjective evaluation techniques such as subjective wear trials and consumer research techniques to understand how consumers perceive clothing and formulate their comfort perceptions at any specific moment. In this study, the meaning and importance of clothing comfort and main comfort problems according to a group of Turkish consumers having different properties were determined by a questionnaire survey study. Analysis of the results indicated that, garment fit and comfort were the most important criteria for the investigated group during purchase decisions and nearly all of the respondents considered clothing comfort as more important than before. The basic comfort problems of people were mostly related to ease of movement, sweating and garment fit. This study is a preparation stage for wear trials that will constitute the subjective part of a comfort evaluation method to be developed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In the modern consumer market, meeting the consumer needs is the key factor for success and the only way to determine the needs is to measure them by subjective methods and find out the relationships between subjective results and physically measurable parameters. It is thought that, data obtained from this questionnaire survey would be helpful in creating a general overview about the meaning of comfort in a group of Turkish consumers' minds and their purchase behaviors. Sensory descriptors obtained from this study will be used for wear trials to get more reliable results, which will constitute the subjective part of a wider project. Conclusions put forward about objective and subjective measurements will guide fiber and textile producers about the needs and preferences of Turkish consumers. Consequently, they can determine their quality level suitable for specific consumer groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape memory wool fabrics having both temperature and moisture responsiveness were fabricated by a functional nanocomposite treatment comprising of shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) and cellulose nanowhisker (CNW). Water vapor permeability and sweat absorption properties were investigated under different temperature or relative humidity values to test smart comfort capabilities of the treated fabrics. Besides, felting shrinkage and weight loss of the fabrics after repeated washing cycles were investigated for end use performance. It was found out that the wool fabrics functionalized by nanocomposite treatments exhibited dynamic breathability and sweat absorption changing with temperature and relative humidity of body or environment. Moreover, nanocomposite application enhanced rigidity, tear strength, anti‐felting and weight loss performances of the wool fabric. 20 wt% CNW concentration can be suggested for thermal comfort, mechanical and end use performance enhancements to obtain smart garments having dynamic responsiveness to both body physiological and environmental changes. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 137, 48674. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabric which can be used as topsheet layer of an absorbent hygienic product was modified by natural based antibacterial agents. Antibacterial herbal agents (cinnamaldehyde, geraniol, phenylethyl alcohol) were sprayed by ethanol or applied by means of polylactic acid (PLA) and polycyclohexene oxide (PCHO) based polymers prepared by three different chemical methods. Characterization of synthesized materials was conducted via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X–ray spectroscopy (SEM‐EDX). Besides characterization, antibacterial and pH buffering performances of antibacterial polymers alone and on PP fabric were tested by antibacterial and pH tests. Effects of antibacterial treatments on air permeability and absorption period of nonwoven fabrics were also analyzed. According to the results, biopolymers changed the thermal stability of PP nonwoven fabric. Antibacterial performances can be ranked as cinnamaldehyde, geraniol, and phenylethyl alcohol from the best. Besides a slight decrease about liquid absorption performance, all of the treated topsheet fabrics are sufficient for an absorbent hygienic product. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48302. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]