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In this study, the mechanical properties and preferences of natural and artificial leathers were analyzed. The leathers were classified based on mechanical properties affecting their preferences. The mechanical properties of the leathers were measured via the KES-FB system, and an expert survey was conducted to evaluate leather preference. Leathers possess different mechanical properties depending on the manufacturing process and structural characteristics. Furthermore, differences were observed in the mechanical properties of natural and artificial leather. The mechanical properties of the leathers were related to the preferences for hand and bags. Accordingly, the leather was classified into three clusters. The leathers that were preferred for hand were not preferred for bags, and those preferred for bags were not preferred for hand. Therefore, different development strategies are needed, depending on the type of leather. Natural leather for bags should be light and have good compression elasticity along with its existing mechanical properties, whereas artificial leather should be light and have improved tensile resilience.

This study evaluated the effect of the raising condition on the mechanical, comfort, and hand properties of artificial suede made of nylon/polyester microfibers, and identified those best suited for the consumer's needs. The suede became thicker and heavier; in addition, the wale density increased by repeated raisings as the base knits contracted and naps increased after a repeated raising process. Water vapor transmission decreased, but thermal resistance and water repellency increased. The increased number of raisings caused the suede to stiffen and not readily deform by compression; however, the suede had a soft and smooth surface. The thickness, weight, wale density, thermal resistance, and perception of luxuriousness increased between one and four cycles and remained unchanged at six cycles. The hand preference, preference for jackets, and luxuriousness of the suede improved with the number of raisings, with the best performance obtained at four raising cycles.

The hand of washed fabrics can be changed by varying the laundry detergent ingredients and the properties of washing liquid. The ingredients brought by changes to the hand of fabrics can be considered by subjective assessment. Three types of cotton fabrics were washed in a drum-type washer with 16 different laundry detergents, which are based on profiles derived from a fractional factorial design. A questionnaire method was used to evaluate fabrics washed by 16 different detergent combinations. Zeolite was the most important ingredient for the preference of the washed fabrics in a dry state, followed by hardness, pH, LA-7, LAS, and soap. Each ingredient affected the subjective hands in a different way. Surfactants such as LA-7 and LAS, zeolite and soap affected the subjective hand more, while pH and hardness affected the subjective hand less. An increase in the surface-friction related slippery feeling and the fullness/softness resulted in an increase in the preference for the hand of the washed fabric.

This study was performed to estimate the exchange of air (ventilation) and temperature distribution in the cylinder that simulated human body. Simulation simplified the human body wearing the running wear jacket with slits. Slits were positioned at the shoulder, mid-back and lower-back. For the running wear jacket, non-air permeable material was assumed to eliminate the effect of porosity of the fabrics. Airflow and microclimate temperature were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The results showed that the air tended to rise and drift towards the slits. Air flown out through the slits was in the order of the lower-back slit > mid-back slit > shoulder slit. Discrepancy in the air flow rate at each slit was caused by the generation of ascending air currents according to slit positions. The direction of the air current depended on the microclimate temperature inside the jacket. These results indicate that the lower-back slit gives better air exchange effect which was in agreement with the clothing microclimate observed by human wear tests.