The purpose of this research is to clarify how cloth attributes, knowledge on clothing, sensory modality influence the sensibility evaluation of fabric respectively. We prepared 20 each group of subjects with different clothing knowledge, and conducted a sensitivity evaluation experiment with two kinds of touching methods (tactile and visual tactile) for 39 kinds of fabrics with different materials and weave structures. Factor analysis was conducted to clarify what kind of factor the subject evaluates the fabric, and multiple regression analysis was carried out to clarify what kind of mechanical properties are used as criteria for judgment. In the multiple regression analysis, each factor score was set as a target variable, and the mechanical characteristic was used as an explanatory variable. As a result, three factors of moist preference factor, thermal sensation factor, flexible factor were extracted. It was found that the moist preference factor mainly makes the cloth evaluation criteria for tensile properties, bending properties, surface properties, compression properties and cloth thickness for thermal sensation factor, and shear and bending properties for flexible factor.

PurposeThe study aimed to clarify differences in fabric hand perceptions among Japanese and Chinese participants and implement online shopping strategies that enable consumers to easily recognize fabric texture.Design/methodology/approachForty (20 Japanese and 20 Chinese) participants knowledgeable about clothing and fabric were recruited. Participants evaluated fabric by sight and touch in a visuotactile experiment (VTE). The stimulus material comprised 39 fabric samples representing a broad range of fabric attributes (7 fibers, 5 weaving/knitting techniques and 3 yarn thicknesses and density). A Mann–Whitney U test and a factor analysis were conducted to determine differences in responses for the different fabric variables.FindingsThe fabric hand perceptions factors were similar between both groups. Japanese participants showed a stronger preference for fabrics that felt wet. Japanese participants’ fabric hand perceptions had a 3-factor structure, while Chinese participants had a 2-factor structure. Chinese participants regarded “crisp” as perceptually and linguistically equivalent to “stretchy.”Originality/valueThe study’s findings suggest that Chinese people have stronger preferences in fabrics than Japanese people do. Japanese people evaluate fabric hand in a more nuanced manner than Chinese individuals, including discerning different fabric attributes, such as fiber and yarn thickness and density. Thus, nationality may influence fabric hand perceptions more than fabric knowledge does. Specifically, in evaluating “crispness,” the results required further analysis because differences in nationality may have affected evaluations regarding perception and linguistic perspectives. The findings provide design guidelines for implementing online shopping strategies adapted to each participant group.