Improving Comfort in Clothing

Dr Guowen Song lectures in human ecology at the University of Alberta, Canada. His research concentrates on the protection and comfort of textile materials and garments with particular emphasis on the understanding and modelling of heat and moisture transfer in clothing.

• Contributor contact detailsWoodhead Publishing Series in TextilesPrefacePart I: Fundamentals of comfort and assessmentChapter 1: Factors affecting comfort: human physiology and the role of clothingAbstract:1.1 Definition of comfort1.2 Human physiological aspect of comfort1.3 Energy metabolism and physical work1.4 Human heat balance1.5 Clothing as near environment1.6 Various aspects of clothing comfort1.7 Comfort variables1.8 Effective temperature and the comfort chart1.9 Response to extreme temperature1.10 Development of heat stress and its control1.11 Protective clothing1.12 Future trends and further information and adviceChapter 2: Properties of fibers and fabrics that contribute to human comfortAbstract:2.1 Introduction2.2 Comfort properties of fibers2.3 Physical modification of fibers2.4 Comfort properties of yarns2.5 Comfort properties of fabric structures2.6 ConclusionsChapter 3: Wool and garment comfortAbstract:3.1 Introduction3.2 Wool quality3.3 Benchmarking: wool quality in retail garments3.4 Comfort in wool garments: a new assessment protocol3.5 Wool garment comfort assessment3.6 Comfort response of individuals3.7 Wool quality and garment comfort3.8 Conclusions3.9 Sources of further information and advice3.10 AcknowledgmentsChapter 4: How consumers perceive comfort in apparelAbstract:4.1 Introduction4.2 How humans sense comfort4.3 The Nervous System4.4 Human brain4.5 Skin and its functions4.6 Structure of the skin4.7 Senses and sensory receptors4.8 Skin and senses4.9 Sensations and fabrics4.10 Psychological factors and overall comfort perception4.11 ConclusionsChapter 5: Laboratory measurement of thermo-physiological comfortAbstract:5.1 Introduction5.2 Thermo-physiological comfort5.3 Thermal resistance5.4 Water vapour transport5.5 Air permeability5.6 Wicking, buffering and absorbency5.7 New developments and future trendsChapter 6: Testing, analyzing and predicting the comfort properties of textilesAbstract:6.1 Introduction6.2 Characterization of comfort6.3 Testing, analyzing and predicting neurophysiological comfort6.4 Testing, analyzing and predicting thermophysiological comfort6.5 Design-oriented comfort model6.6 Future trendsPart II: Improving comfort in apparelChapter 7: Improving thermal comfort in apparelAbstract:7.1 Introduction7.2 Different approaches for improving the thermal comfort of clothing7.3 ConclusionsChapter 8: Improving moisture management in apparelAbstract:8.1 Introduction8.2 Transport of perspiration8.3 Fundamentals of moisture transfer between the human body and the environment8.4 Factors influencing moisture transport8.5 Improving moisture transport8.6 Clothing requirements for different environmental conditions8.7 Developments in moisture management8.8 Future trendsChapter 9: Improving tactile comfort in fabrics and clothingAbstract:9.1 Introduction9.2 Comfort and neurophysiology9.3 Human tactile sensation9.4 Fabric mechanical properties and tactile-pressure sensations9.5 Warmth or coolness to the touch of fabrics9.6 Improving the textile surface properties for tactile sensation9.7 Predictability of sensory comfort9.8 Improving electrostatic propensity9.9 Future trends9.10 ConclusionsChapter 10: Garment pattern design and comfortAbstract:10.1 Introduction: fundamental principles of fit in apparel10.2 Clothing comfort and fit10.3 Manual and mechanical stretch testingResults10.4 Stretch pattern development10.5 Future trends10.6 Conclusions10.7 Sources of further information and adviceChapter 11: Improving body movement comfort in apparelAbstract:11.1 Introduction: fundamental principles of movement in apparel11.2 Fashion and functional apparel: aesthetics, protection, performance and movement11.3 Materials and design strategies to provide appropriate movement performance11.4 Movement and garment stretch/pressure/compression11.5 Research and testing of prototype designs for comfort and movement11.6 Future trends11.7 Sources of further information and advicePart III: Improving comfort in particular types of clothingChapter 12: Evaluating the heat stress and comfort of firefighter and emergency responder protective clothingAbstract:12.1 Introduction12.2 Background12.3 Laboratory tests for clothing heat stress12.4 Laboratory tests for clothing comfort12.5 Research needsChapter 13: Improving comfort in military protective clothingAbstract:13.1 Introduction13.2 Historical perspective13.3 Threat level and concept of operations13.4 Understanding system level whole-body protection: baseline performance13.5 Civilian style protective systems13.6 Adsorptive undergarments13.7 Cold War individual protective equipment13.8 Post-Gulf War individual protective equipment13.9 Asymmetric operations (individual protective equipment)13.10 Conclusions13.11 Future trends13.12 AcknowledgementsChapter 14: Balancing comfort and function in textiles worn by medical personnelAbstract:14.1 Introduction14.2 Surgical gowns14.3 Surgical gloves14.4 Surgical masks14.5 Future trendsChapter 15: Improving comfort in sports and leisure wearAbstract:15.1 Introduction15.2 Market share of sports and leisure wear and affected group of users15.3 Definition of sports and leisure wear15.4 Influence of sportswear on everyday and leisure wear fashion15.5 Physiological demands on sports, everyday and leisure wear15.6 Testing sports, everyday and leisure wear comfort15.7 Textile constructions for sports, everyday and leisure wear15.8 Application examples15.9 Recent and future trends in sports, everyday and leisure wear15.10 Future trends in testing comfort of sports, everyday and leisure wear15.11 Conclusions15.12 Sources of further information and adviceChapter 16: Cold weather clothing and comfortAbstract:16.1 Introduction16.2 Thermal comfort and heat balance16.3 Requirements for comfort in the cold16.4 Principles for cold weather clothing16.5 Future trendsChapter 17: Achieving comfort in intimate apparelAbstract:17.1 Introduction17.2 Sensorial comfort for intimate apparel17.3 Thermal comfort for intimate apparel17.4 Motion comfort for intimate apparel17.5 Aesthetic comfort for intimate apparel17.6 Hygienic comfort for intimate apparel17.7 Acknowledgement17.8 Sources of further information and adviceIndex