Measurement of Fabric Aesthetics

Abstract

Effective research on the aesthetic characteristies of fabries is difficult because ex plicit definitions are lacking in this field. The most reliable tool is subjective evalua tion: therefore, words ( loft, clammy, hard, etc.) become important research tools. Special meanings of these words become clear if they are logically arranged according to textile frames of reference. Fabric aesthetic character is defined as a relationship among a minimum of six concepts: STYIE, BODY, COVER, SURFACE TEXIURF, DRAPE, and RESILIENCEE. These con cepts can be described by how they are subjectively perceived, by possible subconcepts (e.g., COVFR can be partitioned into BOTTOM and TOP COVFR). by objective tests when available, and by common word pairs used to communicate their values (e.g., thick-thin, rough-smooth, etc.). To illustrate application of principles, subjective scales, identified by common words, were used for analyzing the COVFR concept in commercial, men's suiting fabries. These were then mathematically related to the aesthetic concept of COVER for specific fabrics.