Sensory and Physical Hand Properties of Inherently Flame-Retardant Sleepwear Fabrics 1

Abstract

Inherently flame-retardant sleepwear fabrics for children were assessed by 38 judges for sensory hand qualities using the semantic differential, and for hand preferences using the full forced-choice paired comparison. A 99 point certainty scale was used for both assessments. Physical hand properties were also measured instrumentally. Sensory hand responses differed more by fabric construction type than by fiber content, whereas hand preferences differed more by fiber content than by fabric construction type. There were no clear relationships between sensory hand qualities and preferences, although smoothness, softness, and gentleness of hand were associated with more favorable preferences. The word pairs that described physical properties directly (e.g., "flimsy/firm" for stiffness) were highly correlated with physical measures.