During the middle and late stages of pregnancy, the foetus grows rapidly, and the movements of the expectant mother are restricted. Therefore, a method that can support a sagging abdomen to support movement and distribute the weight of the lower abdomen throughout the torso to reduce the burden on the lower back needs to be investigated. This study aimed to develop a maternity support garment (MSG) that would provide comfortable support for rapid abdominal changes during the later stages of pregnancy. Nine types of MSGs used in Japan and Australia were analysed in terms of their clothing pressure distribution with a pregnant mannequin. In addition, pressure sense was indexed by the sensory evaluation of Japanese nongravid women in their 20 s and 30 s, and clothing pressure values obtained via simulation were analysed. The clothing pressure distribution of Japanese MSG is either almost perfect or looser, and when used alone, the MSGs keep the abdomen warm, except when the attached belt is used. Conversely, the Australian MSG is used with three types of tightness recommended by maternity hospitals; however, when double-layered with soft and hard types, the soft type concentrates pressure on the abdomen, and even the single-layer hard type MSG was observed to have higher pressure than the tight-fit sensation. Although the Australian MSGs provide support rather than insulation, the pressure that they exert on the gravid abdomen can restrict the blood flow to the foetus. Therefore, a narrow belt was combined with a single MSG and measured. The overlapping angle of the narrow belt generated excessive clothing pressure on the back from the heavy abdomen, making 15◦ the most suitable. The Australian soft-type single-layer MSG provided a perfect fit of clothing pressure but proved inadequate for supporting the heavy abdomen. Therefore, combining a narrow belt yielded good results. It was found that the medium type of MSG was preferred either as a single or double layer according to the pregnant woman’s preference, rather than combined with the belt. These findings are expected to advance understanding of the effects of existing MSGs on the pregnant abdomen, thus propelling further development of MSGs.

This study evaluates the dyeing performance of cotton fabric with a natural dye extracted from the heartwood of Senna siamea, focusing on the effects of anodic electrochemical pretreatment combined with varying concentrations of two mordants: potassium aluminium sulfate (alum) and calcium hydroxide. Sodium chloride (10 g/L) was maintained as the auxiliary in all dye baths, while mordant concentrations ranged from 0 to 20 g/L for both alum and calcium hydroxide. Colourimetric analysis (CIE $Lab$*) revealed that alum treatment generally lightened the fabric and decreased colour saturation, with $∆E$ values reaching 13.11 at 20 g/L, indicating a shift toward washed-out shades. In contrast, calcium hydroxide enhanced fabric brightness and significantly increased yellow chroma, producing warmer and more vibrant hues, particularly at 10 g/L, which was visually the lightest and showed the greatest colour difference ($∆E$ = 14.32). Washing fastness (ISO 105-C10) remained consistently good (ratings 3-4/5) across all mordant types and concentrations. Rubbing fastness (ISO 105-X12) improved with increasing mordant concentration, especially for alum at 15-20 g/L and calcium hydroxide at 10 g/L, with wet rubbing ratings improving from 2/3 to 3/4. These results highlight the distinct influences of alum and calcium hydroxide on colour development and durability, offering practical insights for optimising natural dyeing with Senna siamea extract. The study promotes accessible, eco-friendly dyeing techniques suitable for rural artisans, enhancing traditional textile quality and supporting sustainable production.

Traditional evaluation of cycling trouser fabrics employs fixed-weight methods, failing to address the diverse performance demands of dynamic cycling scenarios. To overcome this limitation, this study developed and validated an intelligent scoring system using a “user-expert” dual-driven dynamic weight optimisation strategy. A dynamic weighting scheme was first constructed by integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with user survey data. To mitigate data scarcity, a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) was utilised to augment the dataset. Subsequently, a random forest regression model, integrated with a fuzzy logic engine, was employed to dynamically adjust performance weights (abrasion resistance, moisture permeability, air permeability) based on scenario inputs. The model achieved a coefficient of determination ($R^2$) of 0.924 on the training set and an average $R^2$ of 0.893 on the test set. Further validation demonstrated a prediction error of $\le 5.2\%$ for new fabrics and maintained $R^2$ values above 0.85 under hyperparameter sensitivity analysis, indicating strong generalisation and robustness. This research provides a validated, data-driven framework for fabric selection in customised clothing and introduces a novel paradigm for the performance-based design of advanced technical textiles.

Warmth is a key consideration for consumers when choosing products. Existing research has mostly focused on testing the warmth performance of down products in a horizontal state, neglecting the non-horizontal state during actual wearing. This study investigates the thermal insulation performance of down waddings under different placement conditions and their interrelationships. Four types of stitching spacing and five types of unit filling amounts are determined through market research, and 20 pieces of down waddings are made. Thermal resistance experiments are conducted in both horizontal placement and 24-hour suspension states. The experimental results show that under 24-hour suspension, the thermal resistance value of down waddings generally decreases; Under the same stitching spacing conditions, the unit filling amount corresponding to the maximum thermal resistance value in the 24-hour suspension state has decreased; There is a significant difference in thermal resistance values between the two placement states, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.939, indicating a strong positive correlation; A mathematical regression model $y=0.825x + 0.033$ is established through SPSS analysis to describe the relationship between the thermal insulation of down wadding in two different placement conditions. The findings of this study provide an important theoretical basis and practical guidance for further research, design, and production of down products.

Currently, line production is the mainstream production method for various clothing enterprises. Therefore, optimising and improving the production line plays a crucial role in promoting the development of manufacturing enterprises. To solve the problems of unbalanced operation time and low production line balance rate of each workstation of the garment sewing production line, a multi-objective optimisation mathematical model with the minimum smoothing index and the largest production line balance rate was established, and the dual-population genetic algorithm was designed in the MATLAB environment. The jeans (front piece) were used as an example to be simulated and verified in simulation software. Achieve load balancing at workstations, save production costs, and eliminate overproduction between jobs. The research results show that the smoothness index of the optimised production line has been reduced from 20.89 to 8.43, and the production line balance rate has been increased from 77.57% to 89.06%, which meets the requirements of enterprise process planning and can deliver on time. This verifies that the model proposed in this paper can effectively solve the production balance problem of a single clothing production line.

The feeling of being out-of-place from dressing differently from others is prevalent in Japanese individuals. However, previous studies have not objectively assessed this out-of-place feeling using physiological indices. Therefore, this study aimed to compare out-of-place feelings in Japanese individuals measured using questionnaires as subjective assessments and electroencephalography, R-R interval of heartbeats, and number of blinks as objective assessments. The results indicated that the participants felt out-of-place because of the differences in clothing and the recipient of the letter they wrote to as the task. The out-of-place feeling had a significantly negative correlation with alpha waves and a significantly positive correlation with beta waves. The more the participants felt out-of-place, the more uncomfortable they were when the collaborator entered or left the room wearing different clothes. The more their beta waves activated when they wrote a letter to their supervisor than when they wrote to children. The decrease in middle-alpha waves suggested that the participants were uncomfortable when they were the only people in a different outfit.

Sanitary napkins are indispensable personal care products for women. China is the largest market for feminine hygiene products in the world. China’s sanitary napkin industry is also large and stable, with annual sales reaching billions. However, despite the promise and potential of China’s sanitary napkin industry, there are few studies on it. In this study, anchored on industrial organisation theory and the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) paradigm, the characteristics of China’s sanitary napkin industry will be explored through three specific aspects: structure, conduct, and performance. Structure refers to the degree and nature of competition for products and services of an industry. Conduct is the market policies sellers adopt to achieve certain objectives, such as pricing and non-pricing. Performance is the outcomes reflecting the effects of market operation. The analysis will be conducted from the three aspects respectively. The results demonstrate that: (i) the market type of China’s sanitary napkin industry has shifted from competition to oligopoly V and has highly advertising-dependent product differentiation; (ii) cost-plus pricing conduct is adopted, and advertising sponsorship and channels construction have become a focus in this industry; (iii) the profit level of China’s sanitary napkin industry is relatively high but declining, and the industry scale structure needs to be improved. This study provides a theoretical perspective on the current standing of China’s sanitary napkin industry, which can assist the industry in growing steadily.

Abdominal protrusion is increasingly common among middle-aged and elderly women, and the current standard sizing system fails to properly their body shape change. To improve the classification of abdominal bulge morphology in middle-aged and elderly women and enhance the garment fit, this paper screened 133 samples with abdominal bulge among 165 Chinese women aged 50-59 years old based on 3D anthropometric techniques and obtained abdominal morphological dimensions. Five main morphology parameters affecting abdominal convexity were summarized, and the abdominal morphology was classified into four types for simulation. The abdominal regression models and girth fitting models were established and validated by combining the feature indexes related to pants. Results showed that each abdominal convexity type has obvious and specific clustering characteristics, and the regression models are valid and practical for personalized clothing development.

This paper reports a study of 13 Japanese women who wore two types of pantyhose that were rated as providing an "almost-perfect pressure sensation" and three types of shoes.The root mean square of the electromyogram for eight muscles in the right leg was calculated.RMS has divided four group muscles: into each muscle around the knee, around the knee, on the ventral side, and on the dorsal side, and investigated how it changes between bare feet, pantyhose, and shoes.Each pantyhose is designed to stretch the legs well and follow the walking motion easily, but pantyhose B is double woven from the abdomen to the backside so as to connect to the back side while lifting the subcutaneous fat of the abdomen.Even if the pantyhose is made to apply almost the same pressure to the ankles, changing the design of the panty part can activate or suppress abdominal muscle activity.