Sensory and Physiological Issue

1.1 Economical, social, environmental, and industrial contexts A significant added value of textiles is sensory in nature. During garment handling in a shop, the customer engages a selection process that involves touching and trying on clothing. A multifaceted multi-sensory, emotional and psychological experience occurs. A decision is made and motivations are based on anticipated reality of preference, personality, and emotion. The Integration of sensory feeling in product development was not only focused in textile industry. The use of sensory analysis methods started in the sixties for food products and has been extended to many non-food products including personal care, pharmaceutical and paper products. New design processes integrating the designers’ constraints and the consumers’ expectations for better qualities perception have therefore been proposed in other industries. Sensory analysis methods have been widely used as market research tools in recent times and significant examples of application can be found in automotive industry. The latter has recently performed several attempts to understand and characterise the sensory preferences of end-users and to translate these features into technical specifications for new products development (Giboreau et al., 2001). However, this trend may be more prominent for textile industry as many factors can be given for conferring “character” to a material observed through handling. Micro fibres, silk-like and peach-like, cool or soft touches have been successfully developed in the past and new and exciting textile products. Hence, finishing treatments are still studied and launched on the market for that purpose. This phenomenon has been largely increased nowadays by the new textile industry developments in terms of globalization and new virtual-environment applications demand for variety and personalization. The main objective is to tailor products to the preferences of each consumer (Nakano, 1994), (Okamoto, 1991).