This paper presents a model for integrating the study of performance materials into the clothing curriculum. In recent years there has been an increase in demand for stylish, functional and versatile sports apparel. Analysts predict this will reach US$126.30 billion by 2015. This growth is accredited to dramatic lifestyle changes and increasing participation in sports/leisurely pursuits particu...

This year we focused on identifying the imapct of tangible performance attributes; intangible image attributes and price on overall perception of value and intention-to-buy US branded apparel products. We developed a conceptual framework for understanding the impact of apparel attributes on consumers’ value perceptios and intentions-to-buy and examined the effectiveness of the developed model i...

In this article we examine the developmental consequences of globalization at multiple scales, using a commodity chains framework to investigate the case of the North American apparel industry. In the first section we outline the apparel commodity chain and offer a brief typology of its lead firms. In the second section we discuss the concept of industrial upgrading and describe several main ex...