As wearable electronics become more prevalent in everyday life, there is a growing desire to integrate circuits and antennae into clothing. One way that this integration may occur is through use of electronic textiles (e-textiles). However, changes in environmental and wear conditions may affect the conductive data communication performance of the e-textile, such as surface resistivity and antenna radiation characteristics. In this study, the effects of pilling, wrinkling, abrasion, and laundering of e-textiles were examined for resistivity performance. E-textile resistivity performance from both direct current (DC) and radiofrequency (RF) perspectives were measured following AATCC and ASTM standards. For DC performance, results indicate that pilling causes severe damage to e-textile resistivity, while laundering and wrinkling did not substantially affect e-textile resistivity performance. For RF performance in this study, an e-textile microstrip patch antenna was designed and data were collected under similar environmental and wear conditions. RF performance change corresponds with DC performance change. The findings of this paper highlight limitations of the evaluated e-textile performance, and provide new perspectives regarding improvements to e-textile fabrication for sustaining performance through environmental and wear operations.

Sustainability has increasingly become one of the single biggest issues requiring immediate global attention by both the retail industry and the consumer. As the end users of garments, consumers play a key role in reversing the current devastating environmental trends. For consumers to do this, there is a need to understand those motivating factors that would encourage them to increase their involvement in sustainability-related practices. This study, therefore, addresses the motivations, values, beliefs, and norms of the consumer’s sustainable consumption behavior (SCB). The value-belief-norm (VBN) theory was used as a framework to explain beliefs and behaviors which serve as predictors for attitudes and behavioral intentions. Data were collected through interviews with 14 female participants in six countries selected because of their environmentally-conscious behaviors. Findings indicate poor fit is a motivating factor to extend the life of clothing by providing participants with a sense of control and empowerment. Participants believed fashion was an unlimited reusable resource. Future research might explore connections among creativity, mental wellness, and empowerment. Both fashion industry and academic practitioners would benefit, as a need exists to update consumer behavior models, and increase understanding, based on the wants and needs of the sustainability-conscious consumer.

E-textile antennas have the potential to be the premier on-body wearable sensor. Embroidery techniques, which can be applied to produce e-textile antennas, assist in large production volumes and fast production speeds. This paper focuses on the effects of three commonly used embroidery parameters, namely stitch type, conductive thread location, and stabilizer, on the performance of embroidered dipole antennas in order to determine the ideal embroidery combination for optimal antenna performance. Fifty-four dipole antenna samples were fabricated and measured at the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) frequency band of 2.45 GHz. The results of this study show that machine-embroidered antenna designs with satin stitches resonate at a lower frequency and exhibit a lower transmission gain compared with those made with contour stiches, and the conductive thread location in the bobbin location plus the use of a water-soluble stabilizer can help improve impedance matching.

The goal of this study was to explore educational strategies to teach repurposing, in the apparel design classroom guided by the gold standard project-based learning (GSPBL) model. The researchers collected and analysed project reflections from participants over four semesters, utilising a qualitative research approach. Results of the data analysis impacted the evolution of the project (four iterations) and suggested five instructional practices to build upon the project structure to teach repurposing in the apparel design classroom. Educational strategies made throughout the study influenced students’ approach to their design process, conscientious of textile waste, and perception toward repurposing. Successful outcomes of the study included the development of transferrable skills, such as creative and critical design thinking, problem-solving, and time management, as well as learning satisfaction. Additionally, findings of this study contributed to the body of knowledge of sustainable design: repurposing. Overall, this research guides teaching sustainable design practices.

Smart clothing represents less than 1% of the multibillion dollar wearables market. This lagging representation is due to many factors; one predominant challenge which includes performance reliability post-laundering/care. Due to smart clothing intimately contacting the human body, it naturally becomes soiled and requires laundering. However, insight into the impact of consumer detergents and other additives on e-textile conductive functionality post laundering has yet to be explored. The purpose of this research was to study laundering conditions, specifically the influence of select laundry detergents and additives, on surface resistivity of select e-textiles to provide initial insights into the impact of consumer-available laundering treatments to contribute to knowledge around laundering of e-textiles. Understanding initial impacts of laundering conditions, particularly detergents and other common laundry additives can inform future studies, laundering text methods of e-textiles, and care label development.