University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management Retailing and Tourism Management 2017 An Analysis of Performance Claims in Athleisure Katherine M. Hahnel University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.137 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Hahnel, Katherine M., "An Analysis of Performance Claims in Athleisure" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management. 11. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/mat_etds/11 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Retailing and Tourism Management at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Katherine M. Hahnel, Student Dr. Elizabeth Easter, Major Professor Dr. Scarlett Wesley, Director of Graduate Studies AN ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE CLAIMS IN ATHLEISURE THESIS A thesis proposal submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky by Katherine Mae Hahnel Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Elizabeth Easter Professor of Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles Lexington, Kentucky May 1, 2017 Copyright © Katherine Mae Hahnel 2017 ABSTRACT OF THESIS AN ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE CLAIMS IN ATHLEISURE The purpose of this research was to evaluate performance claims in athleisure, in order to confirm or refute their authenticity. Aesthetic properties and functional claims were evaluated initially, and after repeated home laundering. A convenience (nonprobability) sample of activewear with performance features consisted of ninety garments that are currently on the market and commonly used by consumers. The garments included men’s and women’s t-shirts, polos, leggings, windbreakers, hoodies, sweatpants, and warm-up pants of various fiber contents and performance chemistries. The focus of the garment selection was on garments with performance properties relating to moisture management. Performance claims listed on the hang tags included moisture management, wicking, quick dry, stay cool, breathable, water resistant and wind resistant. Garments in the sample were a combination of natural, synthetic and blended fiber contents. The garments were tested initially, after one, five, ten, fifteen and twenty laundry cycles. The garments were evaluated for smoothness, dimensional stability, color change, pilling, horizontal wicking of textiles, water repellency- spray test, water resistance- impact penetration, water resistance- hydrostatic pressure, absorbency of textiles, aqueous liquid repellency and air permeability. All testing was performed in accordance with AATCC and ASTM standard test methods and was conducted under controlled laboratory settings. KEYWORDS: Athleisure, Performance, Claims, Moisture Management, Garments Katherine M. Hahnel May 1, 2017 AN ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE CLAIMS IN ATHLEISURE By Katherine Mae Hahnel Dr. Elizabeth Easter Director of Thesis Dr. Scarlett Wesley Director of Graduate Studies May 1, 2017 Date ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this study would not have been possible without the support and guidance from a number of individuals. The faculty and staff at the University of Kentucky have been fantastic, contributing advice and encouragement along the way. I would especially like to thank my major professor, Dr. Elizabeth Easter, who provided invaluable mentorship as director of my thesis. I would also like to thank Dr. Scarlett Wesley and Dr. RayeCarol Cavender for their feedback as members of my thesis committee. Members of the industry also contributed a great deal to the success of this project. The members of the Clothing Care Research Consortium from Cotton Incorporated, Procter & Gamble, and GE Appliances contributed funding and expertise to this study. I would also like to thank my student co-workers in the Textile Testing Lab for their help over the past two years. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Bill and Anne, and my sister, Libby for their unwavering mental and emotional support. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One ........................................................................................................................ 1 Problem Statement .................................................................................................. 1 Purpose Statement ................................................................................................... 2 Research Objectives ................................................................................................ 2 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 2 Justification ............................................................................................................. 2 Assumptions ............................................................................................................ 3 Limitations .............................................................................................................. 4 Chapter Two........................................................................................................................ 5 The Role of Apparel ................................................................................................ 5 Performance features. ................................................................................. 5 Aesthetic features. ........................................................................... 7 Shrinkage resistance. ........................................................... 7 Wrinkle resistance. .............................................................. 8 Colorfastness. ...................................................................... 9 Pilling resistance. ................................................................ 9 Functional features. ....................................................................... 10 Protection .......................................................................... 10 Moisture management. ...................................................... 11 Comfort. ............................................................................ 15 Thermal comfort. .............................................................. 16 Antimicrobial. ................................................................... 17 Compression. .................................................................... 17 Athleisure .............................................................................................................. 18 Expansion of athleisure. ............................................................................ 20 Apparel Labeling .................................................................................................. 20 Hang tags. ................................................................................................. 20 Performance Claims .............................................................................................. 21 Verification of performance claims. ......................................................... 22 Summary ............................................................................................................... 24 Chapter Three.................................................................................................................... 25 Research Design .................................................................................................... 25 Samples ................................................................................................................. 25 Procedures ............................................................................................................. 28 Aesthetic evaluation. ................................................................................