Classification of Evaluators Based on Evaluated Values in a Sensory Test of Brassieres

—A Case Study of Young Adults—

Abstract

To take various needs of consumers into account in the process of designing brassieres, it is important to classify the characteristics of subjects who evaluate the final products. One hundred ninety-three young Japanese women participated in a sensory test performed on 5 types of brassieres. Factor analysis was carried out with 22 evaluation items for each brassiere type. Extracted common factors of evaluation among the 5 types were shift, swinging, pressure, shape and supportive sensations in the back and side of brassieres. Shift and swinging sensations had high contribution rates and were closely related to overall comfort sensation. Cluster analysis was performed on factor scores. Subjects were classified into 4 clusters. It was shown that subjects in each cluster pattern had a specific evaluation tendency. Namely, subjects in Cluster 1 evaluated shape sensation and pressure sensation positively, subjects in Cluster 2 evaluated pressure sensation negatively, subjects in Cluster 3 evaluated all factors negatively, and those in Cluster 4 evaluated the factors separately. Consciousness of the breast seemed to contribute to the evaluation of brassieres.