Identification of principal factors of fabric aesthetics by the evaluation from experts on textiles and from untrained consumers

One of the important end-use performance measures of fabrics and other textile products is the handle, which measures the quality of fabrics as evaluated by reactions obtained not only tactilely but also visually. The well-known Kawabata Evaluation System includes both an objective evaluation and a prediction method of the handle. However, objective evaluations of the handle based on a visual perception of fabric aesthetics have not been investigated systematically. Thus, as the first step of a systematic study, we attempted to carry out a sensory evaluation of fabric aesthetics by experts on textile and untrained consumers using worsted and spun silk woven fabrics, which have different material effect and structural effect. Thereafter, the mean preference scores were examined by factor analysis to identify the principal factors of fabric aesthetics. From the result, it was found that two common factors—‘luster and depth sensation’ and ‘surface roughness sensation’—were identified tentatively as the principal factors of fabric aesthetics.