Design and Product Development

Chinese Gen Zers’ Emotional Dimensions for Fashion Design During the Pandemic

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Abstract

COVID-19 has driven dramatic shifts in the lifestyles of Chinese Gen Z (CGZ)s, including their clothing needs. This study aims to i) examine CGZ’s preferences for fashion styles, ii) conceptualize their emotional needs for fashion through the Kansei Engineering (KE) model, and iii) provide insights to academia and practitioners regarding the emotional dimensions of CGZ in fashion. We conducted KE in four steps: i)image selection, ii) word extraction, iii) a survey using the semantic differential method, and iv) an analysis of the CGZ’s style perception and preference. CGZ most favoured those styles that featured vibrant and youthful qualities, as well as relaxed styles, while less preferred the formal and retro styles compared to casual and comfy fashion, whereas they altogether dislike offbeat and surreal styles. Furthermore, a correlation analysis showed that 3pairs of keywords, “inappropriate-appropriate”, “uncomfortable-easy”, and “hard-soft” were most significantly correlated with the “like-dislike” factor.

Keywords: Chinese Generation Z, emotional needs, fashion design development, Kansei Engineering

How to Cite:

Jin, M. & Choi, S., (2022) “Chinese Gen Zers’ Emotional Dimensions for Fashion Design During the Pandemic”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 79(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.15785