No / A significant potential beneficial impact of foreign direct investment arises from a foreign affiliate's propensity to purchase inputs from suppliers in the host economy. This issue is of particular interest where the host is a developing country and the linkage is likely to contribute to the development of local suppliers. We compare variations in local input linkages across four countries: Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam, all member countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Using multiple linear regressions, our findings indicate that the degree of local input linkages is highest when foreign affiliates perform a strategic role in the transnational corporation network and are embedded in the host economy. Non-firm factors are also important determinants, especially the industry of investing firms and the existence of a supply base. Building on the findings, a series of policies to enhance supplier-foreign affiliate linkages are proposed.

Textilindustrin är en industri som ständigt växer och utvecklas. År 1995 introducerade det japanska företaget Shima Seiki den första maskinen med de tekniska egenskaperna, som gjorde det möjligt att producera ett trikåplagg med complete garment teknik. Denna introduktion revolutionerade tillverkningstekniken för dessa plagg. Denna studie har skrivits som ett examensarbete på kandidatnivå inom Textilingenjörsprogrammets avslutande del på Högskolan i Borås. Studiens huvudsakliga syfte var att undersöka vilket produktionssätt som var mest effektivt tidsmässigt vid produktion av ett plagg i finstickad trikå, ur ett supply chain perspektiv. Två olika tillverkningsmetoder valdes ut, konventionell och complete garment. Jämförelsen baserades på tidsbedömning av tillverkningsmetodernas supply chain som undersöktes med hjälp av en värdeflödesanalys. Plagget som valdes ut var en tröja, i finstickad trikå, och utifrån detta utfördes en litteraturstudie med fokus på olika produktionsmetoder och logistik. Med utgångspunkt i litteraturstudien upprättades två varianter av varuflöden till de olika tillverkningsmetoderna. En tidsstudie utfördes grundat på de två olika varuflödena, som baserades på egna studier i kombination med intervjuer av experter inom området. Sammanställning av tidsstudien och värdeflödesanalysen visade att det fanns för- och nackdelar med de båda tillverkningsmetoderna. En nackdel som framkom var non-value-added faktorerna väntetid och planering inför produktion, som visade sig vara svåra att undvika i de båda tillverkningsmetoderna. Fördelarna var att de non-value-added faktorerna i complete garment tillverkningens supply chain kunde kortas ner. Efter analys av vilka krav som ställdes, på non-value-added faktorerna för varuflödet hos respektive tillverkningsmetod, kunde slutsatsen dras att complete garment tillverkningens varuflöde är att föredra om man ville ha en snabb påfyllnad av varor till butik utan att ha varorna på lager. / Program: Textilingenjörsutbildningen

Research suggests that there is a plethora of information on the size and shape of the average and plus sized women in South Africa (Winks, 1990; Pandarum, 2009; Muthambi, 2012; Afolayan & Mastamet-Mason, 2013 and Makhanya, 2015). However, there is very little information on petite women‟s body shapes, their body measurements and their shopping behaviour, especially in South Africa, for manufacturing ready-to-wear garments. The purpose of this petite women study was to investigate the shapes and sizes of a sample of petite South African women and develop size charts for the upper and lower body dimensions. This study used a mixed-method; purposive, non-probability sampling method to achieve the objectives of the study. A (TC)² NX16 3D full body scanner and an Adam‟s® medical scale were used to collect the body measurement data of 200 petite South African women, aged between 20-54 years with an average height range of 157cm, residing in Gauteng (Pretoria and Johannesburg). Other data collection instruments included a demographic questionnaire to collect the subjects‟ demographic information such as, age, height, weight, etc.; and the psychographic questionnaire to gather the petite subjects‟ demographics as well as their perceptions and preferences on currently available ready-to-wear shirt and trouser garments. Of the 200 subjects that were initially recruited, based on the petite women‟s body height that ranged from 5‟ 4” (163 cm) and below, the most prevalent body shape profile that emerged from the dataset, was the pear body shape which was evident in 180 of the 3D full body scanned petite women subjects. Therefore, the anthropometric data for these 180 subjects was used in the development of the experimental upper and lower body dimensions size charts and as the basis for the fit test garments developed in this study. The collected data was analysed and interpreted in Microsoft Excel and the IBM SPSS Statistics 24 (2016) software package, using principal component analysis (PCA) to produce the experimental size charts for the upper and lower body dimensions necessary for creating prototype shirt and trouser garments. Regression analysis was used to establish the primary and secondary body dimensions for the development of the size charts and for determining the size ranges. The experimental upper and lower body dimensions size charts were developed for sizes ranging from size 6/30 to size 26/50. Subsequently, the accuracy of the size charts developed in this study was evaluated by a panel of experts who analysed the fit of the prototype shirt and trouser garments, manufactured using measurements for a size 10/34 size range from the size chart, on a sample of the petite subjects. The fit of these garments was also compared with the fit of garments manufactured using the 3D full body scanned measurements of a size 10/34 petite tailoring mannequin, that is currently commercially available for use in the production of garments for petite women in South Africa. The shirt and trouser prototype garments developed using the size 10/34 upper and lower body dimensions size chart measurements had, overall, a better quality of fit than the garments made to fit the current, commercially available, size 10/34 mannequin. These findings thereby confirmed that the data extracted from the (TC)² NX16 3D full body scanner and the size charts subsequently developed using the data, has the potential to provide better/improved fit in garments for petite South African women than data hitherto published. From the evidence of this study, it is recommended that the South African garment manufacturing industry needs to revise the current sizing system for petite women to accommodate the body dimensions and shape variations that currently prevail amongst consumers. The South African garment manufacturers and retailers also need to familiarise themselves with the needs, challenges and preferences of the petite consumers‟ target market that purchase ready-to-wear shirt and trouser garments in South Africa. / Life and Consumer Sciences / M.ConSci. (Department of Life and Consumer Science)

Angel Jones Artist Statement My mixed media collages address issues concerning the outcast, the overlooked, and the underprivileged. My inspirations come from what I experience and perceive around me. My purpose in life is to use my art to address social issues that involve children. For example, I focus my attention on issues ranging from homelessness to mental illness. I am passionate about how vital these concerns are to our success as human beings. To express my ideas, I layer a variety of materials and textiles. The materials include fragments of photographs, drawings, and objects. The textiles include articles of clothing and fabrics. Recurring symbols and imagery link the individual pieces together. The theme of each work determines the materials and media. While doing research for a piece, new social issues often surface and lead to the next piece.

Thesis (M. Tech. (Fashion, Dept. of Visual Arts and Design)--Vaal University of Technology / This study was contracted by the African Warrior Project of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The goal was to explore and describe fit in terms of ease of selected female military upper garments, namely the closely fitted dress jacket and the loosely fitted combat shirt issued by the SANDF. The objectives of this study were firstly, to determine and interpret the amount of tolerance that will comply with the functional requirements related to the activities and comfort of an optimum number of wearers and result in an aesthetically acceptable fit; secondly to analyse and interpret the suitability of the key dimensions used to determine the current size designation in terms of body shapes and gender; thirdly, to determine and interpret the relevance and the validity of the currently used sizing system with regard to representativeness of the current population's measurements. The findings indicated that satisfaction with fit was influenced by fit preferences. Insufficient as well as excess case in a particular location resulted in discomfort or restricted movement and an aesthetically unacceptable garment. Insufficient or excess ease at one location impacted on the comfort experienced in another location on the same horisontal level. Subjects wearing smaller sizes were satisfied with less ease than plus-sized subjects wearing larger sizes. The key dimensions used for the dress jacket and the combat shirt did not ensure sufficient ease at other locations. It was therefore recommended to include the waist and hip dimensions as key dimensions in the size designation to accommodate various body shapes and assist with size allocation. Garments for female wearers carmot be issued according to male body dimensions. The sizing system needs to be revised to represent the population's measurements. / ERGOnomics TECHnologies; Vaal University of Technology

To explore the potential of packaging design structures in menswear. While packaging design and fashion design are two distinctively different fields,their methodologies are distinctively similar.To compare packaging and garment design is therefore to compare their development process and purpose in terms of structure, material, color and print, as well as aspects concerning production and marketing. Both fields aim to create designs that are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing within their particular context; the fundamental contextual difference being that packaging is conceived for a product and garments conceived for a body. Focusing on structure, both packaging and fashion design may use product templates to facilitate mass production. In fashion design these templates are called construction patterns; in packaging design templates are called packaging nets or development nets. Both construction patterns and packaging nets are 2-d structures that gain a three dimensional form according to a construction system, e.g. constructing a box from a flat element using folding techniques. For this bachelor degree work the aim is to explore the potential of packaging design structures in menswear. The result is a lineup of outfits generated by the adoption of packaging nets as construction patterns for garments. Since the outfits are created using packaging design principles and methods, they challenge the contextual distinction both between garment and packaging, and between body and product. By considering garments as packaging for the body, the collection blurs the line between fashion design and packaging design. I believe that the intersection of these two branches of design allows us not only to discover new forms of expression and construction, but also to gain a new perspective on fashion design practice. In addition to structural properties, by also considering the graphic aspect of packaging design, this collection highlights the importance of product differentiation and thus serves as a starting point for future fashion experiments with product branding. / Program: Fashion Design

Kroppsuppfattning är starkt sammankopplad med passform på kläder. Med hjälp av kläder kan vi framhäva det vi är nöjda med men likaså dölja det vi är mindre nöjda med. Att skapa kläder som verkligen passar för sin målgrupp är den svåraste men också viktigaste utmaningen för konfektionsföretag. Studien genomförs därför som ett uppdrag för ett konfektionsföretag med syftet att undersöka hur god passform i överdels-plagg skapas. God passform kan beskrivas utifrån fem faktorer; trådrak, släthet, linje, rörelsemån och balans. För att uppnå god passform arbetar de flesta företag inom konfektionsbranschen med grund¬mönster. Utvärdering av passform sker kontinuerligt under hela produkt¬utvecklingsfasen genom avprovning och avmätning. Forskaren har en central roll i studien och kommer att vara aktivt involverad i processen för att föra projektet framåt. Inledningsvis kommer tre blusgrunder att arbetas fram. Därefter kommer en befintlig blusmodell med balansfel att analyseras och justeras. Denna justering ska sedan sammanställas i ett dokument för att kunna användas i produktion. Att arbeta med så bra utformade grundmönster som möjligt är själva utgångspunkten för studien. Liksom passform är balans en central del i undersökningen. Att justera balansen mellan fram- och bakstycke kan göras genom höjning av inre axelspets. Jag har främst använt mig av litteratur som jag känner till för att kunna fokusera på att hinna genomföra alla delmoment i uppdraget. Eftersom alla steg är uppfyllda kan detta ses som en verifiering på att de åtgärder som har genomförts också har fungerat. Eftersom undersökningens specifika passformsproblem handlade om balans skulle det vara intressant att fortsätta forska på det området. Att arbeta med bystinsnitt kan också förbättra balansen. Det skulle därför vara intressant att jämföra detta med höjning av inre axelspets för att se hur dessa två metoder påverkar ett plagg i övrigt. Body image is strongly linked to the fit of clothing. Clothing can enhance the areas of our body that we are contempt with as well as disguise the ones we are not so satisfied with. The hardest, but also the most important challenge for a clothing company, is to create clothes that really fit their customers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how good fit is created in upper garments. The study is carried out as an assignment for a clothing company. Fit is accomplished by five factors; grain, set, line, ease and balance. To achieve a good fit, most companies in the clothing industry are working with basic patterns. Evaluation of fit is carried out through the whole product development phase with the help of fitting session and measuring of the garments. The researcher has a key role in this survey and will be directly involved in the process to ensure constant progress. Initially, three basic patterns for blouses will be constructed. Then a blouse with balance issue will be analyzed and adjusted. This adjustment will be documented as general description for altering upper garments with balance issues. The main focus of this study is to achieve as good basic patterns as possible. Along with fit, balance is also an important subject in the survey. Adjusting the balance in a garment can be accomplished by raising highest point of shoulder. I have mainly used literature that I am familiar with to be able to focus more on accomplishing my assignment. All steps are fulfilled which means that actions taken throughout the study have been accurate. It would be interesting to further explore fitting problems regarding balance. The use of darts is another way to enhance balance. It would therefore be of most interest to compare this to raising highest point of shoulder and especially look at differences in these two methods. / Program: Designteknikerutbildningen

Various models of simulated weightlessness and resulting cardiovascular effects have been researched in the last 50 years of space exploration. Examples of such models are the Alter-G (Alt-G) treadmill used for body unweighting and head-up-tilt (HUT) model each providing similar cardiovascular effects, but differing in their stimulation of vestibular centers . Advantages of using the Alt-G include: use of lower body positive pressure (LBPP) to simulate hypogravity, it acts as a countermeasure to alleviate negative cardiovascular effects of standing and provides a constant vestibular stimulus. In addition, the Alt-G shorts themselves may be providing a certain degree of LBPP, acting as a compression garment. Therefore the purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of Alt-G shorts and how effective they are as countermeasure to deconditioning effects of space flight. This study tested cardiovascular changes in 12 men and women at 0 and 80 degrees head-up-tilt (HUT0 / HUT80) with and without Alt-G shorts using 5-lead ECG, 10-lead impedance, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements at finger and arm. The tilt-induced increase in mean heart rate (HR) was significantly smaller when subjects wore the Alt-G shorts. Shorts ended up reducing HR by 2.3 bpm in supine control and by 6.7 bpm at HUT80 (p0.05. Other cardiovascular variables did not show any significant effect from shorts. In conclusion, this study was in line with results from other studies that used compression garments to determine cardiovascular effects of LBPP.

A few years back, almost every garment manufacturer industry started implementing “lean Manufacturing.” Garments manufacturing is one of the oldest manufacturing systems, compromising a higher number of critical operations. The main performance indicators in the garment industry are the lead time, production rate, more wastage, and labor intensity. To remain competitive in the global market, the most important task for garments manufacturers is to reduce lead time and waste, which is also essential for productivity and long-term stable development. A headlong rush to reduce lead time and waste by turning into lean and responsive manufacturing has created an urgency for researchers and practitioners to apply new tools and techniques for discovering wastages. This thesis focuses on the application of value stream mapping in the garments industry to implement lean manufacturing system. Value stream mapping (VSM) helps visualize Material Flow and Information Flows of all components, cycle times, and utilization of resources. VSM is a proven lean technique in identifying and eliminating wastes in accommodation with similar or identical product routings. The research approach adopted in this thesis is abductive. Qualitative has been collected by the structured and semi-structured interviews. A single case observation has been made to use VSM as a lean tool to achieve productivity improvement at a selected garment company. Both current and future state mapping of cutting section and sewing line scenarios are discussed using value stream concepts. This was analyzed along with the process lead time as standard minute value (SMV) calculation and two gaps as productive time and non-productive.  Finally, gain in productivity (increase output pcs, less worker, less working hours), increased productive time, and reduce non-productive time was calculated.

Världen blir alltmer digital och att handla kläder via internet är idag en självklarhet för många. Undersökningen syftar till att utforska hur företag kommunicerar passform till konsument, oavsett om de bedriver online försäljning eller enbart använder sina hemsidor för att exponera sitt sortiment. Denna studie kommer undersöka vilka verktyg som är vanligt förekommande, hur de kan kombineras och vad de förmedlar till konsument. En litteraturöversikt ligger till grund för studien och i nästa steg har en kvantitativ urvalsundersökning tagit plats där 45st företag som tillhandahåller överdelsplagg för dam/herr undersökts. I sista steget har en teoretisk kartläggning där verktygen jämförts mot faktorer som påverkar passform har utförts för att klargöra vad varje verktyg kommunicerar. Forskningen som studien bygger på förtydligar problematiken kring passformskommunikation då detta kan anses vara ett subjektivt ämne där fysiska och mentala värderingar påverkar hur konsumenten upplever passform. Resultatet visar att de flesta företag använder sig av kroppsmåttlista i kombination med bildillustrationer för att förtydliga plaggets passform. Den teoretiska kartläggningens resultat visar att visuella och virtuella verktyg ger konsumenten en bättre indikation på plaggets passform. / The world is becoming increasingly digital and shopping for clothes via the internet is a matter of course for many today. The survey aims to explore how companies communicate fit to the consumer, whether they conduct online sales or only use their websites to expose their range. This study will examine which tools are commonly used, how they can be combined and what they convey to the consumer. A literature review is the basis for the study and in the next step, a quantitative sample survey has taken place where 45 companies that provide tops for women / men have been examined. In the last step, a theoretical survey where the tools have been compared against factors that affect fit has been performed to clarify what each tool communicates. The research on which the study is based clarifies the problem of fit communication as this can be considered a subjective subject where physical and mental values affect how the consumer experiences fit. The results show that most companies use body measurements in combination with image illustrations to clarify the garment's fit. The results of the theoretical survey show that visual and virtual tools give the consumer a better indication of the garment's fit.