Abstract
This study was performed to analyze the wearing practice and the purchasing characteristics of jeans in order to offer basic data to produce superior jeans made of denim with small flexibility and to improve the wearing comfort. The questionnaire were 236 Korean women from the age of 10th to 50th. For data analysis, descriptive analysis and crosstabs were used. The results were as follows, in the purchasing characteristics, when the women of 10th to 30th decided to purchase jeans they considered fashion, design and price rather than wearing comfort. But the women of 40th to 50th considered that wearing comfort is the most important factor. The 10th is found the best preferred jean is wide straight style, the 20th is straight style, the 30th is boots cut style and the 40th to 50th is straight style. In wearing practice, there was a difference among age groups on the region that felt uncomfortable when wearing jeans. As the age increases, the abdomen size also increases. Most people answered that they mend jeans after purchase for length, without any relation with age. The reason why consumers prefer jeans with middle length between the crotch and waist and also purchase jeans with a short length is because they look refined and neat. This informs us that the short length between the crotch and waist does not match with ease and comfort, which are the images of jeans in the past. Recently premium jean brands are competing to show Low Rise Jeans, which seems like a Premium Jean=Low Rise Jean formula is created. Some manufacture companies are recklessly copying foreign designs that does not fit Korean's body shape. However, as mentioned in this study results, there is a clear difference between designs that they think consider as aesthetic and functional. Therefore, it is considered necessary for developing designs for jeans that can satisfy both aesthetic appreciation and functions for Korean consumer's body shape and each age group.