Study Of The Influence Of Garment Pressure On Human Physiological Comfort

Pressure comfort is an important factor for evaluating garments. As more and more people wearing various tight-fit garments, such as jeans, stockings, the safety and comfort of garments begin to draw more and more attentions from consumers, clothing designers and researchers. In this research, three healthy female graduate students were chosen to be subjects. Ankles and calves of lower limbs were focused. Two types of pressure were exerted by using sphygmomanometer and wearing compression stockings. The influence of different kinds of pressure on skin blood flow both at distal and at pressed parts, and pressure feelings were investigated. The obtained results are as follows: the skin blood flow at distal was decreased when the lower limb was under pressure, the higher the pressure, the more serious the decrease of the skin blood flow; under the pressure of the same value, the pressure exerted at the ankle lead more quick decrease of the distal skin blood flow than that exerted at the calf; the blood flow of the skin under pressure may increase if proper pressure was loaded at ankle or calf, however, as the pressure increased, it may turn to decrease, and may bring hurt to body; ankles can bear more higher pressure than calves. Based on the investigated results, it can be assumed that pressure influences the skin blood microcirculation by affecting of the neural system in skin, body fluid, and the vascular deformation, thus changes the skin blood flow.