Evaluation and modification of thermal comfort properties of the sportive garments made from fabrics composed of different fibres

In this doctorate dissertation, it is aimed to evaluate fabric samples, which are developed considering the production parameters that can effect thermal comfort, by objective methods and it is also aimed to develop T-shirts with improved thermophysiological comfort properties so that active sportsmen, who do sports at different activity levels and various environments, can wear while they are doing sports. Fabric design studies and test analyses have been realized to examine the effects of fabric constructions with plain, tuck and miss stitches and the effects of yarn types of natural, regenerated, synthetic and functional fibers. Considering the results of these analyses, raw material and fabric types, which are advantageous in terms of thermophysiological comfort, are brought together and functional T-shirt designs for women and men are made by benefiting from the information related to the thermophysiology of human body. Among the performed functional designs, a T-shirt design for men is chosen and manufactured. In addition, in order to be able to understand the effect of the fabric construction, T-shirts with classical design are manufactured with the fabric constructions, which are found to be advantageous. T-shirts with functional design and classical design are compared to analyze the effect of the functional design. The thermophysiological comfort properties of the produced T-shirts are tested through wear trials by the participation of the selected volunteers under laboratory conditions, where temperature and relative humidity are kept under control according to the determined test procedure. In the results of this study, where the effects of raw material, fabric construction and functional design parameters on the thermal comfort are examined in detail, it is seen that Tencel LF, viscose, polyester, Coolmax among the examined raw material types, and the knitted fabric structure with tuck and float stitches as well as the determined functional design come into prominence in terms of the sportswear comfort to be used in hot weather. When all the results of the study are considered, it is understood that the raw material used in the fabric production, the fabric construction and the functional design, which takes the body physiology into consideration, are all effective in the thermophysiological comfort of the T-shirts to be used as sportswear, that suitable choices should be made by considering all three in the clothing production processes, and finally that the expected advantages cannot be obtained even if one of them is neglected. It is expected that the obtained findings of this study will contribute to the studies on improving the thermophysiological comfort of sportswear, as it is an innovative and suitable topic for research and development that researchers and the producers in the industry show great interest.