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IJCST
11,4 Application of cluster analysis
to fabric classification
Y. Chen and B.J. Collier
206 Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, School of Human Ecology,
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, and
Received October 1997 J.R. Collier
Accepted March 1999
Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Keywords Fabric, Analysis, Clothing
Abstract This paper introduces a new way of classifying clothing fabrics objectively.
Representative apparel fabrics were collected and measured by the Kawabata Evaluation
System for Fabrics (KES-FB). The disjoint clustering method was used to divide fabrics into four
clusters, each representing particular fabric performance and end-use characteristics. These
classified clusters were further analyzed applying the method of principal-component analysis to
acquire factor patterns that indicate the most important fabric properties for characterizing
different fabric end-use. Extracted information from the instrumentally obtained data in terms of
fabric physical properties is useful to fabric and garment producers, apparel designers, and
consumers in specifying and categorizing fabric products, in insuring proper fabric use, and in
controlling fabric purchase.
1. Introduction
Evaluation of fabric quality by expertise and experience has been the practice
in fabric and garment manufacture for many years. With the increasing use of
various kinds of synthetic fibers, and the scarcity of experienced tailors and
industry experts, this traditional approach is now not practical. As industrial
and commercial life becomes more diverse and rushed, and fabric classification
becomes more difficult, a reliable method for categorizing fabrics is needed.
This depends on two technical aspects. One is the development of fabric
objective measurement technology to instrumentally determine fabric
properties. The other is applied mathematical methods that can be used
practically for fabric classification and quality prediction. Use of the Kawabata
KES-FB instruments (Kawabata, 1980) and the Fabric Assurance by Simple
Test (FAST) instruments (CSIRO, 1989) has achieved industrial impact because
these two measuring systems are commercially available and industrially
applicable (Kawabata et al., 1982; 1986; Postle et al., 1983; Chen, 1995). Using
these instruments, a set of digital data that determines fabric physical
properties can be acquired, and objective classification of fabrics then becomes
possible. Meanwhile, some mathematical methods have also been employed in
Approved for publication by the Director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station as
International Journal of Clothing manuscript No. 96-25-0161.
Science and Technology,
Vol. 11 No. 4, 1999, pp. 206-215.
The authors are indebted to Mrs P. Rabalais and Mrs Y. Marquette for their help in sample
# MCB University Press, 0955-6222 collection.
attempting to reveal the complexities of fabric hand and fabric classification Application of
(Baten, 1950; Howorth and Oliver, 1958; Stearn et al., 1990). For example, cluster analysis
quadratic discriminant function was used to establish the statistical model for
predicting end-use of apparel fabrics (Chen and Collier, 1997). In this paper,
another mathematical method, cluster analysis, is introduced to solve the
problem of classifying apparel fabrics objectively. Suitable fabric clusters, that
can be used as a reference data set to classify any new fabric, are formed from a 207
large data set obtained by measuring a variety of commercial fabrics using the
KES-FB instruments.
2. Mathematical principle
Cluster analysis is undertaken under a multivariate vector framework. A vector
is used to describe fabric physical properties, and can be expressed as
x x1 ; x2 ; :::; xp 0 1
where x1, x2, ..., xp are instrumental fabric measurements. Using this p-
dimensional vector each fabric sample (observation) is represented as a point in
a p-dimensional space. A fabric cluster can then be described as a continuous
region appearing in this space having a relatively high density of points and
separated from other clusters by regions having a relatively low density of
points. Cluster analysis involves two fundamentals: measures of similarity
within observations and clustering algorithms that are selected to produce a
rule of classification.
where dij denotes the distance between observations i and j. Setting r = 2; the
Euclidean distance (Murtagh and Heck, 1987) is obtained
X
p
1
dij f xik xjk 2 g2 3
k1
where k xi k and k xj k are the norms of vector x indicating the vector length,
which are defined as:
q q
IJCST k xi k x0i ixi x2i1 x2i2 x2ip
11,4
q q
k xj k x0j xj x2j1 x2j2 x2jp
208 The Euclidean distance is the major classification criterion for clustering
sample points.
where x M and x N are mean vectors for clusters CM and CN. The temporary
clusters are updated each time an observation is classified into a cluster.
The calculating procedure is repeated until no further changes occur in the
clusters. Thus, final clusters are formed. Observations that are very close to
each other are grouped in the same cluster, while observations that are far
from each other are sorted in different clusters.
Selection of initial cluster seeds is based on MacQueen's k-mean method
(MacQueen, 1967) in which a specified minimum radius (coarsening
parameter) is selected. This radius determines the least Euclidean distance
and can be used as a threshold for selecting initial cluster seeds. If the
number of clusters is fixed at k, the first k observations in the data set will
be assessed as initial cluster seeds. The first observation is selected as the
first seed. The second observation is taken as the second seed if it is
separated by a distance no less than the specified radius. This procedure
continues till the kth observation. If there exist some observations that are
unqualified as initial seeds, they will be replaced by other sample points
from n-k observations.
3. Experimental
Ninety commercial fabrics were collected for classification. These fabric
samples included a variety of fiber components and weave structures. Fabric
end-uses, suits, jackets, coats, blouses, and shirts, were determined according to Application of
experience from garment makers and the school's apparel design laboratory. cluster analysis
Fabric physical properties were measured on the KES-FB instruments. As
shown in the summary of the obtained data set in Table I, there is a large range
of values for each of the properties measured. All computations were executed
on the UNIX system using SAS software.
209
4. Results and discussion
4.1 Fabric objective classification
Each fabric sample has 27 instrumentally measured variables. A clustering
calculation was carried out under this multivariate framework. Considering the
fact that most fabrics in the present data set were used for suits, outer (jackets
and coats), shirts, and blouses, the number of fabric clusters was proposed to be
four. Table II lists the results of the clustering computation. Examining the
Fabric
property KES-FB parametera Name N Mean Std dev Min Max
1 28 20.4220 4 17.8237
2 21 18.8128 4 12.9160
Table II. 3 11 19.2728 1 18.6224
Cluster summary 4 30 20.8228 2 12.9160
From To cluster
cluster 1 2 3 4
Z1 Z2 Z3 Z1 Z2 Z3
212 2 3
Z3
Z1
Figure 1.
Classified four fabric
clusters Z2
where
2 3 2 3 2 3
z1l z12 z1N c1l c12 c1m f1l f12 f1N
6 z2l z22 z2N 7 6 c2l c22 c2m 7 6 f2l f22 f2N 7
6 7 6 7 6 7
Z 6 .. .. .. 7C 6 .. .. .. 7F 6 .. .. .. 7
4 . . . 5 4 . . . 5 4 . . . 5
znl zn2 znN cnl cn2 cnm fml fm2 fmN
where
1X
S2j j 2
xji x i 1; 2; ; N j 1; 2; ; n
N i
According to the above definition, we have Application of
1X 2 cluster analysis
zj z 1
i ji
10
N
This equation means that for each variable the variance of the standardized
value zj equals one. Obtained factors can be considered as indications of the
characteristics of fabric clusters, which are objectively described by the KES-
213
FB variables having correlated values (as shown in matrix C) to these factors.
Factors with eigenvalues greater than one (Kaiser, 1960) were retained. An
orthogonal rotation method (Varimax (SAS Institute Inc., 1988)) followed by an
oblique rotation (SAS, Institute Inc., 1988) was used to enhance the separation
between factors. Factor coefficients having absolute values larger than 0.5 were
retained to determine factor patterns (Lindeman et al., 1980).
As summarized in Table VI, the factor analysis reveals that Clusters 1
(shirts) and 2 (blouses) have a similar five-factor pattern and Clusters 3
(outerwear) and 4 (suiting) have a similar four-factor pattern. The factors are
ordered in F1, F2, ..., F5 according to eigenvalues, in which factor F1 has the
largest eigenvalue and factor F5 has the smallest eigenvalue. Therefore, the
KES-FB parameters included in F1 are most operative and those included in F5
are least operative in characterizing the clustered fabric groups.
Tensile linearity, shear rigidity and shear hysteresis figure prominently in
the first factor for Clusters 1, 2, and 4, indicating the critical importance of these
parameters for shirt, blouse, and suiting uses. Bending properties, fabric
thickness, and weight are most important for the outerwear cluster and second
most important for the suiting cluster. Fabric surface and compressive
properties have the least influence upon measurement of characteristics of the
suiting cluster (LC and RC were not even included in the four factors of the
suiting cluster). These factor patterns are useful for determining the most
important fabric properties that dominate specific end-uses. The properties
indicated should be controlled in the process of fabric and garment
manufacturing. A caveat is that factor patterns may vary with different data
Cluster
Factor 1 (shirts) 2 (Blouses) 3 (Outerwear) 4 (Suiting)
5. Conclusions
Twenty-seven instrumental variables were obtained using the KES-FB
214 instruments to measure fabric physical properties. A cluster analysis was
undertaken on a framework of multidimensional vectors composed of these
variables. Using the nearest centroid sorting technique of clustering, 90
commercial fabrics having a variety of fiber contents and fabric structures
were classified into four clusters based on apparel end-use. This result
illustrated application of the disjoint clustering method in classifying apparel
fabrics objectively, and could offer guidance to fabric and garment
manufacturers in fabric selection, fabric proper use, and new fabric
categorization.
A feature of the cluster analysis for fabric classification is that no prior
knowledge of classes is required. Clustering results are direct and simple and
can also be used to classify any new fabrics. For industrial implementation,
establishment of a database of the Kawabata instrument data is needed. Such a
database would incorporate companies' previous commercial experience and
expertise in fabric and garment manufacturing. Classified fabric clusters could
be used as references in categorizing new fabrics or predicting fabric end-use.
Using the method of principal-component analysis, primary factors for
characterizing fabric end-use were obtained. These factor patterns can help
fabric and garment manufacturers in understanding and identifying the most
important and desirable fabric properties in terms of specific end-use, so that
particular care and quality manipulation can be made during processing.
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