The wearable acceptability range (WEAR) Scale has been a useful tool used in consumer behaviour and product development research to better identify the social acceptance of wearable devices. In this study, we aimed to introduce an extended WEAR Scale to the apparel field by (a) refining existing measurement items and (b) validating this scale for use with smart apparel. Using a quantitative research method, an online survey was conducted with a convenience sample of US consumers aged 18 years old and over. Total 663 usable data were obtained and used for the data analysis. NVivo, SPSS, and AMOS programs were used to perform (a) a content analysis of the open-ended questions to identify recurring phrases, (b) basic descriptive statistics, and (c) a structural equation model testing, here validating the WEAR Scale, respectively. A 4-factor, 15-item WEAR Scale validated for examining consumers’ acceptance of smart apparel. The four WEAR dimensions are smart apparel in relation to: (a) design and aesthetics (four items), (b) self-expression (four items), (c) consequences (three items), and (d) reflection (four items). The findings of this study show the importance of these dimensions for the social acceptance of smart apparel. Therefore, this scale will be useful for the practical application in the apparel industry by providing better understanding of various aspects that smart apparel should consider during the product design and development stage. The scale can also be integrated with other consumer behavioural concepts to develop an emerging theoretical framework for the studies on smart apparel. Limitations and implications for future research were also discussed.

中文翻译：

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验证智能服装的可穿戴可接受范围量表

可穿戴可接受范围（WEAR）量表已成为用于消费者行为和产品开发研究的有用工具，可以更好地识别可穿戴设备的社会接受度。在本研究中，我们旨在通过（a）完善现有的测量项目并（b）验证该量表以用于智能服装，将扩展的WEAR量表引入服装领域。使用定量研究方法，对18岁以上美国消费者的便利样本进行了在线调查。总共获得663个可用数据，并将其用于数据分析。NVivo，SPSS和AMOS程序用于执行（a）开放式问题的内容分析以识别重复出现的短语，（b）基本描述统计信息和（c）结构方程模型测试，此处验证了WEAR量表， 分别。四因素 15项WEAR量表已通过验证，可以检查消费者对智能服装的接受程度。WEAR的四个维度是与以下方面有关的智能服装：（a）设计和美学（四个项目），（b）自我表达（四个项目），（c）结果（三个项目）和（d）反思（四个项目） ）。这项研究的结果表明，这些维度对于智能服装的社会接受度很重要。因此，通过更好地了解智能服装在产品设计和开发阶段应考虑的各个方面，该量表将对服装行业的实际应用有用。该量表还可以与其他消费者行为概念整合在一起，从而为智能服装研究开发新兴的理论框架。还讨论了局限性和对未来研究的意义。