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The purpose of this paper is addressing the negative environment and social impacts of the fashion industry that has emerged as a major societal challenge in the last century; however, people continue to over-consume and over-waste textile products in the form of fashion garments. More research is required to understand how fashion consumption connects with perceptions of sustainability and sustainable action by individual consumers.

This paper surveys 501 Australian and New Zealand consumers, on their fashion purchasing habits, and the role of sustainability in their fashion consumption behaviour.

The study found a relationship between higher levels of garment consumption and increased focus on sustainability in fashion choices. This finding is significant, as it suggests that fashion over-consumers are still mindful of the sustainable impacts of their consumption, and are motivated towards reducing that impact, despite not reducing their volume of consumption.

The study indicates the importance of a continued focus on transparency and traceability of fashion products in Australasia, as some over-consumers use this information to make better choices in the purchase situation, as opposed to acting on a general call to reduce consumption.

Fibre content can influence the intensity of odour that develops within clothing fabrics. However, little is known about how effective laundering is at removing malodours in clothing which differ by fibre type. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a selected cotton fabric differed in odour intensity following multiple wear and wash cycles compared to a polyester fabric.

Eight (male and female) participants wore bisymmetrical cotton/polyester t-shirts during 20 exercise sessions over a ten-week trial period. Odour was evaluated via a sensory panel, bacterial populations were counted and selected odorous volatile organic compounds were measured with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection. Analysis occurred both before and after the final (20th) wash cycle.

Findings showed that laundering was effective in reducing overall odour intensity (p0.001) and bacterial populations (p0.001) in both cotton and polyester fabrics. Odour was most intense on polyester fabrics following wear, not just before, but also after washing (p0.001); although, no differences in bacterial counts were found between fibre types (p>0.05). Chemical analysis found C4-C8 chained carboxylic acids on both types of unwashed fabrics, although they were more prevalent on polyester.

The findings suggest that the build-up of odour in polyester fabrics may be cumulative as important odorants such as the carboxylic acids were not as effectively removed from polyester compared to cotton.

Antimicrobials may be incorporated into garments to protect the textiles, control malodour or to potentially reduce the spread of infection. Yet still not well understood is how antimicrobial-treated textiles may influence a person's resident microflora during wear, as limited in vivo testing has previously been carried out. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether normal skin microflora was altered as a result of contact with selected antimicrobial-treated fabrics.

Three selected antimicrobial-treated fabrics (i.e. Fabric 1: triclosan; Fabric 2: zinc pyrithione derivative; and Fabric 3: silver chloride and titanium dioxide) were placed on the forearm of participants (n=19). Bacterial counts obtained under treated and untreated fabrics following 24 hours of occlusion were compared. The antimicrobial efficacy of fabrics displayed in vitro was also compared with the activity displayed in vivo.

Two of the three fabrics (Fabrics 1 and 2) reduced bacterial populations on the skin following 24 hours occlusion compared to the matched control fabrics (Fabric 1: p<0.05; Fabric 2: p<0.001). Whereas, following occlusion with Fabric 3 bacterial populations were not significantly different than the matched control. The present study demonstrated that in vitro assessment of antimicrobial capacities of fabrics do not necessarily predict the effects of such fabrics during wear.

The paper highlights that in vivo studies are a necessary and important tool for understanding the interactions of an antimicrobial-treated fabric with the wearer's skin. As well, the new method developed can be used by other researchers to examine the potential impact on skin microflora due to contact with antimicrobial-treated textiles.

The purpose of this study was to explore drivers of consumer engagement with sustainable fashion brands on Instagram to specifically answer the research question: what drives popularity of sustainable fashion among digital consumers?

Twenty-five global fashion retailers were identified and categorized as either (a) sustainable fashion brands (SFB), (b) sustainably aware mainstream brands (SAB) or (c) traditional fashion brands (TFB). Content analysis of the 25 retailer's Instagram posts over a three-week period was analyzed and categorized according to content theme. Data were analyzed for quantity of Likes and Comments (engagement) to identify engagement strategies with each of the brand groups.

It was found that different strategies may be taken regarding social media strategy for SFB, SAB or TFB. Consumers were engaged with unfamiliar content, for instance, sustainability to a consumer unfamiliar with the topic or how it applies to a specific brand. Digital consumers were looking for exciting and aesthetically pleasing posts. Specifically, all consumers were engaged with posts about Fashion and Lifestyle.

As the result of this study, sustainable fashion best practices and social media strategies were presented for the three brand categories of fashion retailers.

This study analyzed a cross-section of global fashion brands and identified “best practices” for digital consumer engagement with sustainable messages through Instagram. The findings provide original value, specifically in the area of fashion marketing via social media to communicate brand identify to digital consumers for brand growth.

The purpose of this paper is to report on how a grade level team in a Singapore primary school used lesson study to mediate the implementation of the English language national curriculum. It aims to explore how this process had mobilised different teachers’ knowledge, challenged their beliefs of teaching and student learning, and created impact on their learning and knowledge.

An interpretive qualitative study using a case study methodology was employed. Data collected included participant observations and individual interviews. Transcripts of lesson study discussions were open coded for the content of teacher discourse and the sources of influences on the teachers’ reasoning and action.

The findings indicate that each stage of the lesson process engaged teachers’ deliberative discourse differently and constituted their building a common inquiry stance into the problem of student learning in reading and writing, moving away from a lesson-based view to embracing a curriculum-based deliberation, and challenging their shared assumptions and enabling their learning to adopt the students’ lens in improving the research lesson.

This study provides an illustrative case on how teachers’ talk about work practices in lesson study mediated teacher learning in a group context. The study established the importance of an interconnected view of teacher interaction in lesson study that factored in the consideration of the influences at the teachers’ level and at the school’s level that enabled and/ or impeded a broader consideration of practice and richer conditions for the mentoring of novice teachers in the team.

Increasing use of the Internet has heightened awareness among the information community of the need to provide user friendly searching and navigation tools that lead to quality information. An essential part of gaining effective access to Internet resources is to provide an index of available items in order to save users time and network overload. Discussions on metadata are focused on the format of the record used as the basis for the index. Control of the vast number of resources of the Internet requires an appropriate record format (or formats) which will enable the resource to be adequately described and easily located; records must be compatible with an appropriate search engine which in turn would ideally be compatible with a search and retrieval Internet protocol and all components should conform to international standards. At present there are a number of formats which meet at least some of these criteria, each of which has its own strengths.

Patients treated within secure/forensic settings experience numerous barriers to meaningful vocation, including restrictions under the Mental Health Act, which limit community access. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of Real Work Opportunities, an inclusive and accessible vocational rehabilitation programme within a forensic intellectual disability service. The programme involved setting up employment and interview workshops, interviews, and interview feedback, and job roles within the secure service, to simulate the real work process.

A reflective account of the development and implementation of the Real Work Opportunity programme with a forensic intellectual disability population.

The programme was well received by the patients involved and a high attendance rate was maintained over time despite the demands that were expected. Roles have been advertised for two employment periods and have had two sets of successful candidates. Patients demonstrated skills development throughout the employment process, including general work-based skills, punctuality and time management, managing duties, responsibility, specific role-related skills, interpersonal skills and personal presentation.

Despite limited experience of work prior to admission, many patients were enthusiastic and motivated to work. The initial trial of the programme has been well received by both patients and staff. Future developments will include widening the number and types of opportunity offered by the programme.

This paper describes a vocational rehabilitation programme for a particularly marginalised population, people with intellectual disabilities within a forensic service. The programme proved highly popular with patients, and enabled them to develop transferable employment skills.

Many studies have been carried on the effect of trade preferences, in particular from the viewpoint of lesser developed countries. There has been little focus on the importer, who has to consider their business strategy and the risk of non-compliance of legislation before obtaining preferences. One of the main issues is compliance with the country of origin rule by an importer wishing to access preferential tariffs. The chapter provides an insight into the issues facing importers and considers whether the preferences are being used to their full potential. It raises the question: Are importers choosing not to use the reduction of import tariffs in relation to preference due to its complexity? This study was carried out to highlight importers’ issues by interviewing senior management of eight European companies in relation to their approach to generalised system of preference (GSP). The results provide an interesting evaluation of the importers’ many dilemmas when choosing to use trade preferences.

The Departmental Committee appointed to inquire into the use of preservatives and colouring matters in the preservation and colouring of food, have now issued their report, and the large amount of evidence which is recorded therein will be found to be of the greatest interest to those concerned in striving to obtain a pure and unsophisticated food‐supply. It is of course much to be regretted that the Committee could not see their way to recommend the prohibition of all chemical preservatives in articles of food and drink; but, apart from this want of strength, they have made certain recommendations which, if they become law, will greatly improve the character of certain classes of food. It is satisfactory to note that formaldehyde and its preparations may be absolutely prohibited in foods and drinks; but, on the other hand, it is suggested that salicylic acid may be allowed in certain proportions in food, although in all cases its presence is to be declared. The entire prohibition of preservatives in milk would be a step in the right direction, although it is difficult to see why, in view of this recommendation, boric acid should be allowed to the extent of 0·25 per cent. in cream, more especially as by another recommendation all dietetic preparations intended for the use of invalids or infants are to be entirely free from preservative chemicals; but it will be a severe shock to tho3e traders who are in the habit of using these substances to be informed that they must declare the fact of the admixture by a label attached to the containing vessel. The use of boric acid and borax only is to be permitted in butter and margarine, in proportions not exceeding 0·5 per cent. expressed as boric acid, without notification. It is suggested that the use of salts of copper in the so‐called greening of vegetables should not be allowed, but upon this recommendation the members of the Committee were not unanimous, as in a note attached to the report one member states that he does not agree with the entire exclusion of added copper to food, for the strange reason that certain foods may naturally contain traces of copper. With equal truth it can be said that certain foods may naturally contain traces of arsenic. Is the addition of arsenic therefore to be permitted? The Committee are to be congratulated upon the result of their labours, and when these recommendations become law Great Britain may be regarded as having come a little more into line— although with some apparent reluctance—with those countries who regard the purity of their food‐supplies as a matter of national importance.