Wearable Technology

Wearable Technology is forever changing and developing. This is having an amazing effect on the types of fabric's which are being developed. I've always found this subject very interesting as I love textiles and how they are becoming more contemporary, developing into smart fabrics to have multiple uses. Such as in Military textile research into interactive camouflage or textiles that can heal wounded soldiers. Also these smart textiles are being used throughout the fashion and design world. Such as second skins which can adapt to the environment and to the individual. The quote below is from the book 'Textile: The Journal of Cloth and Culture' by Joanna Berzowska.

'Fashion, health, and telecommunication industries are also pursuing the vision of clothing that can express aspects of people's personalities, needs, and desires or augment social dynamics through the use and display of aggregate social information'

I find it very interesting that technology is inspiring and helping create intelligent fabric to be used for so many uses. For example, Designer Andrew Schneider has created a solar bikini that overlays the basic swimsuit with narrow strips of photovoltaic film sewn on with conductive thread. The bikini then produces a five volt output that, which helps to attach a USB connector, which then can recharge gadgets like the iPod. Barbara Layne created these jackets which actually are fitted with sensors and LEDS which when two people wearing the garments hold hands, the sensors pick up the connection and create text messages onto one jacket which then scrolls across to the other.

I think developments like this are very impressive, but I am always concerned with the aesthetics of creations like this, in everyday life I don't think many people would really choose to wear them.