If you thought skinny jeans were the pinnacle of modernity, then wait till you see what Levis and Google want to put in your wardrobe in 2017.
In a collaboration that sees the worlds of fashion and technology merge seamlessly, the brands have created the world’s first ‘smart jacket’ with electronics woven into the fabric.
Project Jacquard, which has been on the cards since 2015, has created its first item of clothing, the Commuter™ jacket.
The jacket allows you to hook up your smartphone to your jacket, getting directions, taking calls and listening to music via a discreet button on your wrist rather than reaching into your pocket to use your phone. Snazzy.
The project has been working on producing a conductive ‘jacquard’ yarn, made up of thin metallic alloys blended in with natural and synthetic yarns like cotton, polyester or silk, to sell on a industry-wide scale.
Now they’ve successfully turned a denim jacket into an interactive surface, enabling us to use gestures to control our devices through our clothing.
The tiny circuits are woven into the material itself, rather than just being attached on the inside; they can capture interactions, various gestures and use machine-learning algorithms.
The captured gesture data is then wirelessly transmitted to your phone or other devices to connect you to services, apps or phone features.
Designed to be as discreet as possible, you would never know that inside your lapel lies an entire mini circuit board.
Not only does this technology lend itself to jackets, but the jacquard can actually be used in all clothing and soft furnishings in your home.
And in order to use the material, designers do not need to be trained in electronics, as the yarn is already available to be used on an industrial scale in factories.