Smart Clothing: Fad or trend ?
When we think about fashion, smart clothing is not necessarily something that comes right into your mind. Yet, according to many forecasts made by different studies, the market is expected to reach US$ 4 to 5 billions in 2024 and 6-7 billions by 2027. In 2019, the market was valued US$ 1.2 billions.
Indeed, Covid-19 definitely had an impact on the projected growth. In countries such as Italy and Spain, there has been a dip in the demand for smart clothing at first and the pandemix slowed down all operations. However, the smart clothing market is likely to exhibit positive growth in post-pandemic period.
Smart Yoga pants to accompany you in your yoga practice
Nadi X, developped by Wearable X, are smart yoga pants that use gentle vibrations to help wearers better perform exercises and correct their postures.
Types of smart clothes
The fashion industry is fast-paced and brings us things we did not even know we needed, and designers are tasked with creating eye-catching pieces that consumers will love. Likewise, as the world becomes more tech-savvy, consumers are expecting more from everyday items, including their wardrobe. Tech companies and designers are jumping on the tech clothing trend and pushing the boundaries of what our clothes can do. From socks to activewear, and even runway fashion, some of our best-loved fashion brands are bringing technology to life with tech clothing.
Activewear brand Under Armour’s performance tech line, UA RUSH, is designed to make athletes better with every workout. UA RUSH™ clothing is built with mind blowing mineral-infused technology fabric that uses our own body heat to aid muscle recovery and resiliency while working out. The infrared material fights muscle fatigue even after workouts. As long as users wear UA RUSH™ clothing, their muscles receive nourishing heat to combat exhaustion. With UA RUSH™, wearers' energy is returned to them keeping them fit to fight through the toughest workouts.
Runners, rejoice! Sensoria smart socks are packed with pressure sensors that provide real-time foot-landing information to improve running form and reduce the risk of injury. They are the ultimate companion for runners looking to enhance their technique without getting hurt. Real-time alerts let users know whether they are striking the ground with the heel or ball of the foot, helping to reduce pressure on joints and avoid injuries to the heel. Sensoria smart socks are like a personal running coach, providing feedback and motivation to make it through each run.
Love yoga? Then you will love the tech clothing brand Wearable X. Using smart clothing technology, the brand offers a private wearable yoga coach to teach wearers step by step. Clothes are enhanced with embedded sensors that guide wearers through vibration and audio, ensuring their form is always on point. Wearable X makes it possible to practice yoga anywhere — just pack your favorite pair of Nadi X yoga pants and get started.
Chinese Conquest Period of Vietnam
The Kingdom of Nanyue (204 BC–111 BC) was conquered and ruled by the Han Chinese under the Han dynasty in 111 BC.[7] The Chinese ruled over Northern Vietnam for 1000 years until c. 900 AD.[7][1]: 21 This time, it was the Chinese which lead to acculturation process referred as Sinicization.[1]: 21 The clothing of officials in Northern Vietnam followed the regulations of the Chinese dress.[1]: 50 However, even during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD), there was still very little Chinese migration into Northern Vietnam.[1]: 21 It was in the subsequent centuries after the fall of the Han dynasty that there was a large influx of Chinese in the region of Annan.[1]: 21
From 43 AD to 939 AD, the direct rule of the Chinese in Northern Vietnam led to the Chinese clothing influence on the local clothing styles, especially the local elites; this also included the leaders who rebelled against the rule of the Chinese who typically wore Chinese-style clothing.[1]: 50 The Elites wore clothing made of silk which were colourful and decorated while commoners wore plain hemp-based clothing.[1]: 50 According to the Book of the Later Han by Fan Ye, the civilization of Lingnan started with Ren Yan and Xi Guang (both Han Officials in Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen respectively) who were credited for introducing hats and sandals to the people of Lingnan along with many other aspects, such as agriculture.[4]: 25
Non-Chinese immigrants were attracted to the Tang dynasty-ruled Annan, and non-Chinese migrants started settling in the neighbouring areas; the blending of Chinese culture, Mon-Khmer, and Tai-Kradai in northern Vietnam led to the development of the national majority, the Vietnamese people.[1]: 21 The elites followed the Chinese clothing system more closely once the regions had been incorporated into the Chinese imperial system.[1]: 21 During the thousand years of imperial domination, the Vietnamese adopted Chinese clothing, but local customs and styles yet were not assimilated and lost.[7]
Hồ dynasty (1400–1407)
In 1400s, Emperor Lê Quý Ly wrote a poem to describe his country and his government to the Ming dynasty envoys, explaining shared cultural status between Đại Ngu and Ming by referring to the Han and Tang dynasties during a time when Đại Việt was a part of China, "You inquire about the state of affairs in Annan. Annan’s customs are simple and pure. Moreover, official clothing is according to the Tang system. The rites and music that control intercourse between the ruler and the officials are those of the Han [...]".[4]: 72
What are the main roadblocks to the development of the Smart clothing market ?
Anyone who works in fashion knows that the production chain is still quite running with old practices, despites the retail & distribution sector being so avant-gardiste and infused with the latest technologies. The thing is smart clothing is at the crossroad of technology and fashion. Therefore, roadblocks to the traditional fashion industry also apply to the smart clothing players.
Producing smart clothing is still expensive. Right now, the development of smart prototypes still require a lot of time and money for instance. On top of that, smart clothing have some extra-production steps as technologies and sensors need to be embedded within the garment. There are no real industry standards though some companies like Myant inc. or Hexoskin are working hard towards developping them.
The industry is also facing major challenges regarding the adoption of data. While big data is well adopted in the retail or the banking system, it is not necessarily the case in the healthcare or governmental sectors for instance. In addition to that, there are growing data privacy concerns. What will happen to the data that are recorded by the smart clothes ? How do you secure the privacy of such data ?
Last but not least, the vast majority of people have yet to grasp the added value of smart clothing. Right now, the most accessible smart clothe would still cost a couple of hundred dollars. Therefore, only early adopters and people very anxious about their health and shape would dive into it. So until people fully see the potential behind smart clothing, B2B will still be main venue.
Studying this clothing niche was truly interesting. It shows you that clothing is not all about fashion and that there are incredible things that can be done with garments. Smart clothing really projects you into the future. I found it really fascinating and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the future.
Are you interested into learning more about this market ? Dive into the interviews I made with some of the key players of the sector.
PS: If you are in the smart clothing sector or are an expert in this field and would be interested into giving your opinion, please contact me. I’d love to hear and share what you have to say !
America's Fastest Growing Market Research Firm
You have heard of smartwatches and smartphones, but what about smart clothes? Nowadays, we do not work for our clothes — our clothes work for us. Smart clothes, also known as high-tech clothing, smart wear, and electronic textiles, are designed to bring the user’s body and technology together. Like smartphones or watches, electronics built into clothing communicate with external devices through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. They are used for sports, fitness, medical care, or even entertainment.
Smart clothes have been around for a while. In a US Navy-funded project, Georgia Tech researchers began developing a Wearable Motherboard as early as 1996. Now, almost three decades later, smart clothes are hitting the shops and becoming increasingly popular in our daily lives.
Spinali Design’s Connected gloves to kill bacterias and viruses
Spinali Design created smart gloves that can help fight bacterias or viruses like Covid-19 thanks to photocatalysis.
Cutecircuit’s smart clothes, a crossroad between technology, art and fashion
CuteCircuit’s smart clothes help people have new kinds of experience.
Bách Việt period (1000 BC - 1 BC)
Most of ancient northern Vietnam was referred as the Lạc Việt which was considered to be part of the Baiyue region in ancient Chinese texts.[1]: 26 Prior to the Chinese conquest, the Tai nobles first came in Northern Vietnam during the Đông Sơn era, and they started to assimilate the local Mon-Khmer and Kra-dai people in a processed referred as Tai-ization or Tai-ification as the Tai people were politically and culturally dominant in Baiyue; this led to the adoption of the Tai people's clothing and the formation of dress style influenced by the Tai people.[1]: 20, 26 [dubious – discuss]
The Han Chinese referred to the various non-Han "barbarian" peoples of North Vietnam and Southern China as "Yue" (Việt) or Baiyue, saying they possessed common habits like adapting to water, having their hair cropped short and having tattoos.[5][6]
Statue of a man with Yue-style short hair and tribal body tattoos, from the
among the non-Chinese
peoples of southern China and north Vietnam.
Nanyue (204 BC–111 BC) was an independent state which was founded by a Chinese general.[7] However, in the Kingdom of Nanyue, it was the elite who were primarily influenced by Chinese clothing as the presence of the Chinese was limited.[1]: 21 The clothing of the elites of Nanyue was mixed of Tai and Chinese clothing styles.[1]: 50 [dubious – discuss] The clothing of the Elites include Chinese fashion from the Warring States period and the Qin dynasty; the style of clothing was mainly a V-shaped collar gown which was tight fitting that was folded to the right.[1]: 50 The clothing was multi-layered; it was common to wear three layers of clothing and tended to have narrow and straight sleeves.[1]: 50 The elites women on the other-hand tended to wear a blouse and a skirt.[1]: 50
Other Related Reports:
Back in 2004, everyone was talking about the Internet of Things and smart clothing was definitely seen as the Future.
However, thanks to technological progress and the amount invested in R&D by several AI and tech companies, smart clothing is not a dream anymore.
On top of that, it’s truly a fascinating world. Smart clothing and e-textiles are at a crossroad between fashion, technology and healthcare.
