Many college stores have climbed aboard the wearable
technology bandwagon, offering tech-savvy students any number of fitness-band
options. Next, collegiate retailers may want to start thinking about shelves
full of smart clothes.
“No one in the industry wants to admit it, but the wrist is probably not the best place
to stick a bunch of sensors, and activity tracking many not even be the best
use for all those sensors,” Malarie Gokey wrote in an article for Digital Trends. “If we want wearables to become truly wearable, companies
need to start looking at the clothes we wear every day of our lives. And if we
want those wearables to be truly useful, we need to think beyond step counting
and create tech that gives actionable suggestions to improve our well-being.”
Companies are making inroads into the wearable clothing
field, but the focus has been fitness metrics. That trend is starting to change
as manufacturers discover that garments provide opportunities for customization
while stilling looking like normal clothing.
“The
possibilities are endless,” Gokey wrote.
“Smart clothing has the potential to break wearables out of their
fitness funk and make them go mainstream. If wearables are ever going to take
off, they have to be fashionable, look like normal clothes and accessories, and
do more than tell you your step count.”
