The Changing Nature Of Clothing

As we look ahead to our continued human development, it is easy to focus on things like energy, transport, health, and food. Changes in these areas grow more evident by the day. But what about clothing? We rarely think of innovation in the context of what we wear, and for good reason: clothing has not really changed (except for style) in a long time. Clothing, however, is expected to change dramatically, according to a recent Article by Jared Lindzon. Advancements in manufacturing in four primary areas are the reason. Those advancements are increased connectivity; data; computational power; analytics; machine learning; artificial intelligence; human-machine interaction; and advanced engineering.

These advancements are likely to drive a clothing industry that evolves from seasonal design cycles to daily. As technology drives cost down, an industry dominated by big brands gets democratized. Along the way, clothes are manufactured in more sustainable ways. Our clothing will tell stories. What is the C02 footprint? What is the water footprint? How should the garment be washed?

Today, labels tell us where our clothing is manufactured, what it’s made of, and how to care for it, but a shift toward electronic RFID tags will expand those profiles dramatically, and even feed washing instructions directly into washing machines. It might sound futuristic, but Haier, a global appliance manufacturer, has already begun developing what it calls the “ Internet of Clothing.”

Jared Lindzon — The clothes we wear are about to undergo a wild digital revolution

Innovation in clothing is not something most people think about. But now, every domain is likely to feel the effects of this extraordinary period of innovation. Imagine clothing that can help regulate body temperature. Per the article, clothes that can provide electronic heating already exist today, and the technology to offer cooling may be next. Is it any wonder that we find ourselves in a position to advance human development. The innovation wheel below includes clothing, an indication that everything is likely to change. As they do, our human actions determine the constructiveness of that change. Explore the article referenced above for more detail on the advancements that will change clothing as we know it.

Originally published at http://frankdiana.net on March 29, 2021.