Tag: wearables

As runways were stomped by models in cutting edge menswear fashions, wearables were also in the spotlight.

As the first ever Men’s Fashion Week was hosted in Toronto, all eyes were focused not only on the very latest and hottest in menswear, but were also on high tech wearable technology in a range of different forms.

Everything from LED helmets to brain-sensing headbands – and everything in between – was present.

Even a wearable technology tie made its way down the runway in the Canadian city’s fashion shows for men that took place at the Fairmont Royal York hotel. The wearables were spotted in a number of shapes and designs and were used for several different purposes. The primary show for this tech was presented by We Are Wearables, which is an organization that is based within the city. Its goal was to make this type of device more accessible to both consumers and businesses alike.

The purpose of the inclusion of wearable technology in the fashion show was to promote innovation and adoption.

This emerging mobile technology is already starting to change the way that people think about fashion and tech. Now, We Are Wearables is hoping to facilitate the incorporation of one into the other. The participation in Toronto Men’s Fashion Week was only the latest in a number of broad scale efforts being made by the company to bring these mobile devices into everyday life. It has also already been holding the largest recurring werables meetup in Canada. That now occurs on a monthly basis and boasts a community made up of over 1,300 members.

On the runway, the organization was hoping to be able to showcase the breadth of the spectrum of wearable devices, ranging from gadgets to allow the wearer to better understand him or herself, to providing improved visibility as a combination feature between style and safety.

Among the featured wearable technology devices that were seen include the Muse brain sensing headband from IntraXon to MeU LED panel infused clothing. The organization wanted to show that this type of tech is equally a matter of design and function and that fashion remains a vital element to the success of these gadgets.

Wearable devices are becoming more common. Most of these devices have very limited uses, with some existing only to keep track of how many steps a person has taken in a short amount of time. More ambitious devices are beginning to enter the market, but whether or not these devices will find any success is suspect. Many people are showing interest in wearable technology, but this does not mean that these people will be using these devices on a daily basis.

Currently, one of the major selling points of wearable devices is that they can simply do what smartphones already do, but better. Smartphones are quite capable of doing anything a pair of augmented reality glasses or a smartwatch can do. These devices have been equipped with features that are considered “new” to the field of wearable technology for years. While some wearable devices may be able to outshine smartphones, they can only manage to do so by having a very specific focus on a particular purpose. Smartphones, however, are not restricted to a singular focus and can do many things very effectively.

Wearable devices may have very limited market appeal. Because they do not actually offer something new, apart from how a person uses a mobile device, they may be a hard sell to consumers. Many people are happy to use their smartphones and tablets in public, and these devices have become something of a fashion accessory for people everywhere. Wearable devices do not have the same appeal currently. Augmented reality glasses, for instance, are not designed with appearance in mind. As such, those interested in such devices may shy away from using them because of how they look, and how these devices will make them look in public.

Wearable technology does have a future, but what that future looks like is difficult to say for certain. In the early days of mobile technology, there was uncertainty regarding how popular mobile phones would be. Wearables may well be the next smartphone, if they can manage to overcome some of the challenges that they will experience in society.