How the Internet of Things has Changed the Fashion Industry

IoT (Internet of Things) is here and it is not going anywhere. No industry has been able to escape the impact of IoT and the case isn’t any different for the fashion industry. According to Gartner, for wearable devices alone, the total global end-user spending will amount to $52 billion in 2020.

Today, if you’re searching for let’s say, the best khakis for men online, you want to see something that aids in making a quick decision. Maybe, you want to see a VR-based visual. If you’re visiting a retail store, maybe you want to see how it looks on you using AR (Augmented Reality). All of this is possible with IoT and more. You can also locate your clothes quite easily with the help of this game-changing technology. Let’s find out more in the following sections below.

In-Built Health Monitoring

IoT has impacted the fashion industry quite significantly in this area. Smart clothing comes with various options that allow for effective health monitoring. Many accessories come with in-built capabilities to calculate heart rate, check sugar levels, sense a seizure, conduct an ECG, and more. From smartwatches to biometric shirts, you will find these functions in a variety of wearables.

These solutions do work for casual wear. However, they have even more suitable applications. In the medical industry, such solutions can help to keep a patient’s vitals in check. For athletes, IoT in their wardrobe brings a lot of possibilities as well. With real-time analytics and data, they can train more effectively than ever before. Their coaches can track their workout progress and keep an eye on their vitals. With these insights, they can improve their workout regime further.

Similarly, firefighters, military personnel, and police officers require such solutions too. And guess what? Relevant departments can link the stats on these devices to a central system for monitoring. For instance, imagine a firefighter trying to extinguish smoke but suffocating due to the dense fumes. If his vitals plummet, the central system will notify the staff and his/her life can be easily saved.

Exciting Shopping Experience

Gartner predicts that, by 2020, 100 million consumers will shop by using AR. Perhaps, the most exciting feature of IoT in fashion is in the form of AR. Smart mirrors, installed in retail stores, allow individuals to stand in front of a mirror and see how they would look in a particular dress. Now, how cool is that!? The mirror detects the person and shows you wearing a dress of your choice. You can alter anything in the dress from the size to the color and more. Furthermore, you can also “change” into other dresses! That too, in just no time at all! This saves a lot of time for store owners as well since customers can decide what they want in a fairly less amount of time. However, in traditional stores, customers have to wait to try the outfit in a fitting room.

Automated payment systems, another application of IoT, are also changing retail remarkably. Bestseller opened smart stores that use facial recognition technology to register customers in a database. Consequently, they can conveniently enroll in WeChat Pay’s AI Club and pay. Their stores no longer need cashiers to collect payments.

Cloth Tracking

Yes, you read that correctly. Cloth tracking is, indeed, a thing now! Designers are in favor of launching dresses connected with IoT so that you can easily track them. Sensors in the clothes will transmit the location to your phone. Good luck finding the sock that’s under your bed!

One of the most useful applications of this tech will be on an industrial scale. Large apparel manufacturers will be able to keep track of their inventory with such solutions. Cloth tracking is a remarkable breakthrough, no doubt about it!

Mood Detection Through Colors

Many buyers are color-conscious and it takes them forever to choose what they want. There’s very good news for such consumers. The era of color and pattern changing fabrics has dawned upon us. Thanks to Lauren Bowker, a designer at The Unseen, you can buy clothes that can change their colors owing to a sensor system within them. She has also designed a fabric that can change its color depending on the wearer’s mood. This particular dress can detect human magnetism by detecting brainwaves. The dress changes its color depending on the type of brainwave.

There’s no doubt that people’s infatuation with khaki pants, wool shirts, and pullover sweaters from their favorite brands won’t go away. Even if they don’t get any IoT features while shopping online. However, technology is very much a part of our lives and is impacting the very way we do things.

This article contributed by Rosie Harman

Rosie Harman is a Senior Content Strategist, specializing in Technology. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Arlington and has spent the majority of her career working in tech giants in Texas. When she’s not helping the content team, Rosie enjoys adventuring with her two children around her home town.

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