Getting Wired; Handy Hanes
There are but a few clothing manufacturers seriously exploring the convergence of fashion with modern communications technology. And most of the Web-enabled garments that do exist will have to undergo some changes—both technical and aesthetic—to be truly effective. Not the least of these changes is for many of the not-always-wireless devices to be interconnected.
For example, your Blackberry (a device that receives your e-mail from the Web) may need to connect to your PDA (e.g., Palm Pilot). Your laptop may want to grab info off of your digital camera. And of course, your MP3 music player (e.g., Apple’s iPod) belongs somewhere in the mix, too.
This can get very messy with wires dangling inside and out.
Enter the ScotteVest (available for $119 consumer-direct from ScotteVest.com), which looks like the kind of rugged jacket a photographer might wear. But on closer inspection, it is much more than that. Scott Jordan, a Chicago corporate lawyer and entrepreneur, designed the ScotteVest’s more than 15 pockets with gadgets and gadget owners in mind. Each pocket holds an item designed for it—from cell phones to sunglasses to paperback books, you name it—without creating ugly bulges. One might think of this as the latest in e-wear, or the ultimate geek’s updated pocket protector.
But the real innovation in ScotteVest is not the pockets. It’s how the wires are channeled through the garment to interconnect the pockets. This breakthrough clothing construct is the first licensee of Chicago-based Technology Enabled Clothing (TEC), which has developed a system to conceal conduits inside garments (patent pending) called the Personal Area Network (PAN).
The PAN allows you to connect electronic devices to each other and to headsets, using a hidden conduit system. For example, you can connect a cell phone to a headset, or an MP3 or compact disc player to headphones. From the exterior of the garment, you cannot see the conduit system. The PAN can be easily adapted to any upper body garment, including coats, sports jackets, shirts and vests.
There’s even a coat (available in khaki or black) that allows you to hide your headset cord. Version 2.0 of this garment (with a variety of improvements over the current version 1.0) was released last month.
All of that being fine and good, our big question was this: What happens when you enter airport security? The manufacturer recommends placing the coat on the X-ray conveyer belt. You should also give yourself enough time to answer a few questions regarding the gadgets that are concealed in the item.
Site Review: Hanes Home Page Is Beefy-T
Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Hanes has launched a new, very practical B2B Web site for retailers and manufacturers at www.hanesbullseye.com. Accessing Hanes wholesalers is a snap, but sourcing embellishment suppliers is the key service the site provides on its Business Locator pages.
For example (presumably after your order for blanks has been placed), if you are looking for a screen printer, a simple search of Los Angeles comes up with over 100 resources. There are similar databases for embroiderers and heat applique specialists.
The catalog pages are a great convenience, too, quickly viewed online or easily downloaded via Adobe Acrobat PDF. Registered members have the added benefit of such timesaving features as wholesaler preference setting and automatic recognition for forms and promotions. In other words, you will never again have to enter your contact information on the site—and you get advance notice of new products and clearances. Registration is free and painless.
