Smart clothing in the mainstream - Implications of technology in the context of clothing

Abstract: Smart clothing is far from being adopted by regular consumers and worn on a regular basis. Most developments can be found in specialized markets and all of the few consumer products so far have not been commercially successful. The first part of this thesis illustrates why this is the case and presents a few examples of concepts that show the potential of smart clothing in an everyday context.The second part shows my own practical research into the subject and the resulting design concept. It follows a user-centered design process with participatory design elements and ends in a concept proposing clothing that can change color and style on the go. The concept tries to support a sustainable lifestyle by slowing down fast fashion and democratizing fashion design. It makes it easy for the wearer to create her own styles and to change the style on the go to adjust to different situations or different moods. The end result of this thesis is a prototype that serves as a proof-of-concept.