Functional fashion: just what the doctor ordered

When we think of fashion, we see glamorous designs on a catwalk or the latest high street collections. In comparison, the concept of functional fashion can fall a bit flat…

But this trend is far from dull.

Innovative designers everywhere are combining tech and style to create collections that help keep you fit and healthy (while still looking good).

Ready to hit the runway… or the treadmill

The OmBra, created by OmSignal, is a gym-goers dream. With biosensors around the core, breath and heart rate readings are more accurate than those gathered by a standard wrist tracker. The accompanying OmBox clips on to the side of the sports bra, tracking steps and feeding the data back to a handy app.

If you love to blow away the cobwebs, invest in a pair of Sensoria Fitness Socks (and magnetic anklet) to revolutionise your run.

Woven with textile sensors, the socks track all the usual information about your workout – but they also act as a personal trainer. By monitoring cadence and foot landing technique, the socks are able to identify injury-inducing running styles and let you know how to improve.

Sun, sand and smart swimwear

Packing your bags to find some winter sun? Don’t forget to throw in the Spinali Design smart bikini. This swimwear is designed to tell you when you’ve had enough sun – so you can sit back, relax and let the bikini do all the work.

Just enter your skin type into the app and the bikini’s removable waterproof sensor works its magic. By monitoring the temperature throughout the day, the app will notify you when it’s time to apply more sunscreen – or take a break and sit in the shade.

Something for the little ones

Functional fashion isn’t just for adults. The Owlet Smart Sock is every new parents’ dream accessory. The soft slip-on ‘sock’ ensures that baby’s sleeping and breathing remain normal throughout the night. It checks up on heart rate and movement, feeding this information to the parents via a handy app.

Are you fusing fitness and fashion in your designs?

If you’re designing light-up dresses or temperature-controlled footwear, we’d love to sneak a peek at your innovative garments. Send us your snaps on Instagram or Twitter and we’ll share them on our social feeds.

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