The concept of MOODWEAR

Citation

Stylios, G.K. and Yang, D. (2012), "The concept of MOODWEAR", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 24 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijcst.2012.05824eaa.001

The concept of MOODWEAR

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Volume 24, Issue 5

Presently, much research is being carried out using E-textiles, also known as electronic textiles, incorporating smart wearable technologies. These fabrics enable active communication via embedded digital components, miniature electronics and portable computers. E-textiles become the key interface between wearable technology and smart clothing in two ways:

1. 1.

   Conventional E-textiles use classical electronic devices such as pure wires, integrated circuits, LEDs and conventional batteries into clothing.

2. 2.

   Advanced E-textiles, sometimes called fibertronics, use conducting and semi-conducting materials, or more advanced electronics such as transistors, diodes and solar cells.

Technically these novel functions require specialisation in textiles, electronics and telecommunications for the realisation of smart clothing. For example, touch buttons are constructed from textiles by using conductive textile weaves and then connected to devices such as music players carried in the garment. Smart clothing is a typical consequence of the collaboration of clothing design and electronic technology. Energy harvesting based on textiles and clothing is a new aspect of endeavour. Under the aim of well-being, clothing and fashion markets are flourishing with a variety of smart clothing designs like solar-powered jackets such as SCOTTeVEST and Ermenegildo Zegna. At the same time, light-emitting products have also been attached to clothing with innovative materials and textile design, e.g. electroluminescent raincoats glowing in the rain and LED light-emitting displays on clothing.

Many efforts have therefore been made to promote extra active functions and intelligent properties of traditional clothing, such as the use of renewable energy sources for recharging mobile electronic systems, or the application of textile-based displays to illuminate motifs or transmit information. These efforts however commendable they are intended to ensuring the working of the new functions instead of being truly infused into the design concept of clothing/fashion.

At Heriot Watt University’s RIFleX Research Institute a new project has shown a way into new SMART clothing area called MOODWEAR. MOODWEAR is a mood changing system based on a photonic fabric made up into a garment, which changes colour by the mood of the wearer, following the principle shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 The MOODWEAR principle

Due to their economy and low power consumption, LEDs and fibre optics can be used to make photonic textiles. This concept is used in the Heriot Watt’s RIFleX project. They are composed by interweaving with conventional textile yarns, and have properties similar to a fabric like flexibility, elasticity, resistance and softness. They can also be made in different weights, colours and composition. The structural performance of fibre optics is favoured for making a flexible and continuous woven fabric over having layers of electroluminescent dye coatings on a fabric substrate. A mood changing photonic textile vest for a man was shaped by two pieces of luminescent fabrics with side zipper closures and cotton linings. The micro controlling PCB circuit was successfully integrated in the man’s luminescent vest so that the mood of the wearer changes the colour of the photonic fabric as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 The man’s photonic mood changing vest – front, side and back

MOODWEAR garments with high fashion attributes have successfully been made in a line of suits for a man and a woman.

G.K. Stylios, Danying Yang