Ten years ago wearable technology was just an idea of what the future may hold, but in the past few years this idea has become reality. With advances in technology there has been an influx of wearable tech hitting the shelves. Personal use of wearable technology is on the rise and more and more businesses are implementing wearable tech every day!
However the idea that wearable technology can be fashionable is still up for debate. I’m going to be taking a look at a few pieces of wearable technology and what happens when fashion and technology meet.
Google Glass
One of the first wearable tech pieces to grab our attention was Google Glass. Glass was introduced into the fashion world when models walked the runway at the Diane von Furstenburg SS13 Ready-to-wear show.
Although it was included in a fashion show, glass wasn’t the most stylish looking piece of wearable tech we have ever seen. With its grey colour scheme and noticeable nose pads even the most beautiful models struggled to pull it off and make it seem normal.
However the hype for glass seemed short lived and Google announced earlier this year that they would no longer be producing the prototype design.
Apple Watch
After many rumours and speculation Apple finally announced there plans to release a piece of wearable technology back in September 2014. The Apple Watch was unveiled to the world and met with mixed reviews. With it’s sleek design, the Apple Watch is definitely more stylish than Google Glass and blends in a bit better with every day life.
The Apple Watch comes in three different models, the Watch Sport (starting at £299), the Watch (starting at £479) and the Watch Edition (starting at £8000).
The Apple Watch looks like a futuristic masterpiece but still has a familiar design to an original watch that we are all used to. Apple even invited some fashion journalists to the announcement of the watch which makes their intentions pretty clear: they want this to make waves in the fashion world! However as the Apple Watch hasn’t yet been released we will just have to wait to see how well it is received in the fashion world.
Microsoft Band
Microsoft have also announced a piece of wearable technology to rival the Apple Watch! Microsoft Band incorporates activity monitoring along with emails, text messaging and your own personal assistant Cortana! Microsoft Band even lets you pay for your Starbucks, which I think is pretty awesome!
After taking a look at some of the wearable tech available today it seems pretty clear to me that most of them focus mainly on health and fitness, rather than the fashionable aspects of the accessory. Although the Apple Watch does seem to be a step in the right direction for stylish technology (and I am tempted to get one) I may just hold back for a bit longer to see what the marriage of fashion and technology has to offer!
Do you think wearable technology can be fashionable?
Hail Style 