Fashion

Laundry additive turns shirts, pants into pollution eaters

Last year, we heard about the first article of Catalytic Clothing, an experimental dress that pulls pollutants out of the atmosphere. Now the technology is moving along to the point where it could be used as a liquid laundry additive and become part of our regular clothes washing chores.

According to a release from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the U.K., "Within just two years, we could all be wearing clothes that purify the air as we simply move around in them."… Read more

Seiko unleashes stylish 'Star Wars' watches

Timing is everything, especially in the "Star Wars" saga. For example, had Han Solo missed that critical shot on the TIE fighter in the trenches of the Rebel assault on the first Death Star, Luke Skywalker would have been toast -- and so would the rebellion against the Empire.

On October 12, Japanese watchmaker Seiko commemorates "Star Wars" in a new collection of themed watches with a collective run of only 5,000 pieces. Six popular characters from the movies each get their own model: Darth Vader, Darth Maul, C-3PO, R2-D2, Yoda, and the lemming-like Stormtrooper. … Read more

Ostrich Pillow lets you bury your head in your nap

You're waiting for your flight at the airport. A snuffling sound emanates from behind you. It's getting louder. You turn to look. An eldritch creature emerges from a gray pod! Oh wait, it's just a fellow traveler removing his Ostrich Pillow. No need to panic.

The Ostrich Pillow looks a bit like a giant garden squash gone soft. It has a hole for your face so you can breath and two side holes to stick your hands in.

The Kickstarter project page refers to it as "a micro environment in which to take a comfortable power nap in the office, traveling, or wherever you want." … Read more

Do RFID socks tell us we're pathetic?

Today I bought some Calvin Klein socks that seemed pretty fancy: they're antibacterial and made of "rayon from bamboo."

But leave it to the Swiss to make a mockery of such humdrum foot coverings. Smarter Socks are high-tech socks with RFID buttons that can help you find a sock's mate, figure out how worn it is, and manage your sock inventory via an iPhone app.

Yes, you can manage your socks by logging on to your account and messing around with their RFID numbers. It's supposed to make your life simpler compared to messing around in your sock drawer. … Read more

GPS shoes give directions on top of your toes

GPS shoes already exist, but they've been more about tracking the wearer than giving directions. A project by U.K. artist Dominic Wilcox solves that oversight by putting directions right at the tips of your toes.

The prototype leather shoes were made by hand in old-world style by Stamp Shoes, but with some decidedly new-world technology tucked inside courtesy of interactive arts and technology expert Becky Stewart. … Read more

Retro-cool sunglasses put pixels on your face

If you used to build with toy bricks and play 8-bit video games, check out these $250 Hal Pixel sunglasses from Protos, with aesthetics inspired by Lego (or perhaps Minecraft terrain).

Fortunately, the glasses don't crumble easily like those Lego sets my friends would accidentally step on. … Read more

Official AT-AT dog costume turns Fido into furry war machine

Fan-made AT-AT walker dog costumes have been around for years. George Lucas' minions have taken notice of the inordinate demand for dressing mutts up like heavily armored Imperial Army land vehicles.

That brings us to the officially licensed "Star Wars" AT-AT pet costume. It comes in two parts with a bodysuit and a headpiece. Sizes range from small (for Sith Shih Tzus) to extra large (for Wookie Wolfhounds).… Read more

Are untucked Apple shirts the new hoodies?

Ever since Mark Zuckerberg's infamous hoodie took over the world of tech fashion, the tech industry has been searching for a new trend. Google glasses? Too over-the-top. Geek bras? Can't show them off in polite company.

Thank goodness for Apple. While the company was busy announcing some important new thingamabob today, it also may have inadvertently set a new course for geek fashion. Let's all welcome the untucked Apple shirt! *Applause.*… Read more

Everpurse fashionably charges smartphones

In my limited observations, it seems that size, shape, color, and fabric constantly change in the evolution of fashion pouches, but the actual usefulness of a purse stays the same: you can put in whatever you can fit in.

Everpurse, an up-and-comer on grassroots-funding site Kickstarter, seems poised to take off by raising the idea of a clutch (or purse insert) that can charge an iPhone or Android smartphone through a built-in dock and battery. Why does it seem poised? It raised over $23,000 in one day. … Read more

Hug Me Coat wraps its sad, warm arms around you

We've seen some unusual fashion statements around here before. There's a Wampa-skin dress and a jacket that collects rain, for example, but neither is quite as unusual or strangely unsettling as the Hug Me Coat.

The Hug Me Coat comes from Si Leong Chan, a London College of Fashion student. It's a bright green puffer coat with a row of hands with intertwined fingers running down the front. It gives the illusion of many martian arms grasping the model's torso.… Read more