Other wearable electronics are being pioneered at a design laboratory in London run by the European manufacturer Philips Electronics. Thy are in the planning stages for various high-tech products, including an intelligent apron. This electronic apron acts as a kind of remote control device. It has a built-in microphone that allows the wearer to operate kitchen appliances using voice commands. Another planned product is the Queen of Clubs outfit. According to a Philips spokesperson, “Here’s an outfit for the girl who’s really into clubbing. Sensors hidden in her clothes allow her to affect the lights and beat of the music… So that she can make contact with other people across the dance floor, she has…pants with lights that flash when someone is trying to get in touch.”
While there are many interesting clothing innovations to look forward to, the only item so far sold in stores was marketed a few years ago as the first wearable electronics jacket. The jacket2, called the ICD+, sold for about a thousand dollars. It had an MP3 player and cellphone. Headphones were built into the hood, and it had microphone in the collar. Clive van Heerden, director of Intelligent Fibres, pointed out that it was an early first step and a conservative one. “We want to make the jacket that makes the coffee and picks up the kids and keeps track of the shopping list, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”