Technology Will Influence Fashion - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Nov, 2000

While we won't be wearing T-shirts made of titanium in the 21st century, technology will play its part in clothing of the future, predicts Marcy Koontz, an assistant professor in the Department of Clothing, Textiles, and Interior Design, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. The most radical innovations will occur in the area of "clever clothes."

New fabrics will take the lead, and fashion designers will embrace the decorative and functional potential of revolutionary materials. Fashion fabrics with integral anti-perspiring or scent-releasing features will become ordinary. "Technologists will invent more multi-purpose fabrics, accessories, and makeup and extend the range of sensory and audio products to wear. Computer-aided design will provide made-to-measure garments for the mass market."

The fashion world of the recent past will still be recognizable, however. "Youth will be in charge. Pop music, videos, movies, television, and the fashion press will still promote fashion's idols and help to spark the latest fads." There will be more sophisticated "virtual fashion" websites to speed the dissemination of style ideas worldwide. Despite access to online shopping, people will still want the experience of trailing around the mall looking for that perfect outfit.

Working from the home in comfortable, informal garments will be an option of many, but the subdued suit and corporate image will retain their hold on office workers' wardrobes, Koontz indicates. Professional sportswear will continue to influence leisurewear, and casuals with designer labels will remain important for the entire family.

Paris, the traditional designer mecca, will face increasing competition from rival centers--including New York, Milan, and Tokyo--but it will retain its position as the epicenter of culture. In Japan, the growing youth and fashion industry will become stronger. By the middle of the 21st century, African states, the South Asian subcontinent, and China will have become potent fashion forces.