Sport clothes trends are always evolving. A close look at photographs of athletes in action from the up to now will show you the changing trends in sports apparel in each era. The latest trend is one that no one could have predicted 20 years ago. It is smart sports clothes. Imagine a belt that can inform you when you have added on some weight. Athletes and workout-loving people can now wear clothes that are more fitness-focused. These clothes are fitted with fitness metrics that can analyze workouts and provide very detailed information.
Although these clothes are relatively expensive, it is clear that there is a viable market for them. This explains why so many companies are trying to get a piece of this market. While sports giants like Nike and Lululemon were among the earliest entrants in this category, they are now facing stiff competition from other companies.
Wide array of smart clothes
The great thing about smart clothes is that they are designed to look as normal as possible. Without the sensors, you can easily blend them into your whole clothing collection without a problem. This is why, unlike a smart watch, you can easily create a smart shirt using 20 different styles and use a limitless number of color options.
What’s the reason for the rapid growth of the smart sports clothes market?
Nowadays, athletic clothing is not just used for sports but also as casual wear. It means that a sports shop does not solely rely on selling to sports people but virtually everyone. With fitness-tracking continue to grow in popularity, sport apparel companies have taken full advantage by incorporating technology into their apparel lines. At the same time, fitness devices like Fitbits or other trakers have proved to be very disposable. For people who disposed of fitness-tracking gear after using them a few times, smart sports clothes are the best option. The sensors can be put in less conspicuous places such as socks and underwear.
What is the next step for smart sports clothes?
The fact that sportswear is also used as casual wear means that smart clothes will not just be limited to the gym, football pitches and athletics tracks. We are headed into a future in which most of us will wear smart clothes to give us feedback when we need it most. There is now a smart bra for women that tracks fitness metrics such as heart rate, distance and calorie burn. At the moment, the data collected is mainly used for workout analysis.
The next big step is to use the data to analyze a person’s emotional wellness. This will need bio metric data such as muscle tension, breathing, and heart rate.Wearable tech will also have a medical aspect. For example, a pregnant woman wearing smart clothes will be in a position to share her baby’s heartbeat through the data captured by the sensors in her clothes. People who have heart condition could get warnings of physiological changes just before an emergency.
Bottom line
The possibilities of smart sports clothes are endless. Smart clothing is the biggest threat to other fitness-tracking wearables. This is because they are more normal looking, fashionable and do more than count the total distance you have covered.