Tech and the Tailor

To most people, the tailor sits in an oak-panelled room, keeping notes in an aged ledger, endlessly chalking outlines on sumptuous fabrics, away from the glare of modernity. They haven’t, traditionally, been seen as pioneers of new technology.

However, recent years have seen the rise and then the supremacy of the computer age. No one is immune to the benefits that technology affords us. At King & Allen, we’re all for embracing the modern world, using cutting- edge technology in our suit design and creation.

We are always excited to see how developments in technology might improve the work we do. So we decided to look at the top 4 trends in clothing tech. And some of it is pretty amazing.

POCKET DOCK

Many tailors are now including a pocket for a smartphone in their jackets, showing how technology has become an inextricable part of our lives. King & Allen offer custom-sized pockets to perfectly fit your phone, we even made a jacket with an ipad pocket in it.

What do you think could be next? We predict built-in chargers for your pockets…

KARMA CHAMELEON

If you’ve ever looked at these capriciously-colourful lizards and thought ‘yep, style goals, right there,’ then our next piece of tech might just be for you. Chromorphous tech, an innovative organisation based at the University of Central Florida, have created a colour-changing fabric that is controlled by the wearer. We’re not quite sure how it works, but it seems to be a combination of microscopic wires woven into the fabric and magic; definitely some kind of magic.

KEEP IT COOL

Although King & Allen offer a wide range of fabrics for both hot and cold temperatures, with fantastic natural properties that keep you warm or cool you off, we haven’t quite gone as far as some of these companies in this New Scientist article. They have transposed space-age technologies that up until now were only used by astronauts, welders or deep-sea divers to everyday clothes. Creating clothing that can regulate your body temperature, they use temperature sensors that will gently blast you with hot or cold air, working in even the most extreme climates.

Our Holland & Sherry ‘Cool Breeze’ Merino Wools (pictured) use hydrophobic and hygroscopic fibres, meaning that the outer layer repels water (hydrophobic) and the inner layer absorbs water (hygroscopic). This allows the suit to absorb sweat and then expel it, keeping body temperature regulated. The perfect choice for a summer suit.

PROJECT JACQUARD