There was a time when all we expected from our clothes was to preserve our modesty, protect us from the elements and pull in a few curves. Not any more. Now one can power up an iPod using panels on a bikini top and the bigger the bikini the more cells one has to generate the power.
If the Siggraph 2007 exhibition of future fashions in San Diego is anything to go by, your wardrobe will soon charge your iPod, convey hidden messages, light your home and act as a video game console. Get ready for clothes infused with electronic gadgets and computers that can help you in your daily life - or just give you a laugh.
One piece of smart clothing you might decide not to wear in public is designer Jenny Chowdhury's "intimate controllers". These are a set of wired-up his-and-hers undies that she describes as "a collaborative video console for couples". The garments have three pairs of touch pads hidden in increasingly intimate places which the couple have to press in the correct order while being prompted by a set of symbols on a computer screen. As players get better the software encourages them to go for the more intimate pads. "You can't get any further unless both players are playing the game well," said Ms Chowdhury, who developed the idea as a solution to "video-game widowhood".
