These clothes really leave nothing to the imagination

Are you as fascinated with all the technology that is supposed to make our lives easier?

Are you as convinced as I am that sometimes this technology makes life more difficult?

Are you as curious as I am just what this world will look like by the time we ring in 2030?

I’ve been reading with interest and some trepidation how artificial intelligence is becoming more and more common in our everyday lives. You don’t have to be a scientist to have a robot rolling around your house or have your clothes remind you of a two o’clock meeting.

Wait. Now what?

Yes, I just read an article by Ray A. Smith in the Wall Street Journal saying that “data is the new black” in fashion. That’s because there can be sensors embedded in the fabric that will monitor how stressed we are, give us reminders of appointments, various alerts and information.

And you thought that Apple watch was hot stuff. Instead of your watch or your phone reminding you of something, the sleeve of your shirt or some part of your garment will glow, blink or vibrate. Oh my, there are SO many smarty remarks that could be written right here, but let’s go on.

If you say this won’t happen, be aware it already has. According to Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, author of the “Smart Textiles for Designers: Inventing the Future of Fabrics,” much of this technology has been put to use in the military and in the fields of medicine and sports. She believes blue-collar and white-collar workers are next up to glow, blink or vibrate.

But there’s more! Therapeutic wearables. A good example is the “mood sweater” by a company named Sensoree. The sweater has a LED studded collar. It lights up in a variety of colors based on galvanic skin response or a change in the electrical characteristics of the skin. What causes these changes? Stress, of course, but also pleasure, excitement and I would guess anger.

Don’t we want something left to the imagination? Shouldn’t we continue to look people in the eye to figure out how they’re feeling and listen to what they’re saying instead of trying to figure out what a pink collar means? Personally I don’t want my collar to light up red when I want to poke someone in the nose. It’s just best to not telegraph some emotions.

Imagine you’re feeling anxious about meeting someone. Before you even shake hands your collar lights up, your right sleeve is blinking and your left sleeve is glowing and you start twitching because something in the middle of your back is vibrating. Talk about wired.

With so many cases of identity theft happening every day, wouldn’t it be best to keep at least some thoughts and feelings private?

I would be stunned if any of the data clothes and therapeutic wearables are a big thing in the next few years, but then again it didn’t take cell phones long to be what most people consider an absolute necessity.

But for now, data is not the new black.