Introduction
Many people express their surprise at the idea of fashion technology. Why and how, they say, can something as different as fashion and technology go together? Technology has a part to play in every walk of life and fashion technology is very much a part of our day to day lives. It is a powerful technological tool that allows fashion designers to convert their thought and imagination into real pieces of work. A quick glance at the courses in fashion designing which is being offered today will easily allow one to see the importance of fashion technology.
History
The simplest, earliest and yet the most prominent example of fashion technology is the mechanization of textile manufacture. It was the manifold increase in the production of cloth because of the Industrial Revolution that made it possible for the fashion industry to thrive. Fashion technology has also made possible the large scale manufacture of clothes and textiles which fit exact specifications – all of this without any hassles at all. Fashion technology also ensures that minimum wastage or resources is achieved and the best product is manufactured at optimum prices which make it more affordable. Even today, fashion technology is discovering new fabrics and materials with the help of nanotechnology, atomic force microscopy and other sophisticated processes. Smart fabrics which are more suited to specific purposes are being made every day. A site a few examples, suits designed for space travel and for handling zero-gravity situations, cloth that can be used for military purposes, fabric that delivers the best performance when used in diving suits etc. The lifespan and durability of material that goes into the making of everyday wear has also been enhanced and bettered by the processes of fashion technology.
Features
Computers and their use in visualizing designs are a big part of fashion technology and one which is undeniably a part of the contemporary fashion industry. Designs can be made from scratch and the tiniest and finest details can be added to them with the help of computers, and only when one is satisfied with the design does the manufacturing process get completed. Processes such as knitting have been automated, thanks to code that has been written on computers. What would have seemed rather fascinating some decades ago is being made possible because of fashion technology. Sensors are incorporated into the clothes we wear and they respond to a number of circumstances – you could have clothes that cool you down or heat you up according to the requirements of the season.
Tips and comments
Clothes and other parts of dressing, say shoes, have been made more user-friendly because of fashion technology. Computers and complex software are at work, decoding data received from a number of sources make the work seem simple and understandable. The exact calculation of how clothes tend to stress or strain a body part and how it can be provided with better support can be better achieved by using technology in fashion. You surely may have seen advertisements about shoes that are designed especially to take the impact of footfalls and lessen the shock on your joints; the same principle is used in fashion technology.
