Geek Chic: The Wearable Tech We Actually Want To Wear
While fashion and technology have merged to great acclaim on the catwalk (see: Hussein Chalayan and Anrealage), on the retail front, the two seem to be fickle friends. Over the past few years, brands have struggled to combine their crafts in a meaningful way for consumers, and their shortcomings left us with a landscape of glorified pedometers and beautiful but useless single-function smart bracelets.
But just as the Met inaugurates their latest costume exhibit, ‘Manus x Machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology,’ it looks like the next generation of high-tech fashion accessories may have finally cracked the code to creating wearables that we actually want to wear.
Connecting to your phone via Bluetooth, Ringly lets you receive customized notifications from over 100 apps through subtle vibrations and a discreet light. Available as a ring or bracelet.
Why we love it: Ringly understands women—they didn’t just figure out how to make smart jewelry look genuinely stylish, they also put it at a price point that made it affordable to buy more than one. This way, you can mix and match them with your outfit, just like you would any other jewelry.
Barclays teamed up with Topshop to create NFC (near field communication) accessories that allow you make contactless payment via a chip embedded in an adorable keychain—simply pre-load money on the device and tap away. (Currently only available in the UK)
Why we love it: It’s quirky, cute, on-trend—and refreshingly different from the dime-a-doze smart bracelets.
It may be a health tracker, but it’s no Fitbit. LEAF goes beyond being a pedometer to also track your periods, sleep and meditation sessions as well as sends you customizable notifications to motivate you to reach your daily health goals.
Why we Love it: Its feminine design sets it apart in the athleisure-tech sector, but the ability to wear it as a necklace, bracelet or simply clip it to your bra is what makes it a must-have.
This smart ring is untethered technology—meaning you don’t need a phone to use it. Kerv isn’t in the notification game, instead, it uses NFC (near field communication) to allow you to make payments, validate you on public transport and unlock smart locks.
Why we love it: The simple black or white band may not be at the forefront of fashion, but it makes it universally wearable for men and women, minimalists and maximalists.
Available as a ring, bracelet or necklace, ALTRUIS lets you receive notifications from your phone via Bluetooth. But what gives this jewelry an edge in the tech game is the hyper-customization that goes so far as to let you filter notifications by specific words used in a received text message.
Why we love it: Tech aside—from a visual perspective, this is jewelry that we would want to wear anyway.
When it comes to the Apple Watch, you either love it or hate it—Android users, we’re looking at you. But this wonder watch is the clear leader in the smartwatch market.
Why we love it: What the Apple Watch has going for it on the fashion front in particular, is the wide range of changeable straps. So you can opt for a sophisticated leather strap for the office or a gold metal link or switch to a gold Milanese loop for a night out making it a chameleon in your accessories collection.
