Fashion Designer Angella Mackey created several prototypes of a Heart Monitoring Vest.She designed multiple prototypes addressing not only the wearability of the vest but, more importantly, the usability. Each of her designs addressed the patients need to place multiple electrodes on their chest without the assistance of a nurse.

Catalytic Clothing, a collaboration between the London College of Fashion, University of Sheffield, and the University of Ulster, has recently presented the first prototype of a dress that can purportedly absorb airborne pollutants. A thin layer of space-age, pollution-absorbing concrete mixture is sprayed onto the “Herself” dress. Wearing the dress automatically means that you are helping to save the environment, simply by walking around and being fashionable!

However, the “Herself” dress is highly experimental and is only inteded to illustrate – in artistic form – the idea that textiles can help eliminate certain pollutants from the air. Unfortunately, it is doubtful that an actual, wearable version of the dress will be made.

Check out the dress here!

If it is up to the scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas, you can soon charge your mobile phone by plugging it into your T-shirt!

The university is researching ways to weave energy-transmitting yarn into ready-to-wear material. So far, the scientists have discovered a way to create energy generating textiles from powder-infused carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes in use will be able to support superconducting particles, such as magnesium powder, with a more manageable form without binders or lasers. If the scientists are successful, this energy-transmitting yarn could be fashioned into lightweight batteries you can wear. This concept of wearable batteries that look like regular clothing would mean that you no longer have to search for a power outlet could and look fashionable at the same time!

Read more on Ecouterre and Inhabitat!

Fabrickit is a collection of wearable electronic modules that make it easy to construct wearable projects. And if you still need some inspiration or guidance, you can have a look at the tutorials!

Kobi Levi is an Israeli designer who specializes in unusual footwear that blurs the line between fashion and art. On his weblog you can find the most extravagant footwear designs, ranging from sling-shot shoes to banana slippers. “The shoe is my canvas”, Levi claims on his weblog. “The piece is a wearable sculpture. It is “alive” with/out the foot/body.” Levi gets his inspiration out of the “shoe-world” and gives the footwear an extreme make-over. All of Levi’s shoes are hand-made in his studio and the challenging technical development is the key to bring the designs to life in the best possible way way.

Check out the remarkable footwear of Kobi Levi here.

In 2007 already, PSFK.com featured a video which demonstrates a intelligent textile product which is flexible and soft but on impact is instantly hard and retains energy from an impact, protecting the wearer. It is created by Brit company d30 Lab and you can read an extensive article about it here.

Watch the video and see how d30 Lab’s “superhero suit” works!