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FASHION

The Color-Changing Shirt That Senses Air Pollution


It’s a fashion concept that should definitely make it’s way into a dystopian sci-fi film in the not-too-distant future, although Aerochromics, the new brand from Nikolas Bentel, is far from fiction.

In another amazing crossover between wearable tech and the natural environment, Bentel has developed a longsleeve T-shirt that responds to pollution levels in the air. When the air quality changes – air sensors measure carbon monoxide, toxic particulates and even radioactivity – so do the black and white shapes covering the shirt.

White Aerochromics logo and model wearing a black and white shirt against a black background

December 20, 2015


It’s a fashion concept that should definitely make it’s way into a dystopian sci-fi film in the not-too-distant future, although Aerochromics, the new brand from Nikolas Bentel, is far from fiction.

In another amazing crossover between wearable tech and the natural environment, Bentel has developed a longsleeve T-shirt that responds to pollution levels in the air. When the air quality changes – air sensors measure carbon monoxide, toxic particulates and even radioactivity – so do the black and white shapes covering the shirt.

To achieve this level of technical effect, every cotton garment is outfitted with color-changing dyes linked to the sensors. The three different shirt styles measures air quality in their own way. The stronger the levels of pollution, the more defined the accompanied pattern becomes. Black blobs for carbon monoxide, white polka dots for particulates and white squiggles for radioactivity.

The vision behind the brand begins with a statement from their site: “We see Aerochromics as the first step in creating an ecosystem of interconnected objects that will help us better understand, navigate, and protect our world.”

Using sensors and similar technologies employed by cities to measure air quality, Aerochromics is a truly disruptive aspect of fashion. While the shirt may feel like it could make you more worried about what you already know, it’s an easy and somewhat objective way to open an often hyper-politicized conversation on the environment.

Wearable tech in the form of watches and body monitoring systems have been on the rise, as many shoppers move to use fashion to improve physical training and overall health. For Aerochromics and Bentel, practically speaking, their website states, “Our clothes will give you more agency over your body and wellbeing and the air you breathe in … Since pollution is such a large and ever-changing problem, collecting precise data in real-time and combining it with the larger ecosystem of connected objects – unobtrusively – is the most effective way to solve this problem.”

It’s good to see wearable tech encourage the notion of sustainability in the product features, not just in how fashion brands source their production. More than a great fashion concept for the greater good, Bentel is clearly no slouch on fresh styles either. The futuristic streetwear vibe of the Aerochromics line holds up in equal parts high-end craftsmanship and dystopian dope.

(all images via Aerochromics)

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