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Jacket

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Flame 5 Bluetooth Enabled Jacket

While I am still spending too much time finishing off a research report from years ago, something which feels more like a book than report, it does lead me in the direction of some not so recent but cool research efforts. The Flame 5 is a Bluetooth enabled jacket which communicates via heat. Judging from the weather reports stating that we are to expect some cold temperatures this weekend (8˚C) I wouldn't mind having a someone send me a sms to make me warm.

Flame 5 (F5) is a jacket that connects to your personal mobile via Bluetooth and enables communication via heat. If a person sends an SMS (TEXT) to a remote person wearing Flame 5, the clothing heats up depending on the personal message. Flame 5 works with standard Bluetooth mobile phones.

Different levels of heat depending on the message or the 'hotness' of the person calling? Groan. This work was developed at the Ambiente Group, Fraunhofer IPSI and naturally the concept has been widely reported all over the web.

More here

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CMYK Zip-up Red

To keep warm this winter and declare my (and yours) fleeting allegiance to four-colour printing this CMYK Zip-up in 0-95-95-5 is a definite fun choice. Might make a good layer under the Timberland jacket mentioned earlier. The need for some red in my wardrobe, the childish desire to express my designer geekery, and the fact that along with t-shirts you can never have enough fleece makes this an obvious purchase for the upcoming pre-Chinese New Year spending spree (I'm already past Christmas it seems). For you normal people, CMYK is a subtractive color model used in color printing. Unisex sizing in S, M, L, and XL. This is Veer branded wear and will cost you $69.00US.

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Waterproof Timberland System2 Layer Shell Jacket

It's cold, it's cool. One day it rains, the other it's sunny. Welcome to winter in this part of the world. Timberland’s à la carte approach to layering helps keep you prepared for all kinds of weather. Timberland’s System 2 Layer Fabric System Jacket lets you combine shells and liners for optimum levels of water protection, insulation, and breathability, whether you’re visiting Taipei or Beijing, or flying back to Vancouver. This jacket might just be what I have been looking for to help cope with the rapid changes in temperatures and weather here and when I travel abroad. There are a number of different manufacturers with different approaches to layering but none seem to have a store near here and I still like to try-on my clothes (vs. ordering online) before purchase. So the ubiquitousness of the Timberland brand wins in this case.

Kudos to Timberland for providing a label (see page) on their shoes that describes the environmental impact of producing each pair of footwear in their catalogue. Their so-called “nutritional label” goes as far as providing a complete list of their factories, with addresses. (Paraphrased from Ruk.ca)

The Men's Waterproof Timberland® System2 Layer Shell Jacket retails for about $199.00US.

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MEC Dolomite Wool Jacket

It seems like only yesterday that I was sweating and lamenting the fact I didn't bring a pair of shorts when I was visiting Bangkok. It gets hot there when you are carrying around a large backpack. Now I am back in Taiwan freezing without any proper 'cold weather' gear. Cold here is about 20 celsius but it feels like -20 - almost. MEC Dolomite Wool Jacket comes to the rescue.

Once a staple in every wardrobe, wool has re-emerged as a viable (some may say desirable) alternative to synthetic fabrics. This jacket is a perfect example. It boasts the warmth of wool, the comfort of fleece, the functionality of a soft shell, and a definitive urban style that makes the well-worn fleece jacket you’ve be wearing around town look, well... worn.

Clean styling should make this a versatile jacket. Luckily it's available in black. $99.00 CAD from Mountain Equipment Co-op.

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An Electric Jacket for Mobile Gadgets

The first prototype of Hannah Perner-Wilson's Clothing that Arranges the Body collection amounts to a jacket that connects the flow of electricity between devices, that are scattered in pockets around the body. CAB visualizes our dependency on mobile technology. We carry with us our gadgets; we are systems of sorts - a set of draws, a storage box, a showcase for our collections of digital data plus their extension with the outside world. As she states there is nothing inherently technologically new about her execution, Koyono's Outerwear comes to mind, but both the garment's apearance and use play with this fact that we spend every day within close proximity of electronic devices, within the flow of electricity around our bodies. Beautiful execution of an interesting concept.

CAB.

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Koyono Outerwear and Shirts for iPod

Koyono has just announced its spring and summer line of outerwear — jackets and coats equipped with integrated iPod controls. These are primarily designed for those of you in the northern hemisphere as I have been wearing shorts and t-shirts for a month or two. Their spring and summer jackets integrate iPod control pads into the lapels of their jacket, enabling you to control your iPod without ever removing your player from it's pocket. Controls include volume, track change and power. Each of the jackets also includes water protection and pocketing for commuting or travel. Their whole apparel line are great commercial ubiquitous computing controls.

The BlackCoat-T LS shown above is designed to allow one to discreetly and safely transport your iPod or mobile discreetly and out of sight. Looks great and really the only solution for those of who seldom get the chance to wear jackets.

Prices range from $199 to $275 for the jackets. $27 for the long sleeve t-shirt. Buy direct from Koyono.

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iPod Jacket

Many people criticize ideas such as this but I like when companies market products that bring control over our gadgets closer to our bodies. I want controls and devices everywhere (but not inside like some kind of Borg inspired sci-fi movie). This full zip jacket is made from 90% polyamide, 10% elastane, is quite comfortable and perfect for working out or traveling. Judging by the styling and sizes this is one for the ladies only. It comes in a variety of colors and can be purchased for $96.00US from Vickerey.

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Washed linen/cotton two-button blazer

I've had one of these jackets for some time and it wears very well in the weather we have here. During the day this two-button blazer from Banana Republic looks great, perfect with jeans and a t-shirt or later at night, with a quick change, it looks great when you are out at a club. Constructed in a soft, washed linen/cotton blend with a double vent back to keep you cool. $178.00US at the Banana Republic.

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Marc Jacobs Twill Pullover Jacket

Over hear in the sweltering tropics a heavy jacket is something you would never wear except in the worst days of winter. Life here is about wearing light layers that you can wear and shed as the day and need arises. Jackets like this Twill Pullover by Marc Jacobs are a great stylish addition to your day bag. It's made with lightweight Italian cotton, has a drawstring stand collar, button placket and cuffs, and drawstring hem. Luckily it's machine washable which mean I won't have to rely on the neighbourhood dry cleaners who seem to clean all my clothes with some kind of foul smelling bio-waste. Pre-order for $328.00US

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Final Home Jacket

After thankfully surviving both what was called 921, a 7.6 earthquake that struck here back in 1999, and the sars outbreak which paralized this Island I have gotten a taste for wanting to be ready for the next natural disaster to befall us. "Made of nylon, this clever coat is designed to serve as a nomadic "home" in the event of a disaster. The ample pockets may be filled with newspapers for warmth, or used for storing personal belongings, food, maps, and other survival gear. Hand-wash with cold water or dry clean. One size fits all." Nylon coats generall are unadvisable in this region as the cause you to sweat from the locked in heat but the concept is a good one and it might be a great jacket to keep on hand. $215.00US from MoMA.

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MEC Phantom Jacket

The weather this time of year is enough to make one crazy - and sick. One day it's sunny and 23˚C the next it's raining and 13˚C. We are in a cold wet snap now and I could really use a great weather proof shell to protect against the elements. The MEC Phantom Jacket is a lightweight emergency storm shell designed for alpine climbers. If it works for them it must be fine for braving the streets of the city. The extreme light weight makes it a perfect choice for including in your pack on those days when you just can't judge which way the weather is going. The fabric maximizes the exceptional breathability of the GORE-TEX® XCR®. The result is a jacket that perfectly complements a soft-shell garment when wind and/or wet necessitate a separate shell layer. All this and it has the rare feature of being made in Canada. $200CAN.

Available from MEC's online store.

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Canvas Zip Fleece Cadet Jacket

I've been told more than once that I need to lighten up. Lighten up my wardrobe that is (and the other too). Since my days as a musician I have been stuck with a limited colour palette when it comes to my everyday wear clothes. Lots of black, denim, and the bit of khaki thrown in when I run out of clean jeans. I tried to comply but I still find myself wearing the same comfortable black shirts over and over again. Canvas is a maker of fine blank tee's and fleece which feature a wide range f colours. I could certainly use the above Cadet Jacket. This 7.5 ounce 100% cotton fleece is $48US and come in a variety of colours including black.

Canvas

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