San Francisco clothier Levi’s and search engine giant Google will begin selling a new form of electronic gear this week: a denim jacket for bicyclists that can make it easier to receive texts and phone calls.
The $350 product looks and feels like a denim jacket, but the wearer can snap an electronic tag on the cuff that uses Bluetooth technology to connect with a user’s smartphone, which must be nearby.
After programming an app, someone wearing the jacket could swipe upward on their left arm to play music or switch tracks — actions much easier for cyclists than fiddling with a phone. The rider could also instruct the phone, with a double tap or swipe of the jacket, to tell the time aloud.
The introduction of the jacket culminates three years of work for Google’s Ivan Poupyrev, who has said one of the major challenges was creating conductive yarns in Japan that wouldn’t be damaged through the manufacturing process.
“It’s almost like a miracle, looking back,” Poupyrev said of the jacket’s arrival.
In the future, clothing with embedded technology could help people improve how they lift weights, or position their hands on a keyboard to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, he said.
In 2016, smart clothing generated $150.7 million in revenue, and it is expected to jump to $3.7 billion by 2022, according to research firm Tractica.
Clothing brands such as Ralph Lauren and Under Armour have explored or sold technology-enabled clothing; often the functions include measuring heart rate.
The jacket, whose technology is known as Jacquard, will be sold at Kinfolk in Brooklyn, N.Y., Fred Segal in Santa Monica, and Concepts in Boston starting on Wednesday. On Oct. 2, it will be available online and in several Levi’s stores, including the San Francisco location on Market Street. The new jacket can stand about 10 washes, according to Google.
Making the case for why shoppers should buy a $350 jacket whose capabilities resemble those of smartwatches may be challenging. A new $399 Apple Series 3 smartwatch with a cellular plan can make and receive calls and exchange texts without an iPhone nearby, as well as play music.
Clothing with technology embedded into its fabric could one day be used in a variety of ways, according to Cary Pint, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University’s mechanical engineering department. Energy storage devices like batteries could be in clothing, making smartphones more light-weight — or color-changing technology in fabric could make it easier for troops to change their camouflage colors to match different terrain, Pint said.
“As we start to integrate electronics and energy into clothing and wearables, we are going to generate a lot more data,” Pint said. “That data can be used to help us.”
The jacket from Levi’s and Google will provide data to the companies on how consumers use the jacket; the information will include what time of day it is used, or whether it is worn at all. The data, which will not identify the wearers, will also show which of the jacket’s features are most popular.
“If it ends up in the back of the sock drawer like other wearables, we’ll know that because it won’t be active,” said Paul Dillinger, vice president of Global Product Innovation for Levi’s which already peddles a line of clothing directed at bike commuters. “That’s honest guidance that we love, and we’ve never gotten before..”
As wearable technology settles into clothing, companies need to be mindful of protecting consumers’ privacy, analysts said.
“Data gathered from athletes, or patients struggling with medical issues, needs to be safeguarded and users assured of appropriate usage,” said Sherril Hanson, a research analyst with Tractica.
John O’Meara, a University of San Francisco marketing professor, said he believes the jacket could help Levi’s attract new customers.
“It’s an opportunity for them not just to launch this new product, but to make their brand relevant with a younger, hipper generation,” O’Meara said.
Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee
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