Safety Fits

Social unrest makes consumers feel increasingly unprotected and vulnerable. Widespread distrust in government and institutions also pushes people to seek new ways to protect themselves. Take the smart personal security device market, which is expected to grow by nearly 14% year on year until 2030, when it is expected to reach £7.28bn ($8.74bn, €8.21bn) (source: Market Research Future).

Women and other vulnerable groups seek ways to change the narrative and feel more empowered. In the UK, a devastating 97% of women aged 18–24 have been sexually harassed. Among them, 96% remain dubious about the UK authorities’ capacity to handle the incidents (source: UN Women UK). That’s why women are taking the issue into their own hands. TikTok is brimming with self-defence masterclasses (#selfdefense has received over 14bn views), DIY gear and weaponised keychains like tasers hidden in lipsticks.

Consumers are also reacting to emerging threats. Where tech can protect us, it also comes with privacy challenges and concerns. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of consumers in the UK have expressed concerns about personal data privacy, with the recent AI boom adding to personal data hazards (source: OpenText).

Beyond traditional surveillance tech, the widespread fear for our own security lays the ground for innovative solutions, materialising in safety-fit clothing and accessories.

Dames

New York-based label Dames merges street style and protection, bolstering women’s safety with built-in self-defence features. Dames, beyond apparel, aims to build a community of empowered, fearless and sexy young women.

The brand created modern-day armour by drawing on workwear staple pieces, from holographic elements to chains and reflective fabrics. The label also offers wearable self-defence accessories such as a claw-shaped fist clasp charm or a Safety Spike Lipstick with a hidden switchblade.

Mother Goods

Mother Goods introduced Kickback, a bullet-resistant collection of ‘loungewear built for inaction’ made with Kevlar to denounce gun violence in the US.

The hand-crafted bathrobes are lined with ballistic body plates, offering protection and tranquillity in a country where, according to the brand, ‘you can get shot by anyone, anywhere, at any time’. The robes come with matching slippers to shield the wearer from self-inflicted accidents.

Cap_able

Italian start-up Cap_able uses technology, textiles and fashion to create garments that bypass artificial intelligence and facial recognition. The crafted colourful knitwear features an algorithm that confuses AI cameras and shields the wearer from facial recognition systems.

Through the Manifesto Collection, the brand also wants to start conversations about privacy issues that come with AI’s fast and primarily unregulated development.

The sartorial safety push may be rooted in fashion, but this shift has broader meaning and implications. Dames’ ‘look cute, feel tough’ philosophy proves that fashion brands can turn utility into something covetable. Upgrading not-so-sexy self-defence gear into a stylish collection that protects wearers challenges expectations and raises vital debates about gender-related violence and abuse.

Similarly, through the Kickback project, designers weaved in their know-how and satire to call out America’s looming gun violence problem ­– an example of how Elastic Brands can successfully respond and adapt to the social climate.

Using garments as an extra layer of protection can also apply to emerging threats coming from technology. Cap_able’s AI-fooling knits are not the only example, as other companies are exploring ways to shield people from Big Brother. In the UK, Vollebak engineered a thermal camouflage jacket making the wearer invisible to infrared cameras. Elsewhere, Dyson tackles pollution with two-in-one headphones providing air filtering on the go.

What we wear can do more for us in many ways, and we expect use cases of defensive dressing to continue branching out and augmenting our day-to-day sartorial uniforms.