What is techwear and how to wear this style of clothing

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Already today you can dress as if the future has arrived.

What is techwear and how did it come about

Techwear, or techwear, is a fashion style that seeks to create an image of the future: comfortable, casual and practical. Textile garments are made from high-tech materials in a minimalistic style. They show the great influence of sports, Japanese culture and military style.

Technological clothing is distinguished by an ergonomic cut and elements that seem to have come out of films about the future: removable pockets, belts, carabiners. Despite some exceptions, dark colors prevail in the tekweer range: black, gray, dark blue and dark green. Therefore, sometimes a person dressed in this way resembles a modern urban ninja.

The style of technological clothing began to take shape in the second half of the 20th century, but it finally split into an independent direction in the last few years. Scientific progress led to the fact that the demand for clothing and the fabrics from which it was made grew. So fashion became more and more inspired and cooperated with technology. Most influential were designers Errolson Hugh (Acronym) and Massimo Osti (C. P. Company and Stone Island), as well as writer and cyberpunk creator William Gibson.

The Levis x Philips jacket, released in the early 2000s, had a telephone, a player, headphones and a remote control on board that could be used to control all this.

Technological clothing makes life easier, allowing you to take more things with you, stuff them in your pockets, and not worry about sudden changes in the weather. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to look like a cyberpunk freak: among the brands of tekweer there are those that produce clothes of a completely restrained look.

Techwear brands include: Acronym, Adidas Y-3, Nike ACG, Ten C, Stone Island Shadow Project, C. P. Company, Arc'teryx Veilance, Bagjack, GJO. E, Norwegian Rain, Riotdivision, The North Face Black Series, Isaora. If you don't really like the dark color palette, check out White Mountaineering. And if you want something more sophisticated - then at Herno Laminar, Outlier, Z Zegna, Loro Piana, Ministry of Supply. We should also mention the Russian brand Krakatau.

What are the characteristics of a tekweer

There are three closely related traits that are characteristic of techwear.

Manufacturability

In the tekvira, the use of modern fabrics is elevated to the rank of a cult. Especially popular are materials and sewing technologies, thanks to which moisture does not linger inside, but also does not penetrate outside. So, in clothes of this style, fabrics are often treated with water-repellent impregnations, glued seams are used, which protect against water leakage.

Favorite texewer fabrics include fleece, microfiber, membrane (for example, Gore-Tex) and extra strong (such as Dyneema, used in the clothing of athletes-fencers) materials, waterproof ripstop and others. Tekvir also uses mesh fabrics in areas with the greatest perspiration - for example, in the armpits and on the back. The mesh "breathes" better, removes moisture and protects from the sun.

Separately, it is worth mentioning graphene, the creators of which received The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010. The Nobel Prize The Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. The fabric covered with a layer of this material is very durable and lightweight, allows you to efficiently distribute body heat and does not allow water to pass through.

Practicality

The use of new technologies has a very specific goal: clothing should provide warmth and comfort to the wearer in any conditions and protect from rain, snow, wind and cold. Techwear proclaims comfort in everything: fabrics usually do not wrinkle and do not absorb dirt. Therefore, if your ripstop or gortex pants are sprayed by a passing car, you can simply wash them with water.

In addition, such clothing should be comfortable in everyday life. Therefore, it uses large pockets and convenient fasteners in those places where it is most comfortable for the wearer. Techwear-specific belts, fasteners and carabiners need to be quickly fastened and adjusted. And in a deep pocket there must be a built-in organizer: Velcro or a magnet for a smartphone, a mesh for small things, and so on.

Cyberpunkness

Tekweer is not only a futuristic design, but also clothing adapted for the constant use of gadgets. For example, Acronym offers jackets with a sleeve pocket that drops the phone straight into the palm of your hand, or a magnetic stripe on the headphone collar.

Here it is worth mentioning clothes, which are already a gadget to some extent. These include heated jackets, down jackets that change color depending on the temperature, and flashlights built into clothes that are powered by sunlight, and self-lacing sneakers, and sweatshirts shimmering in neon.

What to wear in this style

Heated Jackets

Heated jackets are much lighter than regular down jackets. This allows them to be worn in relatively warm weather, but if necessary, you can turn on the power from the built-in removable battery. However, in severe frost, they are unlikely to protect you.

What to buy

• Waterproof heated jacket Youpin SUPIELD Aerogel from AliExpress, 8 952 rubles →
• Electrically heated jacket with USB charging from AliExpress, 3 181 rubles →

Down jackets

However, ordinary down jackets also have something to surprise. For example, jackets with synthetic down, although not as good at keeping warm as outerwear with natural fillers, are lightweight and not afraid of water. In addition, there are many technologies patented by modern brands for heat retention, wind protection, and so on. In such down jackets, you can equally comfortably walk around the winter city and conquer mountain peaks.

What to buy

• Ski jacket from DC Shoes, 13 850 rubles →
• Park ST-9 Device Keeper from Hangover, 13 900 rubles →
• Insulated jacket ROO-EGIS from Bask, 23 840 rubles →

Waterproof "ninja cloaks"

High-necked raincoats and long parkas are the hallmark of tekweer. Membrane fabrics, ripstop and increasingly used graphene allow their wearers not to sweat in the heat and not get wet in the rain.

Of course, they do not have to look as if their owner came from Japanese medieval prints, but in general this "Japaneseness" is characteristic of tekweer.

What to buy

• Shell raincoat from Adidas, 6 999 rubles →
• Raincoat Sportswear Tech Pack Windrunner from Nike, 11 580 rubles →
• Cloak from Albione, 13 993 rubles →

Technological basic things

Layering is also one of the hallmarks of techwear, which makes it akin to gorpcor. Everyday clothing made of high-tech materials is comfortable to wear, breathes well and does not allow moisture to pass from the outside. For example, pay attention to fleece sweatshirts, hoodies and longsleeves, which are pleasantly felt on the body, are lightweight, elastic, dry quickly and at the same time are very warm.

Tekvira also uses T-shirts made from ultra-thin fabrics such as AIRism, or shirts made from a material that wicks moisture away from the body many times better than cotton, and is used by NASA astronauts. Often, tekweer fans wear thermal underwear as the bottom layer of clothing.

What to buy

• Jumper by C. P. Company, 17 320 rubles →
• Sweatshirt from Columbia, 1 999 rubles →
• Hoodie from Under Armor, 4 499 rubles →

Comfortable trousers

Pants in textiles should provide freedom of movement and comfortable heat transfer. Therefore, they are characterized by a loose fit at the knees and an anatomical fit. This allows you to move without restriction without stretching your clothes.

Most often, texewer pants are made of water-repellent materials. It is also possible to use a modular removable pocket system.

What to buy

• Sweatpants by C. P. Company, 17 170 rubles →
• Sweatpants from Reebok, 4 670 rubles →
• Sweatpants from Under Armor, 4 040 rubles →

Hats that hide the face

As mentioned above, tekweer loves to flirt with the ninja style, as well as with mountaineering and military motives, so many raincoats, jackets and sweaters in this style often cover their faces. In addition, Tekweer offers individual garments that serve the same purpose: hats, panamas, balaclavas and masks.

What to buy

• Hat by C. P. Company, 9 090 rubles →
• Balaclava by C. P. Company, 16 600 rubles →
• Balaclava from Mango Man, 8 999 rubles →

Futuristic sneakers

Sneakers have long ceased to be a shoe only for athletes. They are stylish, lightweight and comfortable. And in tekvir, the shoe offers not only self-lacing or an integrated pedometer, but also mesh fabrics to allow the feet to breathe and cushioning soles.

What to buy

• Sneakers Y-3 Ren from Adidas, 15 998 rubles →
• Air Zoom Tempo Next% FlyEase sneakers from Nike, 15 499 rubles →
• AIR MAX 2090 sneakers from Nike, 11 999 rubles →

Roomy and functional backpacks

If you need to take with you something that does not fit in your pockets, you will have to take a bag or backpack. In tekvira, they are also technologically advanced: with built-in batteries (including solar) for recharging gadgets, speakers and LED panels. It's also a good idea if the backpack is secure against theft. And naturally, it must be waterproof.

What to buy

• Ripstop backpack from Rip Curl, 9 090 rubles →
• Backpack with a built-in USB port from Polar, 4 499 rubles →