Luxury Fashion and Technology: The Future of Wearables

At The RealReal, we’ve seen first-hand how technology has transformed the fashion industry. From buying luxury items with a quick click on your phone screen to confirming their authenticity with our game-changing processes, tech is a huge part of our shopping experience. By combining fashion and technology, we deliver personalized shopping suggestions to you, make our checkouts more convenient and reduce waste throughout our processes.

With the rise of innovative technological advancements like pressure sensors within fabrics and augmented reality (AR), technology is becoming an ever larger part of today’s fashion trends and processes. On the one hand, we and other luxury brands use AR try-on simulations to make your purchasing decisions easier. At the same time, your options for health-tracking watches and clothing continue to grow, making the future of fashion smarter and more useful for all.

Innovations in Wearables

From designer smartwatches to fabrics that sense your every movement, wearable tech is only getting smarter as both brands and researchers continuously innovate. Dive into three cutting-edge examples.

Smart Fabrics With Embedded Sensors

Also known as e-textiles, smart fabrics use technology such as embedded sensors to track the wearer’s movements and environment. In 2022, researchers at MIT produced an advanced version of smart fabrics they named 3DKnITS. Using a process called “thermoforming,” in which they slightly melted a plastic yarn, the researchers created fabrics that could predict a wearer’s poses and movements on a smart mat with close to 99% accuracy.

First researched at MIT in the late ‘90s, the 2022 research was a huge step forward in emerging smart fabric technology. In 2023, Washington State University (WSU) researchers also contributed to the field of e-textiles with a fiber that combined the flexibility of cotton with strong electrical conductivity, which could lead to clothing that accurately tracks vitals and physical activity.

The new and improved fabrics have several use cases in the medical field, such as physical therapists analyzing a patient’s gait as they relearn how to walk. In other applications, sensors and microchips can be configured to:

• Detect changes in temperature or humidity
• Activate moisture-wicking or temperature-regulating performance features
• Change color or texture in response to stimuli
• Monitor physiological data and respond to environmental threats in military units

While the MIT researchers used a digital knitting machine to bring together both standard and functional yarn into a cohesive fabric, smart sensors can also be woven, sewn, or printed onto fabrics. Conductive materials can also be injected into fabrics via special yarns or nanotubes to allow electrical signals to pass through the material.

Designer Smartwatches

While fabrics are headed in the direction of smartwatch-level health and fitness tracking capabilities, they haven’t reached that point yet. For now, designer brands are stepping up to the plate by combining smartwatch features with luxury, quality and class.

New designer smartwatches speak to a market of wearers seeking a more sophisticated look with the same conveniences provided by smartwatch brands like Apple and Samsung. For example, well-established luxury brand TAG Heuer uses its iconic design with customizable apps powered by Google’s Wear OS in the Connected series. Traditionally known for precision, performance, innovation and luxury, the brand’s chronograph watches are meant to maintain accuracy and withstand even the most intense sports environments.

Prioritizing elevated aesthetics and usability, the Connected’s popularity stems from its combination of classic design elements with smartphone connectivity and fitness tracking. The series ultimately capitalizes on TAG Heuer’s reputation for being on the cutting edge to provide smartwatch-curious shoppers with a premium option.

While TAG Heuer has well-infiltrated the luxury smartwatch market, other luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton and Montblanc, offer their own well-designed alternatives to more utilitarian smartwatch options. The Montblanc Summit line combines a more classic watch design in black, silver or gold with customizable apps and features. Meanwhile, the Louis Vuitton Tambour line puts fashion first, offering a wide variety of eye-catching styles and colors for shoppers to choose from.

Integrated Technology in Fashion Retail

A more digital approach to retail is not only more convenient for customers, but also more sustainable. Emerging technologies allow brands to deliver custom experiences to shoppers and enhance logistical strategies while producing less waste.

For example, augmented reality (AR) allows customers to “try on” a clothing or jewelry item through digital imaging. For customers, AR try-ons give peace of mind when buying a luxury item before seeing it in person. For brands, AR increases the likelihood of online shoppers to purchase products while also reducing returns. Fewer returns, in turn, lead to lower carbon emissions from brands.

AR isn’t the only way retailers have added technology to their customer experiences. Many fashion brands are continuously optimizing their websites and apps with a mobile-first mindset, allowing customers more convenience to shop on the go. As we move forward into a more sustainable and technology-empowered fashion world, luxury brands may even look to lessen their environmental impacts with virtual avatars and digital models in place of physical fashion shows.

Also, the rise of AI allows brands to show customers promotions, ads and loyalty rewards tailored to each user’s specific style preferences and purchasing habits. When it comes to strategic decision making, AI empowers sales, marketing, procurement and supply chain leaders with deeper data analysis and demand forecasting capabilities that back better decisions.

Challenges in Merging Tech With Luxury Aesthetics

Luxury brands often rely on tradition and high-quality craftsmanship to maintain their reputations. While integrating new technology works for brands like TAG Heuer, which already include innovation as an integral part of their image, luxury brands with a more traditional feel may risk diluting their brand by incorporating advanced tech.

At the same time, with digitally-native customers prioritizing technology-forward experiences, most luxury brands can’t afford to ignore advancements altogether. Instead, investing in seamlessly integrated technology that blends with their human-centric craftsmanship will give brands a seat at the table without taking away their luxury status.

The RealReal Uses Cutting-Edge Tech to Weed Out Dupes

At The RealReal, we’re no stranger to combining technology with fashion — we use cutting-edge AI technology every day to authenticate luxury items. Our proprietary authentication tools and processes mean we’re always getting better at spotting counterfeits, so they stay off our in-store and digital shelves.

Shop our new arrivals with confidence — they’re the real deal.