The sport of kings just became a whole lot cooler.
With the opening day of the US Open, Ralph Lauren is introducing its new take on fashion by incorporating high-performance wearable technology. Their newly designed Polo Tech shirt is the first of its kind, integrating both the fashion and technology markets into a singular product. The Polo Tech shirt carries bio-fiber sensors that record, track, and transmit biological and physiological data. The data is then sent to an iOS app through a detachable Bluetooth "black box" that is connected to the shirt while in use. Then, through a mobile device you are able to analyze your personal stats such as calories burned, steps taken, stress levels, heart and breathing rates, etc…
As the new wave of wearable technology expands increasingly in popularity, Ralph Lauren attempts to identify the desirable factors linked between fitness, fashion, and modern technology.
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Ralph Lauren is declaring itself as the "first luxury lifestyle brand to offer smart apparel collection", and will be testing this new product with tennis professional Marcos Gorin during training sessions, tracking his biometrics and making adjustments to his performance. In an interview with Ralph Lauren, Gorin says that the Polo Tech allows him to better "understand my body a lot more, how I'm improving day-to-day in terms of endurance and strength." He goes on to explain that it will help him identify what he needs to do to recover faster and improve his performance. During the U.S. Open, the ball boys of the tournament will also have the opportunity of testing out this new product.
Having tested out quite a few wearable technology fitness products myself (including Fuelband and Fitbit), I have to admit that I am quite anxious to give this one a try. With a company as reputable as Ralph Lauren embracing the hot trend of personal analytics, I am very interested to see the output. The sleek design and fashionable look to the Polo Tech shows that fitness, fashion, and technology can be merged together to form a trendy and hip new product.
Ralph Lauren Polo Tech will be available for consumers in 2015 as the company launches its new collection of wearable products.
Images courtesy of Ralph Lauren.