Technical textiles is a broad category. It covers everything from geotextiles (for example, textiles used to reinforce slopes or in roadwork) to protective wear for firefighters and other first responders to smart garments such as the smart jacketcreated by Levi’s and Google. As with any new and innovative product category, sometimes the passion of the inventors and designers gets out ahead of actual market demand, and it can take time for demand to catch up with possibilities.

Wearable technology is a good example. Fashion electronics such as the Apple Watch or the Fitbit versa have gained pretty significant traction. But wearable fashion (sometimes called tech togs) still has a way to go before it becomes ubiquitous, or nearly so.

According to Wikipedia, “wearables are smart electronic devices that can be incorporated into clothing or worn on the body as implants or accessories…Apart from commercial uses, wearable technology is being incorporated into navigation systems, advanced textiles, and healthcare.”