Magic lining: an exploration of smart textiles altering people's self-perception

Abstract

Magic Lining draws attention to the unused internal side of the garments and textile as a space to alter people's self-perception for more positive behavior. It builds on the existing characteristics of textiles, fashion and garment design, and combines the design process with the scientific insights of MAGICSHOES project. The research question guiding MAGICSHOES whether body-tracking and sound-based wearable technology could be used to alter self-perception and in turn reduce physical inactivity, offers an interesting opportunity to explore further the space in between textiles and wearable computing. When garments start to sense and actuate to trigger certain behaviours, the clothing's inside is not anymore only about hiding seams, it gains a whole new dimension. The inside becomes a more important agent than the outside, in influencing how the wearer feels, how he/she perceives the outside world, and how he/she perceives being perceived by others.