If you thought your wardrobe was just for turning heads, think again. Enter the new era of solar-powered fashion, where your outfit can literally recharge your electronic devices!
Imagine rocking a stylish jacket that has two missions, one being an impeccable design and second being a charging station. Suddenly, when someone asks you to borrow your phone charger, you can reply with, “Sorry, darling, I’m wearing it!” Talk about a real flex…
Hearing this for the first time? Well then you are late to know about the trend as this was put on the market back in 2008 with the iconic Solar-Powered Handbag by Noon Solar. We have come far to perfect this into an actual wearable textile with “invisible”, flexible solar panels on its way to become washable. Yes, I said it, washable, wearable battery charger, how crazy is that! As of 2024, MIT engineers created ultralight fabric solar cells that are “thinner than a human hair and just one-hundredth the weight of standard solar panels”. These cells can turn almost any surface into a power source. All thanks to the “use of semiconducting inks and scalable printing processes”.
We don’t stop there…This year researchers from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have developed fiber power sources. In my opinion a groundbreaking innovation, This fiber power source is a submillimeter-thin battery and photovoltaic strands that could be woven directly into fabrics. APL is now in a state of producing “one hundred meters of total fiber in a little over five hours”. *Gasp*. This opens up a whole new world for wearable electronics and gives a new meaning to smart textiles.
Their vision is to “develop solar harvesting fibers that can convert sunlight to electricity and battery fibers that can store the generated electricity in the textile.” Until their vision becomes reality, all we can do is dream about what’s coming next—whether it’s flying jackets or hats that double as Wi-Fi hotspots. Who knows which eco-friendly horizon we’ll stumble onto next?
Author Jolana Prokešová
“One of the things I love about fashion is how it intertwines with other forms of art. Whether it’s blending elements from dance, architecture, or visual art into a fashion presentation, it all unites to create a spectacular experience.”- Jolana Prokešová is a dynamic fashion business student with a diverse background in photography, event management, and interior design. With her keen insights and fresh perspective as a member of Gen Z, she’s uniquely positioned to observe the future of fashion.