Tommy Hilfiger launches a smart clothing collection

Luxury-apparel retailer Tommy Hilfiger has released a “smart clothing” collection equipped with Bluetooth.

The new Tommy Jeans Xplore smart-clothing range has Bluetooth chips embedded in the fabric, allowing the garment’s movements to be tracked by an app and wearers to be rewarded for having them on while physically visiting locations marked by branded icons on a map. Points earned in the game can be exchanged for gift cards, signed merchandise, runway shows and concert tickets, product discounts, and charity donations.

A statement released by the brand read: “We’ve always been at the forefront of digital innovation, using technology to deliver what our customers are looking for – unique experiences and instant gratification… Tommy Jeans Xplore is the next evolution of our vision, reaching consumers where they are and inviting them to be a part of the brand experience.”

Liron Slonimsky, CEO of technology at Awear Solutions (which developed the Bluetooth technology in the items) added: “Never before has a brand been able to understand how the consumer truly uses the product after it leaves the store. Tommy Hilfiger’s innovative history has shown that they understand what consumer engagement truly is and we knew they would be the perfect partner to launch Awear Solutions to the market.”

Not all reviews of the new clothing concept are positive, with various articles dubbing the product line “creepy” and “ridiculous”. A Techradar.com review observed “The Tommy Hilfiger brand is usually quick to embrace new technology, but this isn’t exactly a big innovation. It’s essentially just a tracker to keep an eye on how often you wear the clothes, making it a glorified loyalty scheme.

“Perhaps the even bigger question is how much data Tommy Hilfiger will be recording from those who are wearing the clothes and how will that be used?”