Until recently, bespoke tailoring — clothing made to a customer’s individual specifications — was the only way to have garments that provided the perfect fit for your physique. For most people, the cost of custom tailoring is prohibitive. But the invention of active fibers and innovative knitting processes is changing the textile industry.
MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab designed their 4D Knit Dress with Ministry of Supply, a fashion company specializing in high-tech apparel. The dress combines several technologies to create personalized fit and style. Heat-activated yarns, computerized knitting, and robotic activation around each garment generates the sculpted fit. A team at Ministry of Supply led the decisions on the stable yarns, color, original size, and overall design.
Students in the Self-Assembly Lab have been working with dynamic textiles for several years. The yarns they create can change shape, change property, change insulation, or become breathable. Previous applications to tailor garments include making sweaters and face masks. The 4D Knit Dress is a culmination of everything the students have learned from working with active textiles.
A dress can begin with one design — pintucks across the chest, for example — and be worn for months before having heat re-applied to alter its look. Subsequent applications of heat can tailor the dress further.
News Source: MIT
