A jacket to charge your phone, iPod and maybe keep you warm

Oct 15, 2008 21:11 GMT  ·  By

More and more people with very strong connections with the technology world are turning towards designers to help them give life to their dreams. And one of the key words these days is "green" – not exactly the proper color but the attitude towards energetic issues and eco-friendly sources of energy. And of course, such a trend could have never left the fashion world on the outside: that's why we now introduce to you one of the neatest "green" inventions, the Solar Powered Ski Jacket from fashion designer Ermenegildo Zegna.

There are a lot of things to this (apparently common) ski jacket besides its looks. Of course, ski jackets can't really look bad, but Ermenegildo Zegna's new piece is awesome: boasting a sober and very sportive design with clean and strong lines, this fashion-gadget could indeed become your everyday choice during the cold winter months, whether you ski or not. The "green" is closer to the wearer than the latter would think: Zegna asked Interactive Wear to help it make this dream come true and it finally happened, with the addition of solar panels in a special-design collar to be worn around the neck.

Now, the very cool thing is that one can actually take off this collar and put it back when needed. When worn, the solar panels convert the sunlight into completely eco-friendly energy that can recharge the iPod or the mobile phone you might have on you.

The Solar Powered Ski Jacket from Ermenegildo Zegna is made from a watertight compound called Microtene, and it is, of course, windproof, protecting you from the inclement weather. The one thing it can't protect you from is spending money as it retails for around $1,350. Nevertheless, if you feel like going green and letting people know that, this sum could of course mean a good investment. An electric warming system based on energy from the solar panels would definitely be a hit. Got that, Zegna?

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