That's assuming you can stand the thought of wearing it

Dec 5, 2014 15:11 GMT  ·  By

Makers of wearable technology have been trying to provide at least some measure of aesthetic appeal to whatever gadgets or technological clothing they make.

Designer clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger decided not to even bother with that. Or perhaps the new jacket is supposed to advocate a new sort of fashion taste?

Tommy Hilfiger designers worked with solar energy experts Pvilion to make the jackets you see in the attached gallery.

Yes, those really are solar panels you see on the exterior of the glaring blue article of clothing (for the women anyhow, since the men's version is more green-ish).

The men's version has a single line of flexible waterproof panels stretching across the shoulders, but the women's version has two stacks on the back as well.

A battery pack is integrated into the front pocket and can recharge a 300 mAh battery / smartphone power pack twice without having to be recharged itself. Speaking of which, there are two USB ports available, so that you can charge two items at once.

Of course, going out in the sun wearing this jacket isn't exactly the best idea, but there you have it.

Unfortunately, the time it takes to recharge the integrated battery wasn't mentioned. It will depend on sunlight intensity of course, but an estimate would not have gone amiss.

The timing makes it all the weirder, especially since Hilfiger and Pvilion don't intend to release more than a few Solar Panel Jackets. They seem to have sold out actually, having been launched in early November.

If nothing else, the successful sales do show that the idea of solar-charging clothing is popular enough to further explore.

Solar Power Jacket (5 Images)

Solar Panel Jacket for men
Solar Panel Jacket for womenSolar Panel Jacket for women back clos-up
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