In the fashion industry, designers and consumers alike are witnessing something special. For the first time, the technology is emerging that could change the face of fashion forever.

Take New York City, for example. It's famous for its designer outlets such as Prada, Armani, and Versace etc. The Italian designer Armani has recently opened a new store near Time Square. The most striking thing about the 15,000 square foot store isn't the see- through raincoats in cages or the clear dressing room doors, made of liquid crystal panels that darken for privacy when shoppers step inside. The real magic in designer stores is the technology behind the scenes... innovations that other retailers are looking to adopt.

Using a technology called radio frequency identification that embeds data in clothing tags, the sales assistants armed with handheld computers can find out a lot on the spot. What sizes of those trousers are in stock? What materials are in it?

Designer shoppers will eventually be able to create a type of "virtual wardrobe" and store information on what th

Preliminary studies show that the same sort of result occurred in other autistic children. Computer scientists are now working with an autistic support organisation to create an affordable, tablet-based system with touch screens and microphone/ speakers woven into special clothing. Such technology should hopefully be available sometime next year. Whilst no-one doubts that kids with mild mental disabilities such as autism, cerebal palsy etc have seen some benefits from the technology, it is perhaps necessary to remain cautious- the computer is not a panacea for all students with disabilities. Schools must also consider the cost of teacher training and maintenance. Lets not forget the positive side of the coin though; the integration of computer systems into clothing in an educational environment, especially with regard to disabled students can only be a good thing. Some teachers insist the recent development of wearable computers have changed the way they think about teaching altogether.

Not everyone, however, believes the mainstream public retail market is ready for electronic clothing. Many of the developers have had limited success so far. The problem lies in the fact that the clothes shops don't understand the product. The electronic stores do, but don't know how to sell clothes. Even with the rapid advance in conductive textiles, it could be at least ten years before electronic clothing makes it into the mainstream consumer market.

Advances in every day textiles are also being developed remarkably quickly. In the not-too-distant future school children will be able to hear music from speakers built into their hoods. Mothers will be able to adjust their baby's shirt, the type that has a built in monitor and alerts her if something seems wrong. Army uniforms will be able to contact a medic in a field hospital in an emergency and will have the ability to detect if the blood on an injured soldier is from an artery or vein! This scene is not as far- fetched as it may seem. Soon your clothing - woven with what developers call "conductive textiles" - will also function for your personal communication needs. Already certain products are av

Some common words found in the essay are:
Armani Versace, , York City, wearable computer, computers clothing, wearable computers, conductive textiles, human body, store information, computer scientists, electronic clothing, technology emerging, computer systems,
Approximate Word count = 1455
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)