PoloTech Smartshirt

If you haven't been living under a rock, you are well aware that wearable technology is hot! It's also big business...cough, cough...Apple watch. The term wearable technology or wearables has been applied to "smart" accessories that have the following characteristics: 

• You wear it
• It tracks health, fitness, or other information
• It connects to the internet and there is an exchange of data

Now, Ralph Lauren is getting in the game and changing it, by bringing its PoloTech™ smartshirt to market along with a "game-changing" workout app. The fashion brand introduced and tested this wearable technology during the 2014 US Open for which Ralph Lauren is the Official Outfitter. The shirt which was developed in partnership with OMSignal, a Canadian-based company, has sensory and silver fibers woven into the fabric to accurately track an array of heath and fitness data like heart rate and variability, breathing depth and recovery, intensity of movement, energy output and stress levels, steps taken and calories burned. The app uses detailed data collected and processed by the shirt's "black box" to inform adaptive workouts to produce maximum results.

“The Ralph Lauren PoloTech shirt will change the way you look at fashion and apparel. It will give you knowledge you can use to lead a better life,” said David Lauren, Executive Vice President of Global Advertising, Marketing and Corporate Communications. “This is a bridge between technology, fitness and style that approaches wellness and well-being in comprehensive and complementary ways. It will touch many parts of your life.”

The PoloTech smartshirt will be available to the public on August 27 at RalphLauren.com, Polo Ralph Lauren’s global flagship store in New York City, and at its US Open pop-up store on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where there will be daily demonstrations. The shirt retails for $295.

Photo credit: Ralph Lauren