Genre: Fiction
Clothing Material Technologies
Next-Gen Tech Wear
by Bridget May
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 2: A Whole Other World.. 2
CHAPTER 3: In Over Her Head.. 3
CHAPTER 5: Meeting the Budget. 5
CHAPTER 6: On the Right Track.. 6
CHAPTER 1: An Assignment
“Hi, Sis!” Bill Squirrel saw his little sister Blakely come into the coffee shop. He waved her over; she gave him a half-hearted smile.
She looked miserable. “Hey Bill,” Blakely gave a big dramatic sigh as she flopped down into the overstuffed couch next to Bill.
Bill almost laughed. He quickly realized even though Blakely liked to be dramatic; something seemed to be bothering her. This was more than an act. “What’s up? Why the long face?” He asked, a little concerned.
“Oh, Bill!” she grabbed a pillow to hug. “I think I’m going to fail this semester!”
“Wait, what?” Bill asked, confused. Blakely had always wanted to be a fashion designer. Getting her Fabric and Clothing Design degree had been the only thing she wanted to do from a young age.
“What do you mean?” He sat up straighter and turned towards her.
“I just found out that we have a research and development assignment that’s worth 45% of our overall mark this semester!” she gasped.
Bill did not understand, “So, remind me again. Why is that bad? You’ll still pass if you get a C.”
Blakely put her head in her hands and shook her head, “I’ve never gotten lower than a B+ on anything. EVER! I would just die!” Bill understood her viewpoint. He felt the same way when he was in school.
“OK, so what’s it about?” Bill asked calmly. “It can’t be that bad.”
Blakely took a deep, shaky breath; “It is that bad! It’s about Tech Wear! For the military!!” Blakely sobbed.
“Well, I think that sounds cool.” Bill offered.
“Of course, you would!” she flung the pillow at him.
He caught it. “OK, I see that you’re upset, but why is tech wear so bad?” Bill was still struggling to understand.
“Because we have to find a functional high-tech material that has a projected future in some capacity within the military.” Blakely sunk even further into the couch. She sat up to add a sarcastic, “but we get to choose the branch!” She sighed again, “I can’t do military stuff! I only do fashion!” she flung her hand onto the couch dramatically.
“I have no clue about tech wear! What would they even need tech wear for?” She huffed.
“Seriously, Blakely?” Bill laughed. He couldn’t help it. Now she was just being dramatic. “Well, here’s some basic information for you. The Airforce is air; the Navy is the ocean, and the Army is the land. All of them are out in the elements and need good gear.”
She tilted her head and gave him an evil look. “Well, duh.”
He leaned back into the couch, “I don’t see how you will fail this. Unless you’re serious about continuing to act like a fashion student snob.”
Bill fixed her with a stare, challenging her, “when you graduate, and start in the fashion designing world, do you seriously think you’ll be going straight into a design position at your own fashion house?”
Blakely shook her head. Bill looked at her and raised his eyebrows. He continued, “News Flash: You’ll be lucky if you get a job sweeping the floor at a fashion boutique when you graduate.”
Blakely had not thought of that. She did see herself as leaving school and hitting the big time instantly. She realized how unrealistic that was.
Bill added, “Don’t you think you should treat this as an exciting opportunity to learn about some high-tech fabrics instead? Think how useful that information will be further down the track, and um…” he gave her a cheeky look, “Fabric is half of your degree’s title, remember.”
Blakely pulled a face at him and then looked thoughtful. She perked up, “huh, you know Bill, that’s a good idea! There could be all sorts of design inspiration!” She was talking herself into it. Bill had a good idea; Blakely had not looked at it from a different perspective.
“How long do you have to do this?” Bill asked.
“ The whole semester,” Blakely nodded in reply. “About fourteen weeks.”
She blew out a relieved sigh.
“OK, good.” He looked at her sideways. “Do you feel better?”
Blakely laughed, “Yes, on second thoughts, I think this will be good.”
she gave him a grin, “and if I need guidance, you’re available, right?”
Bill didn’t have time to answer. The coffees he ordered arrived. And a giant chocolate chip cookie. Bill cut it in half and handed it to her. “I ordered already.”
Blakely’s eye grew wide.
“Oh yum!” She squealed. “You are the best.”
They drank their coffees, and Bill told her about a few websites she may find helpful to start finding out more information. She nodded, taking notes. If anyone knew great places to find information and other unexpected stuff, it was Bill.
Blakely could not wait to start researching. Bill had really opened her eyes. This assignment could be epic! They finished their coffee and discussed which branch of the military she would focus on. Blakely first thought the Army would be good, but then they discussed the Navy. Her imagination ran away with her thinking about intercepting pirates around the waters of Skull Island. And to think that she could design something that might be useful for the whole Navy? Navy would be her choice. Bill agreed that was a good choice.
They said their goodbyes; Blakely left the coffee shop and almost ran to the library.
CHAPTER 2: A Whole Other World
Blakely was amazed. At the library, she spent time in the military history and the fabric and textiles sections. When she started investigating the different fabrics the Navy had previously used, she understood that they used the best available. But many industries were continually developing new materials. She quickly discovered that high-tech fabrics were waterproof, lightweight, buoyant, insulating, and indestructible. There didn’t seem to be one that had all of those qualities.
Blakely was drawn into a new world of next-generation fabrics. It was fascinating.
When she got home, she looked at the websites Bill had recommended. She started to get an idea.
Before bed, she wrote three emails to different manufacturers and one to a mountain and ice climbing company. Requesting information about the tech used in their materials and politely explaining what she was doing, and requesting to buy offcuts if that was possible.
Blakely went to sleep feeling happy that she had made a solid start on the assignment.
The next morning her alarm clock didn’t go off, and she woke up late. In her scramble out of the house, she forgot all about her assignment.
In fact, Blakely didn’t have a chance to take another look at her information for another few days.
When she got a package in the mail, Blakely had no idea who it was from. Then she recognized the name of the company on the address label. It was from the mountain and ice climbing company! Inside was an assortment of fabric offcuts of all sizes and colors. Each one had a sticker that gave the name of the raw materials used in each piece. There was also a letter in the package, thanking her for her interest and inviting her to call if she had any questions. She pulled out a handful of the material samples, picked out a few that caught her attention, and sat down at the computer to do some research.
One was made from nylon, one from polypropylene, and one was polyester. She read about each of their uses; they fell under the classification of performance wear. The nylon was incredibly soft and mildew resistant, able to wick moisture away from the skin. The polypropylene was made entirely out of plastic, which was surprising to Blakely. She remembered polypropylene garments she had owned (mainly base layer winter clothing) and never realized it was plastic. There was also polyester, which was a fabric she was familiar with. She had always thought of it as cheap and nasty. Mainly because it was synthetic, it held onto micro bacteria and could really stink.
They were all hard-wearing fabrics with their virtues, but Blakely felt there must be more. The technology behind them was at least thirty or more years old.
She went back to the package to see what else she could find. Near the bottom were another two pieces. One was a very soft and cozy feeling piece. Blakely instinctively rubbed it against her cheek. It was a synthetic fleece. She put that to the side. It was also very lightweight. Blakely decided to find out if it was waterproof. She filled the sink with water and floated the piece on the water, it floated for a moment, but when she pushed it onto the water it got wet and it sank. Blakely decided that wouldn’t work and turned back to the other piece.
This was gore-tex, a hard-wearing, the specifically engineered membrane that stopped liquid water but let vapor get through. It was made from polytetrafluoroethylene. This was more like it.
Blakely was impressed with the gore-tex. It seemed more like what she was envisioning.
Lightweight, robust, hard-wearing, and water-resistant, Blakely wondered if a fabric like this was available that was also buoyant and as strong as steel.
Blakely spent the rest of the evening online, searching for different industries, looking for high-tech fabrics. She felt like she was on the right track. The mountain and ice climbing company had inspired her to look to other industries as well.
Bill was right. This was interesting. She wasn’t going to admit that to him, though.
Blakely could see the influence of techwear having a place in the fashion industry. To design clothing for everyday life with special fabric and construction that allowed for breathability, movement, and function? The possibilities would be endless! The appeal of clothing that could provide utility and comfort would be unlimited!
She realized she would have to break her ideas into clothing categories. There would be Outerwear which would be jackets, two types would be best. Hardshell for extreme outdoor conditions would need to be windproof, waterproof, and breathable. In heavier downpours and snowy conditions, hardshells would be the most useful. There would also be softshells, emphasizing comfort, breathability, and movement but wouldn’t provide the level of environmental protection like hardshells.
Then there would have to be the Mid-Layer, to keep warm under the shell. And, of course, the Base Layer, to be worn closest to the body and would need to be moisture-wicking. It would need to be comfortable enough to be worn next to the skin too.
Of course, she would also need pants. But she figured utility pants with pockets and water-repellent abilities would be best.
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