Levi's accessorizes new smart jackets with Google's Jacquard tag
Levi's classic Trucker jacket has something high tech up its sleeve.
- She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
This idea certainly wasn't off the cuff.
Levi's said Monday that Jacquard by Google tech will be built into some of its denim jackets to connect the clothing to the wearer's smartphone.
The Jacquard by Google tag, about the size of a stick of gum, tucks into the jacket sleeve and connects to your device wirelessly via Bluetooth. The My Day feature triggers the time, weather, traffic conditions and your calendar. Always Together will let you know if you left your phone behind. It's easy to take a picture with the Camera feature's visual and haptic countdown.
Wearers stay connected with simple hand gestures like swiping, touching and tapping the jacket cuff. Controlling music, calling, messaging, navigation and ride hailing apps is all in the wrist. It's also easy to talk to Google Assistant.
"Two years after we first launched Jacquard, the technology has become smaller and more discrete, more affordable and more useful," said Paul Dillinger, Levi's vice president of global product innovation, in a release. "But the premise and purpose remain the same: You can keep your phone in your pocket and your eyes on the world around you, staying connected without being distracted."
The Trucker and Sherpa Trucker jackets with the tag, for both men and women, will start rolling out Thursday in select Levi's stores in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. You can also find them online at Levi.com. The classic Trucker will cost $198 (about £161.07, AU $293.32) and the Sherpa Trucker jacket will cost $248 (about £201.74, AU $367.39).
Google has also teamed up with Yves Saint Laurent to make a smart backpack. Levi's and Google partnered earlier on another smart jacket. In 2016, they teased the Commuter jacket, which had a cuff with touch-enabled fabric, along with a Bluetooth connection to your phone. It came out the following year. Even before that, Apple tried its hand at a ski jacket that could integrate with the iPod's control system, way back in 2003.
