The way we view, browse, and purchase fashion has changed forever in the digital age. Technology like 3D printing and wearables, as well as Smartphone apps like Instagram, have, beneath the radar, altered the way fashion is seen by consumers. Technology and fashion are now intertwined, as technology has begun shaping fashion for the better.

There has never been a time like this for students to pursue a degree guaranteed to lead them to a position where they'll be able to change the future of an industry. Take a look below at the top technologies changing the way we experience fashion, and the associated careers that will get you a position in the field.

Fashion Tech #1: 3D Printing

Are the days of hand-sewing by major designers a thing of the past? Designer Francis Bitonti seems to think so. He recently partnered with Shapeways and MakerBot to produce three dresses by his design that were 3D printed. The Bristle Dress, Verlan Dress, Swarovski Gown, were all printed and worn by high-profile models in major fashion shows.

According to Mashable, Bitonti envisions 3D printing to appeal to two different markets: the mass-produced, which will be made with simple materials that any consumer with a 3D printer can create themselves, and the luxury model, where designs are printed with high-quality and rare materials that will appeal to those with bigger budgets.

As for less high-fashion efforts, 3D printers are expected to be integrated into 20% of American homes by 2020, and will be utilized to print things like bowls, utensils, and even machines like generators and phones. Expect too the future source of American shopping to be done as it is now online, but instead of waiting for a few days to receive your items, to have the ability to print them right there, right then as you buy them.

Fashion Tech #2: Wearable Tech

Long a fashion faux pas, wearable technology like the FitBit has begun partnering with major fashion labels to make their designs not only more aesthetically pleasing but also to transform their brands into stylish jewelry. Where they were once gaudy arm pieces, bulky and wired, wearable tech looks increasingly like something you'd purchase to complement your favorite outfit.

Where wearable tech began at the wrist, not only with failed smartwatch designs from the 80s but also with Nike's Nike FuelBand in 2012, it has now branched out to encompass all parts of the body and all design pieces, from wristbands, ankle bracelets, necklaces, glasses, and shoes. But designing pieces that look great while remaining functional isn't an easy task. Even the most intuitive designs are hung up on questions like what audience they are appealing to, how to make beautiful designs that are unisex, and where to place them.

James Park, FitBit's chief executive, told The New York Times this year, "The wrist is good and bad. The great thing is that once you put a band there or some other device, you have the option of not having to take it off and not forgetting it. But it's much more difficult to track things like motion, steps taken, calories burned—filtering that out is a lot tougher than it is on a clip."

Fashion Tech #3: Instagram


It might seem odd that an iPhone app could change the course of fashion until you watch a runway show on TV. See how everyones face is bathed in that blue light? Beginning around 2010, fashion shows have been built to cater not toward the television screen, where a model may turn to show off the contours of her dress, but toward the audience itself as it snaps numerous photos of the show and posts it to Instagram.


Increasingly, this is the way were getting our latest fashion trends. Millions upon millions of people worldwide follow the biggest fashion accounts in the business, from @tibipr to @charlotteronson to @rebeccaminkoff, resulting in a HuffingtonPost article from earlier this year titled, 43 Instagram Accounts That You Need To Be Following This Fashion Week.


As quoted in The New York Times, high-profile designer Alexander Wang said of digital medias influence on fashion, The way that we shoot it, the way that we showcase it and the way that we make clothes and design them changed.


Fashion Tech #4: Virtual Fitting Rooms


If youre tired of waiting in line at major retailers just to try on that dress, or you dont like the idea of throwing out your money to online shops with confusing return policies, youre in luck. According to a recent article on GeekWire, the massive online bidding website, eBay, has just purchased the technology to make both of those issues a thing of the past.


The two-year-old company, PhiSix, has created technology that allows online shoppers to input their measurements, see an approximation of their own body on the screen, and add the clothes they want to a queue. The software then walks the consumer through trying on each item of clothing with a realistic depiction of what theyll look like on screen.


eBay expects this technology to assure consumers that the dress, pants, or shirt that theyre considering will look great on them, and also result in fewer returns. As shopping is taken ever more frequently to the online marketplace, expect this new technology to be emulated by every other major retailer. Virtual fitting rooms, especially combined with 3D printing, will forever change the way we shop for clothes.




This article was originally published in the blog of Career Glider on May, 2014.