Well since the last few bulletins have gone out it seems that almost all the bespoken universe is buzzing about fashion, and who are we to buck a trend right? So this week for our featured innovation we’re bringing you not one, but three fashion themed and fabulous gadgets that will help keep you looking smart and stylish this summer!

#1. The Cravaat and the Napkin at your Neck range of adult dining covers

Now, imagine you get all dressed up to go out, you carefully chose your outfit, and let’s face it you’re looking pretty swish! So the last thing you want to do is have to have to put a big cumbersome bib over top of your dashing attire, especially if it resembles something an oversized infant would wear – not very dignified right? But it’s a fact of life that some of us need a bit of a cover up to help us protect our clothes, so what to do? Well here’s a discrete and stylish solution!

The Cravaat is a fashionable scarf that comes in a range of colours and patterns that will match any ensemble. They come in two lengths to cover just the front or the entire lap depending on your preferences, and has an ample width so it crosses over at the front to catch any crumbs of spills while protecting what you have on underneath. There is also a men’s option, the Napkin at your Neck. This which mimics the look of having a napkin tucked into a shirt collar and it is fastened with a strap around the neck to keep it secure and prevent it slipping. These products are cheap, stylish and come with a choice of carry bag. For more information have a look here!

#2. Zipz

These grippy zip pulls are a simple and fantastic innovation. They loop simply onto almost any zip and make it super easy for children or those of us with limited mobility to be able to zip and unzip our favourite items. They are cheap, effective, non-toxic, and can be washed at 40 degrees (so no need to remove them every time you want to wash something -  phew!). Also for those of us that love the great outdoors, they can be used on all you sporting gear, tents, and camping equipment, or for the globetrotters they can be fitted to handbags, man-bags, and luggage for style and functionality while travelling – perfect for those summer get-a-aways! But my favourite part about Zipz…? They are unobtrusive and come in a range of colours to match almost every item in your collection! Check them out at the Meru website!

#3. The Bright-F

The Bright-F is an innovation that looks like it jumped straight out of a science fiction movie.  What does it do? It helps people with visual impairment to ‘hear’ colour. With an LED and camera at one end, a speaker at the other, and some pretty techy stuff going on in the in between, the F-bright can gauge the brightness, saturation and hue of the colour and reads it out loud for the user to hear. This is fantastic as colour plays such a huge role in day to day life and the F-bright helps to include people with visual impairment when sound, touch, and texture are just not enough information. The F-bright could put a stop to those lime-green mixed with dirt brown faux-pas while dressing, washing room disasters involving white t-shirts being washed with and red underwear, or redecorating a favourite room in the house. But best of all it helps people with visual impairment to go out feeling confident that they’ve made informed choices when it comes to colour and fashion. Check it out here!

Do you know any other great clothing gadgets and where to get them?

Margie Fletcher