A connected workout shirt from designer Ralph Lauren is hitting the market this month, promising to deliver ‘smart’ fashion, at a hefty price.The new ‘PoloTech smartshirt,’ which goes on sale August 27 at $295, includes ‘real-time biometric technology’ which pairs with a smartphone application.Using silver fibers woven into the fabric, the form-fitting crew-neck shirt can read the wearer’s heart rate, breathing depth, intensity of movement, energy output, stress levels, steps taken and calories burned.The new shirt is the latest entry in the growing market of wearable technology that allows users to monitor health and fitness with sensors next to the skin.‘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 at Ralph Lauren Corporation, in a statement Thursday.‘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.’PoloTech wearers will also need an iPhone or iPad: the shirt, made of 70 per cent polyester, 21 per cent nylon and nine per cent spandex, will communicate to an application available on Apple’s iOS mobile operating system.It transmits the data via a detachable, Bluetooth-enabled ‘black box.’
