Ralph Lauren Unveils Connected Shirt for US Open

Ralph Lauren Wearable Polo ShirtRalph Lauren has unveiled its Polo Tech shirt, the fashion brands first step into the wearable technology space.

The shirt, developed with Canadian tech firm OMsignal, features an accelerometer and gyroscope which track the wearers movement and direction. This data is then transmitted to the cloud and fed through a number of algorithms to give biometric and psychometric readings, including heartbeat, respiration, stress level and energy output.

Users can then access these metrics on mobile devices through a paired app – only iOS support has been announced so far, though youd imagine Android will follow.

Like many wearables before it, the Polo Tech Shirt is focused on athletes. The announcement comes on the first day of the US Open, where Ralph Lauren will be kitting out ball boys at selected matches with the shirts in its capacity as official outfitter. However, the brand also seems to be hoping the product will appeal to a wider audience.

“Our vision is that this will transcend sports to help us at every age and in every aspect of life,” said David Lauren, SVP of advertising, marketing and PR at Ralph Lauren. “Reaching far beyond just the needs of elite athletes, Polo Tech will offer innovative technology for all ages and lifestyles to promote general wellness and quality of life.”