Magazine / Style / London

Invisible clothes

The Emperor's fresh garments

Written by Siobhan Morrin / 10 Jan 2011
Invisible clothes
Invisibility has always been a staple of sci fi, spy stories and magic. Now we might be one step closer to the real thing, as scientists last month made a tiny object invisible.
For us, progress just isn’t fast enough, so we’re exploring other options. Here’s our quick guide to dressing to disappear.
 
Mirrors are a classic trick of the magic show, and offer the best way of actually becoming ‘invisible’. Try on a pair of these shoes by Andreia Chaves and entertain yourself by walking around on different surfaces. Even if you aren’t actually invisible they still look pretty cool, especially in this field.
 
 
You could pair them up with this mirrored dress, as seen in a Paloma Faith video. Be careful when crossing the road on sunny days - oncoming traffic won't take kindly to being blinded.
   
 
If you’re just interested in the invisibility concept, you’ll love this look. Not your average ‘flesh-coloured’ jacket, the detail on this will make people look twice. You might not be invisible (quite the opposite), but your clothes will be.
 
A pair of these shoes will give you that casual barefooted look, even in winter. Obviously this is only applicable to hairy white men. Who have laces sprouting from their feet.
 
Sticking with the clothing for a moment, check out the ‘see-through’ skirts being worn in Japan. These are more transparent than invisible, though the illusion is certainly a clever one.
  
Perfect for exhibitionists, not so good for people who genuininely want to disappear. Wonder if they contravene public decency laws?
 

Finally, back to the point. If you want to actually disappear, you need to blend in to your surroundings. That’s what camouflage was invented for, right? Of course, it’s no good dressing like a desert if you live in a city. That’s where Urban Camouflage comes in. They’ve perfected the technique of invisibility, and demonstrate their work on YouTube. To disappear in the shop display, you must think like a shop display. See the assorted paper? Become the assorted paper!

  • Fri 16 - Dec - 2011, 12:33
    Smashin'!
  • Guest: peter.paulmichl
    Tue 22 - Feb - 2011, 19:29
    where I can buy this transparency clothes ?
  • Guest: dontemailmepleez
    Fri 21 - Jan - 2011, 02:36
    Sheesh... such haters in these comments. I thought the article was fun. Thanks!
  • Guest: huskergirl12
    Mon 17 - Jan - 2011, 22:02
    The skin hoodie and toe shoes are both obviously Photoshopped. Brilliant reporting. I really hope this isn't your day job.
  • Guest: a
    Tue 11 - Jan - 2011, 22:49
    the japanese skirts aren't see-through. they have those images printed on regular fabric.
  • Guest: lauralsweet
    Tue 11 - Jan - 2011, 17:48
    The hoodie is just a photoshop image, not an actual piece of clothing.
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