Can Your Clothes Help You Fight the Flu?

While eating healthy and exercising regularly are surefire ways to keep you strong through flu season, what you wear could have an impact on your health. A recent competition at Cornell University encouraged one student to think outside the box in the world of fashion. Olivia Ong, along with the help of a professor and scientist at the university, developed a complete line of jackets, dresses, and shirts that can help protect wearers from the cold or flu. The final product combined nanotechnology and scientific fibers, for a clothing lines that also helps protect the environment.

The stylish designer clothing collection has been named 'Glitterati' an effort to protect the wearer from the elements; as a result, it might help take the stresses of winter away from a fragile immune system. Each piece of clothing is made from particles designed to ward off harmful bugs. The line is just one example of products where fashion and technology meet. Every single cotton fiber in the material contains nano particle substances; the concept is designed with today's emerging technology and research in the fields of nanotechnology. With its glitzy gold and structured, sculpted accessories, the presentation caught the eye of more than just fellow students.

Form and function are the key words for this attractive fashion line, one that is creating waves in the future of fashion. It's the natural qualities of silver used to make the dresses and clothing that protect the wearer from harmful bacteria. Silver contains antibacterial properties in its purest form serves as a vital element in creating these metallic designs. Still, high-tech style doesn't come cheap; one square yard of the specially treated cotton fibers cost about $10,000, according to theCollege of Human Ecology's Department of Fiber Science and Apparel at Cornell.

In addition to the high fashion dresses and coats that may promise health benefits against viruses, the clothing can also be used for environmental protection. The science behind the jackets, for example, can help reduce the impact of harmful toxins and smog from pollution.

Fashion designers are still leading some fresh trends by teaming up with gadget makers and scientists, exploring new ways to provide functional, progressive clothing. T-shirts embedded with televisions, speed-enhancing sneakers, and clothing designed to protect against sun burn are just a few creative innovations that are zooming to the runway. Students such as Ong offer some refreshing perspectives on the future of style, creating a new outlet for clothing beyond organic and eco-conscious clothing.