Signal-Blocking Clothes Encourage You to Unplug

Do you struggle to disconnect from technology? If you answered anything other than yes, you're probably lying. We have all spent some precious moments outside of work mindlessly scrolling through Twitter when we were supposed to be enjoying dinner with our grandparents. If you lack the self control to unplug, no worries — these new signal-blocking clothes are designed to protect you from technological interruptions.

Kunihko Morinaga, a Japanese fashion designer, teamed up with PARTY, AID-DCC, and Trident gum (what?) to create the Focus Life Gear collection. Think of it as the antithesis of wearable tech. The items from the collection shield electromagnetic waves. In other words, they block callers and texters and emailers from reaching you when you want to be left alone — like being in the subway dead zone on purpose. According to PSFK, "if you’re wearing some of Morinaga’s clothing when someone tries to call, they will get a “Sorry, the number you have dialed is not available” message."

The fabrication techniques used by Morinaga are similar to that of waterproof outerwear, with high-tech materials that block the radio waves emitted by phone calls and other alerts. So, are the clothes actually cool? Yes, in a high-concept, Yohji Yamamoto-lite sort of way. Think gunmetal grey hooded jackets, trousers, and a futuristic web-patterned shift dress. Morinaga's laser-cutting technique eliminated the need for stitching, creating a streamlined silhouette.

While this may seem like drastic measures just to avoid being distracted by your boss's 10 p.m. email reminding you about the twenty spreadsheets you need to have done by X date, but we are addicted to our technology. Sometimes, we really need to unplug. Signal-blocking clothing is one of the most innovative and interesting ways to do so.

Focus Life Gear premiered at Toronto Fashion Week. Check out the video below for more on the process behind the collection.