Wearable Research – Low Jia Yi

A Magician’s Outfit

DVD Case Cover of magician Tony Clark’s ‘Behind the Seams’
My sketch of a magician’s outfit with all its concealed pockets

Practice:

This type of outfit is used extensively by Magicians, but can also be used by anybody else.

Specific Use:

These suits and pant trousers differ from the usual ones because they have many concealed pockets, which is essential for magicians to store many of their magical tools (like several decks of poker cards). They can also play a huge role in a magician’s magic show routine, for example, when making something disappear (hiding it) and then having it appear again in one of his/her pockets.

Mobility:

This outfit with multiple pockets is highly mobile, as the movement of the wearer will not be restricted in any ways.

Utility vs Fashionability:

I would say that this multi-pocketed outfit is both functional and fashionable. It is functional because it aids the magician in his/her work in terms of keeping his/her hands free, storing the tools and allowing the magic routine to happen. At the same time, this outfit consists of a nicely tailored suit jacket and a pair of trousers, which contributes to the whole aesthetic and magical experience of magic, which is highly reliant on showmanship.

BBQ Apron

Grill Sergeant BBQ Apron by Mouth Inc, taken from Amazon
My sketch of the BBQ Apron

Practice:

This apron can be used by anybody, but is targeted to people who barbeques a lot.

Specific Use:

This apron contains many pockets that is designed to hold the many things that one will need or want while barbequing, such as salt and pepper, tongs, and sauces. Apart from the elastic holders that can hold up to a pack of beer, the apron also comes with an attached bottle opener.

Mobility:

At first look, this apron looks like it will not hinder the wearer’s mobility much. However, actual users of this apron have reviewed it and said otherwise (as can be seen in this video).

Basically, because the apron is designed to hold so many things, many things are put into the pockets, and the weight of the items can make the apron slip down. Together with the bulkiness of the items (especially the drinks at the top), the user can be inconvenienced and have his/her movement restricted while wearing this apron.

Utility vs Fashionability:

The apron is useful in terms of being able to hold many things that are needed when barbequing food, but the slight hindrance of mobility decreases its level of utility a little. In terms of being fashionable, I think it is definitely an interesting look that makes the wearer looks like he/she knows what he/she is doing in terms of barbequing, but not that fashionable that one will wear it out in public.

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