Annie Hemmesch knew there was a market for high-tech winter gloves when she saw her mother answer an iPhone call from her father.
“She brought it to her face and slid her nose on it,” Hemmesch, of Chicago, said. “She said it was too cold to take her gloves off.”
Last February, Hemmesch, her mother and sister started selling Telefingers gloves made by threading the thumbs, pointer fingers and middle fingers with conductive material that allows wearers to use touchscreen devices while keeping their hands warm.
The gloves are just one example of the influence that fashion and technology have had on cold-weather clothing this winter, providing more efficient but still stylish designs.
Suzanne Kopulos, cofounder and style director at the Chicago-based fashion blog Garmental.com, said she’s seen boutiques increasingly stocking neck warmers, infinity scarves and looped cowls instead of traditional scarves.
“Everybody is looking for it and stores have changed gears that they’re stocking them,” Kopulos said. “It’s also translated into a complete accessory staple for the wardrobe.”
The single loops can be doubled or tripled around the neck for extra warmth, making it easier to get bundled up for winter weather, said Amy Phillips, founder of TieMyScarf.com. It’s a departure from the conventional long, fringed scarves that need to be tied around the neck.
“You tend to get disheveled, it’s easier for them to get lopsided, one side gets longer than the other,” Phillips said. “It’s not always clear how to tie it.”
But with looped scarves with the ends attached, “you just wrap it twice and you’re done,” Phillips said. “I think that’s why they’ve become so popular.”
They’re also versatile, allowing wearers to drape them over their heads like a hoodie or pull them down for a shawl. They come in an array of materials, from expensive furs to alpaca and angora wools, jersey and…