Shut down your heater
In response to the energy crisis and increasing pressure on the climate, people are looking for alternatives to reduce their energy consumption at home or in the office. It takes less effort to preserve the heat produced by the body than to insulate the whole house and/or install renewable energy sources. Alternatively, a modular outfit is created that adapts according to the body's physiological processes and changing environmental conditions. The focus is on a person's well-being in a cold indoor environment so that they feel warm, comfortable and confident at temperatures between 10°C and 18°C.
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People wear a solitary, static design that does not complement the body's physiological processes or a changing indoor environment. That results in thermal discomfort, insecurity during social interaction and a lack of comfort during everyday activities. The opportunity: a modular outfit that can be adjusted according to shifts in indoor humidity, temperature and body heat production — so the wearer stays thermally comfortable, confident and free to move.
During the design process four prototypes were built. Each prototype was tested through multiple verifications; pain points were identified through user testing and resolved in the next iteration.
The four prototypes were measured with a FLIR heat sensor to check heat loss across the garment. In parallel, hands-on material research compared felt made from alpaca wool, human hair and merino wool — each verified thermally — and every prototype was worn-tested by multiple users in real daily situations.
The four prototypes were initially tested with a heat sensor to check the outfit's heat loss.
In order to design a warm and sustainable outfit, I experimented with felt making from 100% raw materials. The different materials — alpaca wool, human hair and merino wool — were compared and verified with a heat sensor.
The four different prototypes were each tested by multiple test persons to optimise the partial solutions each time and establish the user scenario.
Hotcharlie is a modular knitted outfit in merino wool. Parts can be added or removed as body temperature and surroundings change — collar, cropped top, skirt, trousers and sleeves all work as a system rather than a single static garment.
“The outfit gives me a feeling of warmth and security.”— Victoria Vandermeeren
Worn at the desk, on the sofa, with a glass of wine — Hotcharlie holds up across the full range of indoor life.
“The fact that I can easily take off or put on a part is amazing and helps me maintain the right body temperature.”
— Sara Huysmans
Hotcharlie was nominated for Best of Product Development 2023 at the University of Antwerp, alongside six other graduating students.
