Tech in Fashion: Male magazines from the Tech perspective

Boni (2002) observed that over the last few years, there have been more and more men's lifestyle magazines being published, providing men with an excess of many self-improvement articles. Various different topics including technology sector have been divided in separate magazines that are focused on particular themes. For instance, the recent and growing success of Men‘s Health in the male magazine market is a reflection of men‘s changing gender relations and identities. By offering a wide range of self-care advices, Men‘s Health contributes to the production of body techniques and technologies of the self (Boni 2002, European Journal of Communication). Moreover, “All You Can Read” website has announced the top ten Editor’s Choice Science and Technology magazines list, where it could be found a different type of self-improvement materials: knowledge about innovations, scientific researches and much more (not only fitness tips, healthy living or women exploration, http://www.allyoucanread.com/science-technology-magazines/).

Therefore, a magazine named “Wired” is a good example of technological journal with many interesting topics that are not only concentrated on men but on both genders who are interested in tech sector. However, Bliss (2014) observed that technologies are traditionally targeted at men, and tech companies also consider them as early adopters of new gadgets. Thereby, tech magazines are still comprehensible as a type of publication designed for male reader. The study by Ipsos in 2012 showed that 22% of men attach themselves to early adopters’ term, compared to 17% of women. This conception has caused tech companies to apply their offerings to the male market more than to female. Bliss (2014) also reported for the Forbes magazine that wearable technology is a combination of clothing and accessories incorporating computer or electronic technologies. For instance, Google Glass, the Pebble Watch, and Nike Fuel are some well-known pieces in wearable technology sector that are relevant to men’s accessories. However, an integration of technology in fashion shows, that wearable tech is often an easier sell for women than men, because women are used to wear bracelets, bags, necklaces, etc. This accessorising increases the opportunity for adapting technology to fashion. For men to accept wearable technology, it needs to be more practical, but also stylish and modern (Bliss 2014, http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2014/03/26/future-of-wearable-tech/).

Source: Different types of Wired covers, www.wired.co.uk

Additionally Mediros (2014) reported to Wired magazine that Pebble is a smart watch with a black-and-white e-paper display that allows creating a personalised watch face and instantly notifies users about incoming or missed calls, emails and text messages by vibrating. Pebble was created in 2008 by Eric Migicovsky, an engineering student in Canada. The creator also noted in Wired magazine that “Pebble is about connecting an accessory on your body to your phone.” (http://www.wired.co.uk/). Moreover, Arthur (2014) indicated that Google is preparing for a new market by launching a new software development: smart watches and other wearable technologies. It will start with a Motorola “Moto 360” watch in summer 2014. This plan shows that Google is officially interested in wearable computing and it is announced in many publications to spread the innovative thinking towards fashion, especially in men’s accessories. As promised by Chrome, it has released a software development kit for Android Wear, an operating system, which was intended to run smart watches and other wearable objects. It means that reinvented watches will arouse deeper interests in men’s tech fashion and accessorising. Hence, all projects generated by tech giants (e.g. Google, Apple, Android, etc.) will be transferred to people via media coverage connecting it with innovative ideas, design, fashion and the most important part, with knowledge, which becomes the investment in self-improvement not only for male, but also for female readers (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/18/google-android-software-for-wearable-tech).