Flat Age accessories: Garments encourage over-60s to exercise

Lee, who has completed the MA Material Futures course, was inspired to work on activewear for the over-60s after observing the ageing society. She identified the deteriorating physical mobility as the main factor for individuals becoming less independent as they get older and decided to re-imagine a more active lifestyle that would recognise the need to prepare for this change. Her project, Textiles for Strength in Later Life, is designed to encourage exercise through tactile garments and accessories. By creating gentle and playful resistance, the pieces invite the wearer to pull, stretch and fiddle with the different elements, increasing muscle strength and dexterity.

‘Exploring new ideas around activewear for older adults could help us to re-imagine a healthier and more active later life and raise important questions about our own preparedness for, and attitudes to, old age,’ Lee tells LS:N Global. Her project is an example of a cultural shift outlined in our macrotrend The Flat Age Society.

For more examples of designs recognising the loss of strength and agility in older consumers, read our Flat Age Design microtrend.