Washington, Nov 18 : Climate change would affect clothes and fashion, consequently changing styles, fabrics and laundering, an expert has said.

According to Jo Paoletti, a professor of American studies at the University of Maryland and an expert in apparel design and the history of textile and clothing, climate change can lead to a surge in fashion innovations.

“Remember Jimmy Carter’s sweaters from the 1970s energy crisis? With Seventh Avenue proclaiming that ‘green is the new black, ’ we can expect a surge in fashion innovations in response to climate change, ” said Paoletti.

He remarked that many debates could be anticipated with increasing global warming concerns.

“As the impact of global warming is felt, we can anticipate debates over cotton versus polyester and increasing concern about the water and energy needed to launder clothing, ” he said.

“In the future, smart clothing that monitors and adjusts to body temperature may help us reduce our need for air conditioning and heating, ” he added.

Paoletti further explained that the frequency of shopping for new clothes and the sizes of the wardrobes would be dependent on the climate change concerns now.

“Shakespeare wrote ‘fashion wears out more apparel than the man, ’ and that phrase is even truer today! North Americans buy more clothing than they ‘need’ and thrift shops and charities are swamped with our leftovers, ” he said. (ANI)