In the world of extreme clothing, Vollebak takes the award, with a catalog of jackets, shirts, and pants that incorporate high-tech, advanced features.
Their latest in that lineup is their Steel Blazer, which was 4 years in development, and incorporates a large amount of stainless steel thread. The specialized garment proves that a material more often associated with vehicles and space travel can be utilized to create attire.
Indeed, the sheen of the stainless steel can be seen woven into the jacket, which also has a malleability that gives it a unique look.
This $995 garment is clearly more of a conversation piece than an everyday use jacket, but we’re intrigued by the use of stainless steel, and wonder where the use of the material will go.
“The 20th century was practically built from stainless steel. From cars, to cities, to skyscrapers. And now it has its sights set on building the 21st century too. Starting with rockets and clothing.
While the human body is not built for the cryogenic temperatures of outer space, stainless steel thrives out there. At about 2.7 Kelvin, or -270°C, its strength increases by 50%, which is one of the many reasons the entire outer body of the SpaceX Starship will be built out of it. The most powerful rocket ever built has been developed so it can not only be reused, but relaunch just an hour after each landing.
So stainless steel’s toughness and extreme temperature resistance won it the job. It can cope with temperatures of up to 870°C – allowing Starship to withstand the hundreds of re-entries into Mars and Earth’s atmospheres it’s being designed for.
Back on Earth, it’s taken 4 years of R&D to turn corrosion resistant stainless steel into a jacket you can just throw on. The Steel Blazer is a lightweight two-layered jacket reinforced with 24% stainless steel. Malleable, strong and weather resistant, it comes with a convertible collar you can wear two ways, four pockets, metal detailing, a soft and breathable inner lining, and shoulder construction that looks like overlaid steel plates.”
