doesn't this sound cool?

Do you know what this dress is made of? It's made of reclaimed audio tape. And, even cooler, it's playable. You can hold tape heads in your hands and run them over the dress, and noise will come out! This is so cool the temperature in the room when I read about it dropped eight degrees. (Many thanks to Ursula for the link!)

Now, I'm not suggesting you actually wear a sonic fabric dress for longer than it takes to mess around with playing it -- I'd bet it's pretty hot, and the silhouette is not one that I would choose. But as an art object? It's wonderful. I would get one just to hang on the wall, or keep on a dress form.

In fact, I actually have a dress on a dress form in my living room -- not a sonic one; a great 1940s beaded taffeta sweetheart-neckline full-skirted dress, and it was one of the first pieces of vintage clothing I ever bought. The woman who sold it to me looked like Morticia Addams, never wore shoes, chain-smoked menthols in this giant abandoned garage full of random items (all of which were flammable in degrees ranging from 'three-acre brush fire' to 'towering inferno'), and kept a roll of bills in her cleavage. I always tried to have exact change. But, that burst of quasi-nostalgia/horror aside, I like the idea of dresses as art and this one is art in two dimensions, as it were. It's art and music. Next step: a dress that is art, music, and moves by itself -- dance! Oh, wait, I'm thinking about robots again. Dammit.

Click on the image for more information about sonic fabric. They have messenger bags and suchlike, too.

Comments

[Eric]

Jon Fishman, the drummer from Phish, wore one of these dresses for almost every concert the band played.

[R2K]

That is a cool idea: and a great excuse for me to run my walkman over the body of some hot chick in a really creepy manner.Just by coincidence, I would find a song I like around the boobage area.

[Hillary for President]

that is a GREAT dress. What can i say. My partner and I talk about you're post ALOT lately. Bottom line is, the idea is GRATE.Hillary-for-President.blogspot.com

[Misc]

Cool dress, what would something like that be worth?

[momma]

I loved your site and will be back!I thought you might like to check outmommawasthinking.blogspot.comfor some thought provoking discussions

[Kimberly]

Hello. I am a big fan of fashion and I came upon your blog - I love it. Not only is this dress interesting, but you're description of "Morticia Addams" literally had me laughing out loud. Do you know. . . does the dress play one song only? or many? random blurbs?I don't think you will be as fascinated with my blog, but you are welcome to check it out:kdjokes.blogspot.com

[San Francisco Photos]

How fun...If only this is what people were really wearing!

[Julie ZS]

Amazing stuff, technology...And it is even a cool dress.

[Online Degree]

Very cool! I bet it gets pretty warm and uncomfortable though...

[nicole900]

i got a friend at webdatedotcom who is into these kind of things and i'm sure he will be happy to see these concepts... they are really cool!

[Paris Hilton]

That's Hot!

[chumly]

Sounds good.

[Marina]

great blog!

[ChiefMommy Owl]

I used to have that dress, but I stopped wearing it because my kids were embarrassed. My dress played the B52's Love Shack.Sarababyowls.blogspot.com

[la belle dame sans merci]

hmm,i remember the time when looking for a HOT prom dress topped my list of things to do.now a dress which is musical (probably plays venom or something) and looks like it wudnt be amiss in a BDSM video...lol! what will people think of next?

[Ph]

I like the picture and the subject !Philippe from France

[mb]

love it!

[jenny]

Online degree, I was thinking the same thing. This almost certainly would be the world's "hottest" prom dress. (Second only, maybe, to one of these duct-tape ensembles.)

[wastedchix]

i Like it, that dress will surely make some ppl stare ...and NOT in the good way ...i LOVE IT >:")

[Anonymous]

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[The Bard Lawyer]

i really like your site. do not like this dress, however. It reminds me of something I would have worn to a rave (with orange furry leg warmers)in 1995.