May 5, 2049

Clothing in Space
By Style Writer Mary Bloomer

Lunar Bio-Suit

When you think of space suits you think of bulky, uncomfortable gear. But, that's all changed. In the early 21st century, researchers developed the Bio-Suit which has become the second skin on the moon.

Though space suits only need to be worn when working outside, it's still great to be able to look smashing. And the new Bio-Suit is the ultimate in space wear.

A self-contained protection against space dust, the Bio-Suit has a respiratory support system, muscular and skeletal support and communications port all packed in thin comfortable fabric. This fabric, also called shape memory alloy, is easy to move in for climbing, picking up rocks, and all kinds of extravehicular activity (EVA).

The Bio-Suit includes 5 separate components, each offering a different style choice and allowing for the most individual fashion statement. Choose from multiple colors, patterns, stripes and solids in your MCP (mechanical counter pressure) layer.

Hot and stylish!

Select a matching (or mismatching) pressurized helmet, gloves and boots. Finally, your hard torso shell and life support backpack complete this ensemble. Never will you have drab or dull lunar wear.

Historically, space suits were not designed to be stylish; they were designed to be safe. When not out on space walks, early astronauts wore cobalt blue jump suits that consisted of soft cotton pants, a navy blue cotton knit short-sleeved shirt and a lined jacket with a zipper closure. What were they thinking? No Lunar Trendsetter Awards for them!

All clothing, apart from underwear, was the same for both male and female. The cotton material used to make the suits was treated with a chemical soak to make it fireproof.

These flight suits were designed to be loose fitting without being so loose they could snag on a switch. There were expansion pleats in the back to adjust the shoulders, and the waist could be changed to size with Velcro straps. Today's suits electronically conform to your shape and do not need to be loose, but are tight fitting, yet comfortable.

Totally cool!

The Bio-Suit is easy to put on and take off. But the space suits of the last century took more than 15 minutes to get into and astronauts needed help. Once in the spacesuit, it was like wearing a balloon and the astronaut was surrounded by pressurized gas which helped his blood circulate. The Bio-Suit achieves this with artificial muscle fibers and is so much more attractive.

This year's line of Bio-Suits is a must have collection.