Clothing Made of Wine (& Beer). Marketers Dream
by Warren McLaren, Sydney 
on 03.15.07
We’ve had thermoformed biopolymer bikinis before, but now for something completely different. Apparel that grows it self. Well, actually bacteria in fermenting wine do all the heavy lifting. They convert the wine into a vinegar-like scum layer. The layers of this admittedly slimy cellulose are then laid over one another, on an inflatable mannequin. Once the garment has the desired shape the dummy is deflated, while the clothing remains. However when the ensemble dries the very short fibres become like tissue paper, tearing easily. So the garments currently need to be keep wet. The Bioalloy team at University of Western Australia are hoping to partner up with an organic chemist to find a way to polymerise their Micro’Be cellulose fibres and produce longer, more stable, fibres. They hope one day to ferment a seamless dress. Oh, we almost forgot to mention – they've also made a clear panel in one prototype by fermenting beer. Apparently any alcohol can be coerced to “slip into something more comfortable.” ::Micro’Be, via News in Science.
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This strikes me as... well, idiotic.
OK, the only thing i am noticing is that the breasts are lopsided.
Very impractical
This strikes me as... well, hideously ugly.
amazing - clothing takes a lot of energy and labor and generates tremendous waste. a future where we can grow clothing, buildings, computers biologically is one where we can finally make a significant reduction in our fuel and material use
An interesting example of recyclable, ephemeral dresses is in the classic Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy.
I think those dresses are made of cellulose or something, but they are called "flimsies" and make a lot of sense for extravagant playful clothes that do not need to be durable.
Compare the dress that can do into the compost after a night of partying as opposed to a silk or linen dress that can be runied by spilling wine or beer onto to it...
that is kool but kinda gross!!!.........but i like it
well i think this is a horrible idea.
this is so ugly,
who would actually buy this.
and it barley covers anything!...
like seriously wtf.