Let the WiFi-Controlled Glowtie Light Up Your Next Outfit

Fashion is a fickle, mysterious force that changes with the wind. What was fashionable last year will be outdated next year, and, if you’re honest with yourself, you probably couldn’t have pulled off that trendy ensemble anyway. But, one thing that never goes out of style is a nice suit, and the Glowtie is the perfectly geeky way to top it off.

The Glowtie just launched on Kickstarter, and has already exceeded its modest funding goal. It has the shape of a classic bow tie, but that’s where the similarities end. Instead of old-fashioned fabric tied into a fancy loop, the Glowtie is a wearable ESP8266-equipped PCB lined with bright RGB LEDs. Those LEDs can be controlled wirelessly from your smartphone, so you can set whatever colors and patterns you like to match the event and the rest of your outfit.

The housing of the Glowtie is designed to clip right onto the top button of a dress shirt, so you don’t have to worry about any complicated knots. And, it has a fabric cover to keep things classy. Best of all, the Glowtie design files are completely open source. That means you can hack it, redesign it to your liking, and develop entirely new 3D-printed enclosures and accessories.

If you want a Glowtie, the Kickstarter campaign will be running until March 22nd. Early birds can get a Glowtie for $40 ($10 off the standard price). Early bird rewards are expected to be delivered in April.