Are you too busy to take out your debit card to pay for coffee? Or wish you could get directions without looking at your phone? Thanks to new innovations in the fashtech world, wearables are moving way beyond wristbands. But will smart clothing be a passing fad or a future must-have?

"Our vision is for an industry where human rights and sustainability are not the effect of a particular initiative but the cause of a business well run," says Eileen Fisher, whose eponymous clothing brand is bringing 360-degree ethical thinking into the world of luxury.

People prefer wearable devices that are unobtrusive, fit into daily life and existing habits, and look stylish. But even if all these boxes are ticked, do they really want to wear technology on their wrists, faces and around their necks?

Wearables have created much buzz in recent years. Yet despite major players like Apple, Samsung and Google rolling out devices – alongside high-end brands like Opening Ceremony – the buzz has faded. Experts now say that smart fabrics could be the way forward instead.