The ‘Internet of Clothes’ initiative will tag garments using RFID, in which every day clothing will tweet and message users, asking to be worn depending on the weather and frequency of wear.“If these notifications are ignored, the garments will get in touch with a clothing charity and ask to be recycled, with the organisation automatically sending out a mailing envelope for returns,” the University said.

According to the University, the project aims to challenge people’s relationship with clothing usage, as most own four times as many clothing as against 20 years ago, but regularly only wear about 20 per cent of them.Mark Brill of Birmingham City University explained, “The connected wardrobe is a practical, engaging concept to encourage people to think about their clothing consumption.”The project has been shortlisted among 12 other projects for a Network for Innovations in Culture and Creativity in Europe (N.I.C.E) Award, in which €20,000 will be distributed among four winners of the award.