Solar panels are appearing on everything these days, and in one of those nice blends of tech and fashion, it appears they’re now appearing on clothes to help you charge your mobile or your gadgets - thus saving you the perils of a flat battery.

On the left is a solar powered tie that I found via Phones Review: academics at Iowa State University - the panels provide power for a phone charger (which you just pop in a pocket behind the tie). It wasn’t just a case of gluing on some panels - they had to make sure the tie could be flexible and the stitching stay durable enough for daily use. That said I’m not convinced - people can be very choosy about their ties and what they say about themselves (such as this fellow) and solar panel black may not be to everyone’s taste.

Meanwhile, on the right (via GadgetLite) the Iowans’ counterparts at North Carolina State University have a prototype solar panel jacket that incorporates the panel into the fabric of the back. This might be a bit better - the back is bigger (so more area and quicker charging) and less obtrusive. You could even have the panels coloured (although the colours they’ve chosen aren’t to my taste) and the potential for custom logos & slogans abounds. What other possibilities are there?