The Hear-through Hoodie

It's an extremely elegant solution to, essentially, a geeky problem, but this hear-through hoodie could actually be of practical use to the masses too.

Designed by San Francisco-based company Betabrand, this hoodie uses 'acoustically transparent fabric' to enable you to have the hood up and still hear exactly what's going on around you. Ostensibly aimed at sound engineers who wish to remain inconspicuous on stage, it could also prove useful to people who want to walk about at night with full hood warmth, but still be able to hear what's going on around them; particularly where there may be muggers on the prowl. Or, for those who still want to use over-ear headphones whilst having the hood up.

There's a few cool extra features too, including pockets that have internal routing through to the top, so that you can run your headphones up to your ears, a secure chest pocket for a USB stick or iLok, and pull-out wiring diagrams, in case anything needs fixing in a hurry. There's even a retro casette-themed lining.

It's currently retailing at $142.20 (£83.39) and it's already reached double its funding target, shipping in October, so get involved now - visit their website here.

(Images: Betabrand)