Dubbed as the Micro'be' project, researchers have explored the use of a fabric made by microorganisms. The cellulosic material is produced by the Acetobacter bacterium with red wine as substrate.

The models reported that the fabric, while it was damp, felt "very natural, almost like a second skin," she says, although there were some upturned noses about its distinctive smell. "There's almost a kind of morning-after-the-night-before smell, a kind of stale alcohol aroma," adds Cass. "People either love it or hate it."

Read the full feature report at The Scientist and a related report at CBC News: Australian scientists dress women in wine.