To elaborate a little; the goal is to determine, electrically, if a garment is being worn.

Wow, finally a use for IoT (Internet of Things). I am sure there is a ready market of suspicious wives and girlfriends...

 

Can anyone suggest a strain gauge that works with cloth?

A guy at work had an idea that requires some sort of strain gauge to determine if a piece of clothing is under strain, and I thought for sure there would be some off the shelf sensors available, but so far I'm not successful in finding one. We don't need an exact measurement, just to know if there is say 2# or more weight on a cloth strap, such as a pair of suspenders. Is there anything off the shelf for this?

I made a pretty effective strain gauge with a rubber band coated with charcoal. Not too sure about the accuracy, but it sure was sensitive!