A receptacle connector for a wearable article , the receptacle connector comprising: a housing having a receptacle configured to receive a complementary plug connector therein, the housing being configured to be mounted to the wearable article ; and a printed circuit board held by the housing, the printed circuit board comprising mating contacts for mating with the plug connector , the printed circuit board comprising mounting contacts that are configured to terminate conductors of a flat cable of the wearable article or an e-textile of the wearable article , wherein the receptacle connector includes a front mounting plate including a channel that defines the receptacle and extends a length along the housing from a first open end to a second end ; characterised in that : (i) a top of the channel is open over a mating interface of the receptacle connector such that the mating interface and thus mating surfaces of the mating contacts are exposed through a top of the channel ; (ii) the top of the channel is also open through the first end of the channel such that a continuous pathway is defined from the mating interface of the receptacle connector through the first end of the channel ; and (iii) either (a) the channel includes side walls that are angled acutely relative to a bottom thereof to facilitate holding the plug connector or (b) the receptacle connector includes a latch mechanism configured to cooperate with a latch mechanism of the plug connector to latch the plug connector to the receptacle connector . a housing having a receptacle configured to receive a complementary plug connector therein, the housing being configured to be mounted to the wearable article ; and a printed circuit board held by the housing, the printed circuit board comprising mating contacts for mating with the plug connector , the printed circuit board comprising mounting contacts that are configured to terminate conductors of a flat cable of the wearable article or an e-textile of the wearable article , wherein the receptacle connector includes a front mounting plate including a channel that defines the receptacle and extends a length along the housing from a first open end to a second end ; characterised in that : (i) a top of the channel is open over a mating interface of the receptacle connector such that the mating interface and thus mating surfaces of the mating contacts are exposed through a top of the channel ; (ii) the top of the channel is also open through the first end of the channel such that a continuous pathway is defined from the mating interface of the receptacle connector through the first end of the channel ; and (iii) either (a) the channel includes side walls that are angled acutely relative to a bottom thereof to facilitate holding the plug connector or (b) the receptacle connector includes a latch mechanism configured to cooperate with a latch mechanism of the plug connector to latch the plug connector to the receptacle connector . (i) a top of the channel is open over a mating interface of the receptacle connector such that the mating interface and thus mating surfaces of the mating contacts are exposed through a top of the channel ; (ii) the top of the channel is also open through the first end of the channel such that a continuous pathway is defined from the mating interface of the receptacle connector through the first end of the channel ; and (iii) either (a) the channel includes side walls that are angled acutely relative to a bottom thereof to facilitate holding the plug connector or (b) the receptacle connector includes a latch mechanism configured to cooperate with a latch mechanism of the plug connector to latch the plug connector to the receptacle connector . <EOS>