Post by account_disabled on Mar 4, 2024 4:47:56 GMT -5
What is adaptive clothing? The best for children and the planet
July is Disability Pride Month, and that same month is when back-to-school shopping begins for many families. In other words, it's the perfect time for JCPenney to introduce Thereabouts, a line of adaptive clothing for disabled and neurodiverse boys and girls.
According to Triple Pundit , JCPenney is the latest American retailer to offer its own brand of tailored children's clothing, joining the likes of Target, Kohl's, Tommy Hilfiger, Zappos and Lands' End.
Adaptive Clothing and Fashion 101
So what exactly is adaptive clothing? As Annie Chile Mobile Number List Groer wrote in a 2019 Washington Post article , these are “redesigned clothing and shoes for children and adults with physical, cognitive or sensory issues, both chronic and short-term.”
Adaptive fashion lines, Groer added, “offer style, dignity, independence, even joy to younger, trendier consumers with disabilities, whether they dress themselves or get help from others.”
Some common features found in adaptive clothing (such as those from JCPenney's Thereabouts line) are:
Larger openings and simpler closures (such as magnets or Velcro) make dressing easier for those with limited dexterity and fine motor skills.
Abdominal access , which allows feeding tubes to be placed (usually in a hidden layer of the top, such as a sweatshirt pocket or a camisole built into a shirt).
Pants with wide legs and adjustable sides to allow the use of leg orthoses.
Wider sizes on items like bodysuits, bodysuits, or diaper-friendly garments.
Pants of different proportions , a crucial design to make sitting in a wheelchair more comfortable.
Flat (or seamless) seams and tagless labels also limit sensory overload for those with sensitivities.
Why are these designs important for adaptive clothing?
Previously, tailored children's clothing was only available if you could sew it or hire a tailor. There were some small online sellers (like Etsy), but there was no economy of scale, so prices were extremely high for many families.
However, large retailers, such as Target, Kohl's and now JCPenney, are able to reduce prices on tailored clothing to the same price level as their other offerings by using materials that are already in production. After all, as any parent knows, children grow and wear out their clothes very quickly.
Furthermore, the adapted clothing of the early years was primarily aimed at older wearers and focused almost entirely on function rather than fashion. There were solid colors (usually navy or beige), and one-size-fits-all insoles, geared toward adults.
Today, the clothes of these boys and girls are the same as those of their peers, with bright colors and fun prints and characters.
The only difference is that their pants legs have Velcro to accommodate their leg braces, and their shirts have special holes to pass the feeding tube through.
Last year, for example, ShopDisney sold custom Halloween costumes with a variety of characters ranging from princesses to Buzz Lightyear. And last month, Target went on sale $20 backpacks designed to fit on the back of wheelchairs, with special space for a feeding pump and a port for a feeding tube.
This is great news, as similar backpacks can cost five times that price on sites like Etsy or through medical supply companies.
An expanding tailored clothing market
The U.S. adaptive clothing market is projected to reach nearly $53 billion by 2022. (This projection includes children's and adult clothing.) Although the sector has made incredible strides in recent years, there is still much to be done.
For example, Facebook and Instagram's algorithm rejects any paid ads that mention the word "disability," or ads that feature medical equipment such as wheelchairs. This creates a barrier to entry for small tailored fashion businesses.
Additionally, some large companies may enter the adaptive fashion market without adequate input from the disability community itself, especially in the planning phases.
adaptable clothing
In a recent interview with Forbes, Helya Mohammadian, founder of adaptive underwear brand Slick Chicks, said:
You can see which companies are really trying to understand their customers, rather than who are just trying to check the inclusivity box.
Helya Mohammadian, founder of the adaptive underwear brand Slick Chicks.
JCPenney's Thereabouts line underwent a rigorous research and development phase with parents, children, disabled consumers and adaptive fashion consultants.
July is Disability Pride Month, and that same month is when back-to-school shopping begins for many families. In other words, it's the perfect time for JCPenney to introduce Thereabouts, a line of adaptive clothing for disabled and neurodiverse boys and girls.
According to Triple Pundit , JCPenney is the latest American retailer to offer its own brand of tailored children's clothing, joining the likes of Target, Kohl's, Tommy Hilfiger, Zappos and Lands' End.
Adaptive Clothing and Fashion 101
So what exactly is adaptive clothing? As Annie Chile Mobile Number List Groer wrote in a 2019 Washington Post article , these are “redesigned clothing and shoes for children and adults with physical, cognitive or sensory issues, both chronic and short-term.”
Adaptive fashion lines, Groer added, “offer style, dignity, independence, even joy to younger, trendier consumers with disabilities, whether they dress themselves or get help from others.”
Some common features found in adaptive clothing (such as those from JCPenney's Thereabouts line) are:
Larger openings and simpler closures (such as magnets or Velcro) make dressing easier for those with limited dexterity and fine motor skills.
Abdominal access , which allows feeding tubes to be placed (usually in a hidden layer of the top, such as a sweatshirt pocket or a camisole built into a shirt).
Pants with wide legs and adjustable sides to allow the use of leg orthoses.
Wider sizes on items like bodysuits, bodysuits, or diaper-friendly garments.
Pants of different proportions , a crucial design to make sitting in a wheelchair more comfortable.
Flat (or seamless) seams and tagless labels also limit sensory overload for those with sensitivities.
Why are these designs important for adaptive clothing?
Previously, tailored children's clothing was only available if you could sew it or hire a tailor. There were some small online sellers (like Etsy), but there was no economy of scale, so prices were extremely high for many families.
However, large retailers, such as Target, Kohl's and now JCPenney, are able to reduce prices on tailored clothing to the same price level as their other offerings by using materials that are already in production. After all, as any parent knows, children grow and wear out their clothes very quickly.
Furthermore, the adapted clothing of the early years was primarily aimed at older wearers and focused almost entirely on function rather than fashion. There were solid colors (usually navy or beige), and one-size-fits-all insoles, geared toward adults.
Today, the clothes of these boys and girls are the same as those of their peers, with bright colors and fun prints and characters.
The only difference is that their pants legs have Velcro to accommodate their leg braces, and their shirts have special holes to pass the feeding tube through.
Last year, for example, ShopDisney sold custom Halloween costumes with a variety of characters ranging from princesses to Buzz Lightyear. And last month, Target went on sale $20 backpacks designed to fit on the back of wheelchairs, with special space for a feeding pump and a port for a feeding tube.
This is great news, as similar backpacks can cost five times that price on sites like Etsy or through medical supply companies.
An expanding tailored clothing market
The U.S. adaptive clothing market is projected to reach nearly $53 billion by 2022. (This projection includes children's and adult clothing.) Although the sector has made incredible strides in recent years, there is still much to be done.
For example, Facebook and Instagram's algorithm rejects any paid ads that mention the word "disability," or ads that feature medical equipment such as wheelchairs. This creates a barrier to entry for small tailored fashion businesses.
Additionally, some large companies may enter the adaptive fashion market without adequate input from the disability community itself, especially in the planning phases.
adaptable clothing
In a recent interview with Forbes, Helya Mohammadian, founder of adaptive underwear brand Slick Chicks, said:
You can see which companies are really trying to understand their customers, rather than who are just trying to check the inclusivity box.
Helya Mohammadian, founder of the adaptive underwear brand Slick Chicks.
JCPenney's Thereabouts line underwent a rigorous research and development phase with parents, children, disabled consumers and adaptive fashion consultants.