A FIT THAT FITS Finding clothes that are accessible and suit a person’s style can be difficult, but as the fashion industry begins to acknowledge disabled, chronically ill and neurodiverse people, it’s beginning to look like this might improve of fashion and lifestyle items to underrepresented groups by 2025. The collection sees them introduce clothing for people living with a wide range of impairments, including limited mobility, limited dexterity, and sensory sensitivity; there are items designed for wheelchair users, items that accommodate prosthetics and bandages, and sensory-friendly fabrics. They have also designed clothing for disabled children’s caregivers, showing just how extensive the research they undertook to understand the needs of disabled customers before launching the collections. Alongside this, they’ve begun stocking Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, one of the first luxury designer brands to create an adaptive clothing range - although it must be said, in a time where disabled people are some of the hardest hit by the cost of living crisis, this may not be as accessible as it needs to be. Adaptive fashion should be just that - adaptive and fashionable, but it should also be available to all who need it. Here’s some adaptive brands you might be able to recommend to clients or patients who need them:
HEWINSON
F
inding clothes that suit your needs and your style can be difficult, but for disabled, chronically ill, and neurodiverse people it can be almost impossible. Finding clothing which sits at the intersection of form and function can be extremely hard, especially when so few large brands or retailers create - let alone carry - clothing that fits the needs of, for example, someone who experiences sensory sensitivity with certain fabrics, or a
wheelchair user who needs their trousers to fit in a very specific way. In October, fashion and lifestyle platform Zalando launched an adaptive fashion collection across its brands in some of their European markets, which include Zign, Pier One, Anna Field, Yourturn and Even&Odd. The collection consisted of over 140 styles for men and women, including footwear, in an effort to reach its goal of offering an inclusive experience and assortment
This UK-based clothing company produces jeans and jogging bottoms that are designed with the specific needs of wheelchair users in mind. Available in an assortment of washes and sizes, the jeans feature high backs, elasticated waists, pockets designed so that they don’t lose their contents when the wearer sits down, reinforced belt loops that allow them to be pulled on with ease, flat seams to reduce the chance of sores, and an extra-long zip. The jeans are £65, while their trackies are £52. Hewinson.com
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