Adaptive Clothing Lines Perfect for Children
As you prepare to send your little one off to school this fall, you may find that it’s difficult for them to get dressed and feel confident at times. Fortunately, many clothing lines are expanding their designs to include adaptive clothing. Here are a few companies leading the way:
A while back, Target won the hearts of customers by introducing its adaptive clothing line. The line offers fashionable pieces for people of all ages and abilities. Wide legs and side zippers on jeans make getting dressed much easier, and soft fabrics with flat seams and heat-stamped labels cater to those with specific sensory needs and preferences.
PBS KIDS teamed up with clothing company Zappos in April to launch its line of gender-neutral, two-way reversible adaptive apparel. The clothing is made by 4WARD and is designed for children with special sensory needs or disabilities. The pieces all have dissolvable tags, soft fabric, no buttons, and are reversible to help kids learn to dress themselves.
Zappos offers clothing in many adaptive categories, including slip-on shoes, magnetic closures, pull-on pants, diabetic shoes, post surgical wear, treatment wear, reversible clothing, and many others. These products span many different brands, styles, ages, and fits.
MagnaReady is an apparel company specifically designed for individuals with disabilities. Creator Maura Horton was inspired by her late husband Coach Horton of the North Carolina State football team who had Parkinson’s disease. The fashionable and professional apparel line uses magnets as clasps instead of buttons or zippers.
On September 1, Land’s End is launching its Universal Collection, a line of its bestselling uniform pieces with innovative technology specific to kids with disabilities. This line includes dress shirts with magnets instead of buttons (using MagnaReady technology) and pants with Velcro instead of snaps. They also incorporate sensory-friendly elements, such as heat-transferred labels and smooth seams. Perfect for your child with disabilities to feel more comfortable and independent in his or her uniform.
Care + Wear is a clothing company created in 2014 to help current patients receiving medical care feel comfortable and express themselves through fashion. They sell PICC line covers, chest and port access shirts, mobility gloves, and other clothes that are all antimicrobial, accessible, breathable, and washable. Children can choose clothing in different styles, including graphics and team logos.
Independence Day Clothing strives to eliminate obstacles to dressing for kids, teens, tweens, and young adults. All of their clothing is reversible, which helps children and individuals with disabilities dress themselves more confidently. They also don’t have any tags, zippers, or buttons, to cater to kids with sensory needs.
Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger wowed fashion fans with his adaptive clothing Spring 2018 line, the first of its kind in the fashion world. The designers worked with Runway of Dreams to begin this adaptive clothing line for children and have since expanded to include adults as well. These pieces boast Velcro closures, adjustable hems, and magnetic buttons to help people with disabilities dress themselves more easily and be able to express themselves through their wardrobe.
Reboundwear is a company that offers fashionable adaptive clothing, especially useful for people who have just had a medical procedure. Their pants and tops have zippers and panels to help with ease of dressing and accessing ports, drains, or braces.
NBZ Apparel is a company that specializes in comfortable pants without zippers, buttons, or tags. They offers a great selection of fashionable jeans and dress pants for the whole family.
Nike has released a sneaker for athletes of all abilities called the FlyEase. The shoe is designed to be easy to get on and off with its zipper and strap system, as opposed to the many other lace-up options.
BILLY Footwear offers innovative shoe designs for individuals with a broad range of abilities. Their shoes are stylish and fun, but also completely zip-on (without Velcro, lacing, or any other elements).
Does your child have a favorite adaptive clothing line? Let us know in the comments below!
Related Reading:
- Back-to-School: Scholarships and Grants for Students with Disabilities
- Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
- Mealtime Tips for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorders
Written by B. Burguess
Burguess is a writer and mother, who writes for ABC Law Centers on topics related to parenting children with disabilities. Follow Burgess on Facebook & Twitter.
