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OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom - When Sinéad Burke took to the VOICES stage in 2017, she called out the fashion industry for completely disregarding the disabled.

"You've been doing it quite wrong," said Burke, who herself is a little person. "You think you know what disabled people need or want, instead of asking us. Make yourself vulnerable. Bring us to the table and ask us for our greatest insights because we live this experience every day."

Over one billion people, or 15 percent of the world's population, experience some form of disability, according to the World Bank Group. In the UK, almost 20 percent of working age adults are disabled, according to British disability equality charity Scope. Yet disabled people are still very much excluded from the mainstream fashion conversation, despite commanding a global spending power of over $1.2 trillion, according to a report by the Return on Disability Group. This figure hits $6.9 trillion when families, parents and carers of disabled people are also taken into account.

Disabilities come in a myriad of forms and can demand specific clothing needs, such as an adjusted size and fit or alternative closures. For example, regular-cut trousers will often ride up when the wearer in a seated position, making them impractical for wheelchair users. Buttons and fine zippers can be fiddly for those with dexterity issues. At three feet, five inches tall, Burke finds it hard to find clothing that accommodates both her height and her body shape (kidswear is not often designed for a body with hips and a bust). She works closely with a seamstress to make alterations to her clothes so they better fit her body.

Burke returned to VOICES, BoF's annual gathering for big thinkers in partnership with QIC Global Real Estate, a year later to host a discussion about how fashion can best tackle this issue. Industry power players, including C-suite executives, designers, venture capitalists and retail owners, came together to discuss in-depth how the industry could be more inclusive of the disabled community. The conversation was held under the Chatham House Rule to ensure anonymity and allow participants to speak honestly and freely.

Here are five key learnings that emerged from the discussion.
Education is key.
Only once brands, retailers and industry stakeholders become aware about different disabilities, and understand the various challenges that disabled individuals face, will it be possible to make any kind of meaningful or impactful change.

"When we're thinking about how the fashion industry can better represent disabled people, or anybody who is challenged in any way, we need to readjust our thinking in so many different ways," said one VOICES Salon attendee.

Connecting with disabled individuals, as well as organisations that represent the disabled community, will help nurture understanding and awareness. Similarly, creating a safe education space where people can say the wrong things and ask questions can facilitate more open and honest conversation.

"There are so many different terminologies that are chosen or not chosen," said one guest. "By bringing in those voices who have the lived experience, there is this authenticity there, which otherwise we couldn't predict."

It's also important to consider education among the next generation of design talent. One guest lecturer a year at a top design school isn't enough, pointed out one guest. Brands, however, have the power to push fashion design schools to consider the topic more carefully and embed it into the educational curriculum.

"If institutions are not interested in changing how they teach students, the people who can change that is the brands," said a guest. "If you say we will accept interns that have specificity and expertise in inclusive design, which college of education is not going to say yes to this?"
Consult your target audience.
It's really important to bring disabled voices to the table from the very start. Talk to the consumer who will be purchasing and wearing the product, and let them guide you through the process from start to finish. "[They] can give you their lived experience in the most authentic way," said one guest.

One salon attendee worked for a fashion brand that recently launched an adaptive line. "It's the most consumer centric thing I think our company's ever done," the guest said. "Everyone talks about being consumer obsessed, and it's the development of this line and really understanding for all of these very different individuals, what do they need to make their life easier, to make them feel more confident."

Information from the industry on how to go about a project like this was hard to come by. Instead, the brand decided to go out and talk to people. "That's where the information and data mostly is today, rather than in the industry," the guest added.
It's not just about diversity. It's about inclusion.
Visibility of disability in brand marketing isn't enough. Brands need to cater to this consumer and include them in as many ways as possible. For the brand that launched its own adaptive line, modelling the collection on its core products was an important part of this.

"You don't want the different jean, you want the jean that you can't wear that everyone else is wearing. So the more that it is modelled off your iconic items, the better," said a guest who worked at the brand.

The brand also found many product modifications actually required relatively simple solutions. For example, adding magnetic closures to a button-down shirt, but leaving the buttons for aesthetic purposes. "Those are very easy things, [and] can make a world of difference," explained the guest. The brand was able to use its existing supply chain, working with its vendors to make the necessary adjustments.

Inclusion should also be considered in the context of a consumer shopping experience. Often, disabled people and their non-disabled peers cannot shop together in brick and mortar stores due to product offer segregation.

"Retail and shopping is an emotional experience, but also a social experience," pointed out one attendee. "We need to evolve this sectioning and move it into the whole space."

When it comes to online retail, it's about ensuring internet communications are accessible. There are considerations beyond just putting adaptive product up on a brand's website, such as screen reader compatibility for the visually impaired. "With voice technology, there should be a lot more that's accessible," said a guest.
Empower your retail staff.
In most brick-and-mortar stores, disabled people have very little independence. Three in four disabled people have left a shop or abandoned a business because of poor disability awareness or understanding, a study by the Extra Costs Commission, an independent inquiry set up by British disability charity Scope, found. It estimated that UK businesses were missing out on £420 million in revenue each week as a result.

Retail employees are one of the few physical touch-points many consumers have with a brand. But one retail staff's ignorance can ruin a disabled individual's shopping experience - and destroy their relationship with the brand.

"There is a challenge, because at the C-suite level we are talking about inclusion and diversity. We are not having that conversation with the 19 year old behind the cash register who is on minimum wage," said one guest. "If we brought those two conversations together, the customer would have a much better experience and a much more accessible one."

Shop floor training and education is a good starting point. Offering assistance to those who need it and, as one Salon attendee put it, "basing interactions on empathy, not sympathy" are central to a positive retail experience. This will positively impact a customer's brand experience, and probably influence how much money they are willing to spend with that brand.

"[Retail staff] are your connection with the client," said one chief executive. "If they are not able to engage the client, me in the boardroom, I cannot do it and it's as simple as that."
Swap competition for collaboration.
Some brands are better positioned than others to make adjustments and changes to support the launch of an adaptive clothing line. For others, it's a significant time and money investment that they cannot afford.

Partnering with a brand or a retailer that already has the expertise and know-how can be another way to make strides in being more inclusive with fashion product. Creating opportunities for discussion among industry power players will help promote collaboration over competition.

"The moment in fashion you find a consensus, things become easier," said one attendee. This was the case when rival luxury conglomerates LVMH and Kering came together for the first time to create a models' charter.

One salon guest gave the example of Moncler's Genius project. "If you take it to the next level," they said. "Not everybody knows how to do it ... You create a platform where designers that are comfortable in doing it have the recourses to do it."
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How Can Fashion Better Address the Needs of Disabled People?

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Disabled people have long been ignored by the mainstream fashion industry. Here are five steps brands can take to be more inclusive of the disabled community.

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Why Nike’s Parasport Mannequin Deserves Just As Much Discussion As The Plus-Size One

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It’s time to talk about the parasport mannequin

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In the midst of fiery, as well as controversial, talks about Nike's recent release of plus-size mannequins, the general public has missed the other story: Nike has also unveiled parasport mannequins in their flagship London store . Para-sports, also known as adaptive sports and disabled sports, includes activities for people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

However, this inclusion and significance of the first disabled or para-sport mannequin have been largely overlooked due to the heated discussions surrounding its plus-size mannequins. Sportswear brands notoriously only feature able-bodied mannequins, so the fact that a major company like Nike has promoted the visibility of disabled bodies is a major step forward.

"Highlighting a full range of athlete figures, [the Londontown Nike flagship store] shows multiple plus-sized and para-sport mannequins, a first for the city's store," Nike said in a press release .

The inclusion of para-sport mannequins significantly disrupts and breaks the damaging assumption that people with disabilities can't be athletes. However, this lack of acknowledgment of these mannequins implies that, at least in the United States, people don't see athletes with disabilities as equals.

This notion becomes apparent when it comes to the coverage of the Paralympics, which happens after each Olympic Games and involves athletes with a wide range of disabilities. Paralympians strive for equal treatment and recognition that Olympians receive, but this has not been the case ever since its inaugural games in 1988.

Not only are the Paralympic Games not covered by TV networks or the news, but they also receive little to no advertisement. However, if society truly believed that those disabled athletes are as worthy as their able-bodied counterparts, the story would be different. In the mainstream discussions on diversity and inclusion, disability is too often the last thought, if it's mentioned at all. It's time to change the discourse, and Nike should be celebrated for being one of the first to do so on a large scale.

It is a disservice to Nike and people with disabilities that these para-sport mannequins have not gotten the recognition and the praise it deserves. Para-sport athletes and Paralympians achieve the same level, or great, of achievement as their able-bodied counterparts do; they accomplish the unthinkable. So, it's about time that they receive this caliber of representation.

"It's good to see big brands beginning to reflect a greater variety of shapes and sizes," Paralympic champion Tanni Grey-Thompson . 'The plus-size mannequin has stolen the headlines, but the para-sport mannequin represents a step in the right direction for the positive portrayal of disability sport and physical activity for all."

There is tremendous hope that other retailers and brands would follow in Nike's footsteps and reevaluate the true meaning of diversity and inclusion. By seeing the para-sport mannequins, not only will disabled shoppers will feel seen and heard, but it will also normalize disability, and show that it should not be erased or hidden from the public eye.

Nike has become a leader and the embodiment of inclusion and equality, and in doing so it has set a new precedent for other brands. In the core of its mission of including plus-sized and para-sport mannequins, Nike wants the world to accept every body size and ability.

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Nike Released Para-Sport Mannequins Too, And Here's Why You Missed It

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Overclouded by discussions on Nike's plus-size mannequins, the significance of its para-sport mannequins has been ignored.

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The first time I attended New York Fashion Week was in 2017. As I arrived in the city that never sleeps, it quickly became evident as to why people call it that: there simply isn't time to sleep when you're navigating accessibility barriers. I went from fashion show to fashion show, where every time the people at the door were rarely informed on how a wheelchair user like myself could enter the building. At one point, my personal assistant had to throw me over her shoulder and drag my chair up the steps behind her - not the entrance I had always dreamed of, but it got me thinking: in an industry that celebrates diversity, why wasn't there anyone around that looked like me?

I was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy that causes progressive muscle loss throughout the body and, in some cases, leads to lung failure. Throughout my life, fashion and beauty have been my happy place. I find normality in eclectic patterns and vibrant lipsticks that allow me to stand out and actually feel seen instead of stared at. Because, although I might catch someone's attention initially because of my wheelchair, I tend to hold on to it because of my style. But, like most people with disabilities, when it comes to representation in the fashion and beauty industries, I have often felt excluded.
The power of representation

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 percent of people have some kind of a disability, forming the world's largest minority community. It's also the only minority community that anyone can potentially become part of at any point in their life. And yet, when it comes to telling our stories, we have either been reduced to harmful stereotypes or left out of the conversation entirely.

Judy Heumann, a lifelong disability rights activist and personal hero of mine, puts this down to the misguided notion that people with disabilities somehow aren't able to live full lives. "People have not seen us as an equal member within their communities, their schools, their mosques, their churches, their synagogues, social clubs, or whatever it may be," she says. "They look at us and they think, 'How could I live my life like that?'" -exactly the reason why authentic representation is so vital.

But it goes beyond that. As children, you create this image of beauty based on what society deems beautiful-so what happens when the image of beauty and desirability never looks like you? For one thing, it can have a damaging effect on your self-esteem and, at times, make it incredibly difficult to accept your own body.

This is something model Bri Scalesse-who became a paraplegic at the age of six after a car accident left her with spinal-cord injuries-can relate to. "As a child, I longed to see myself reflected in an image," she tells Vogue. "But I couldn't find my body or my chair represented on TV or in magazines. Disabled people weren't models or actresses. There was no disabled princess."
Social media and body positivity
In recent years, however, things have started to change. Social media became a tool through which people with disabilities could finally control the way they were being seen. Meanwhile, across the board, calls for greater diversity and the burgeoning body-positivity movement opened up the space to celebrate beauty in all its different forms. As a result, we're seeing people with disabilities making appearances on the runway, on the cover of magazines, in fashion advertisements and in beauty campaigns. This long-awaited representation is slowly but surely eroding the historical stigmas surrounding people with disabilities. But it hasn't been easy, nor has it been swift.

Back in 2017, as I looked around the bodies both on and off the catwalk, there was only one person who looked like me, and that was model Jillian Mercado. Mercado is the first person I ever truly felt represented by because, like myself, she also has a form of muscular dystrophy and uses a power wheelchair to get around.

Growing up, Mercado felt alienated by the industry's ableist beauty standards. And so she took it upon herself to challenge them from the inside, studying a degree in marketing at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and interning at Allure magazine. After modeling for friends' fashion projects, in 2014 she landed a campaign for Diesel. The following year she signed with IMG, and has since featured in campaigns for Beyoncé's Formation merchandise and US luxury department store Nordstrom, and was recently on the cover of Teen Vogue.

"There are so many people who feel underrepresented, who feel like they don't exist, who feel invisible in a very visible setting," she says of her motivation. "I wanted them to feel like they belong - like they can also be models."

People with disabilities are often praised for their bravery - a compliment that can feel unsettling because many of us wouldn't consider ourselves brave for simply pursuing the things we want, just like everybody else. Our stubbornness, however, is something that people might want to take note of.

Where Mercado paved the way, others have followed. There's model Aaron Philip who, in 2018, became the first Black, transgender, and physically disabled model to be represented by a major modeling agency, after one of her tweets went viral. Similarly, deaf, transgender model Chella Man gained traction after sharing photos of himself online.

There's also lecturer, writer and disability advocate Sinéad Burke - a little person from Ireland who graced the cover of British Vogue in September 2019. Burke was also the first little person to attend the Met Gala that same year, challenging traditional views on inclusion in her custom-made Gucci gown. A year later, Gucci made headlines by casting Ellie Goldstein, a young model with Down syndrome as the new face of Gucci Beauty.

Beyond representation
The inclusion of disabled bodies within fashion and beauty has been a major step in the right direction, but the industry has a long way to go. "Seeing disability representation as a key component of diversity is a start," says Scalesse. It's true, while the industry has been quick to answer calls from some minority communities, ours seems somewhat left behind.

It's about time we move beyond optics and tokenism. Yes, we need to see more people with disabilities in front of the camera, but we also need to see them behind the camera, too. We need to see people who look like us in positions of power at magazines, at global beauty and fashion brands, at the teams behind fashion weeks, in casting agencies, in all of the places where we have historically been forgotten.

After all, what good is seeing someone that looks like you in a campaign if a brand can't meet your needs? Likewise, why cast a model in a shoot or runway show when she cannot properly access the venue or backstage?

In a lot of ways, 2020 was a year of awakening. A year to recognize all the voices that were being ignored. Brands that had never been held to account before were being called out on their tokenism and unequal treatment of minorities, while the whole world was forced to slow down and listen. 2021 should be the year of action.

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Why Disability Representation Is Crucial to Building a Better, More Inclusive Fashion Industry

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Madison Lawson - who has used a wheelchair all her life - writes candidly about the importance of inclusivity in the fashion and beauty industry for people with disabilities

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Why Nike’s Parasport Mannequin Deserves Just As Much Discussion As The Plus-Size One

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It’s time to talk about the parasport mannequin

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Disabled people in the UK are much more likely to struggle to heat their homes and cut back on food this winter, according to a report highlighting "massive" income gaps amid the cost of living squeeze.

Research from the Resolution Foundation found people with disabilities had an available amount to spend that was about 44% lower than that of other working-age adults, exposing them hugely to the rising cost of essentials.

The thinktank said there was a chasm between the underlying disposable incomes of people with a disability (£19,397 a year) and the non-disabled population (£27,792), according to analysis of official figures and a YouGov survey of just under 8,000 working-age adults, more than 2,000 of whom reported a long-term illness or disability.

Highlighting the risks to households struggling with the highest rates of inflation since the early 1980s, it said almost half (48%) of disabled adults said they had to cut back on energy use this winter, compared with almost one-third of people without a disability.

Up to two-fifths of people with a disability (41%) said they could not afford to keep their homes warm, compared with 23% of the non-disabled population.

People with a disability are far more likely to be poorer than the rest of the population, with up to a third of adults in the lowest-income households having a disability, compared with fewer than a tenth of those in the richest homes.

The Resolution Foundation said the income gaps were only partly explained by lower employment rates among disabled workers. Even after accounting for employment status, more than half of the original income gap remains, showing that in-work disabled people face an increased risk of being on lower incomes than their peers.

The figures come after the government set out plans for making cost of living support payments from April for millions of households on means-tested benefits.

About 8 million people will receive £900 in three instalments: £301 made in the spring; a £300 second cost-of-living payment in the autumn; and a third cost-of-living payment of £299 made in spring next year.

There will be a further £300 payment for pensioners in winter 2023/24 and more than 6 million disabled people will receive a separate £150 payment as part of the plan.

However, the Resolution Foundation said further support measures would be needed to help disabled people, given the additional financial pressures faced amid the cost of living crisis.

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Charlie McCurdy, an economist at the Resolution Foundation, said that while fast-rising prices for essentials were affecting people across the UK, people with disabilities were more exposed to the most severe effects.

"This means people with a disability - who account for a third of the poorest households in Britain - will require additional protection during the cost of living crisis, which the government has acknowledged through their cost of living payments," he said.

"But more policy work will be needed, not just through this crisis, but to make more progress on closing the huge income gaps that already existed between disabled people and the rest of the population."

A spokesperson for the government said it was committed to protecting the most vulnerable and that it recognised disabled people face additional costs. In addition to one-off cost of living payments, disability benefits would increase in-line with inflation from April, they added.

"We have a range of initiatives to help disabled people start, stay and succeed in work, including tailored work coach support, to help boost incomes further."

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Disabled people among hardest hit by cost of living crisis, finds study

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People with disabilities more likely to cut back on energy use and food, Resolution Foundation says

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The adaptive fashion brand's London Fashion Week debut will feature 30 models with disabilities and visible differences. Experts say it should be a wakeup call for mainstream brands to stop ignoring this group of customers.

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Adaptive clothing brand Unhidden was gearing up to make its London Fashion Week debut last season when the news broke of Queen Elizabeth II's death. Founder Victoria Jenkins quickly realised she had to postpone the event: "I couldn't guarantee the models' safety, getting around London, on that particular weekend," she says. The media blackout would have made it difficult to make an impact, too. "I was pretty gutted at the time from the community point of view because it meant less representation for another season."

Today, Unhidden will finally get to realise its ambition of showing its collection during fashion week. The evening show, whose principal sponsor is The Bicester Collection, will feature 30 models with disabilities or visible differences, a first in LFW's history. Founder Victoria Jenkins hopes it will "encourage other designers and show that there is real value and real beauty in being inclusive".

For the models involved in the show, it's a big deal - a moment in history that has the potential to change some people's perceptions of what is fashionable and desirable. Sandie Roberts, disability advocate, speaker and model, who is a full-time wheelchair user, believes it will be "the moment that the future will look back on and say, that's when it changed, that's when the world finally started to take notice when it understood that we mattered and we weren't going anywhere".

However, experts say there's still a lot of work to do to make fashion more accessible to the 14.6 million disabled people in the UK. Even as understanding grows, lack of investment and commitment remain barriers. And, while buzzy, awareness-building moments at fashion weeks are important, there is a need for systemic change.

Jenkins, a trained garment technologist who spent 14 years in the fashion industry at British high street brands, including All Saints and Jack Wills, founded Unhidden in 2017 after noticing a gap in the market for stylish, adaptive clothing. She became disabled in her mid-20s, and struggled to find fashion that suited her own needs. Unhidden started with made-to-order but now sells ready-to-wear direct-to-consumer online, and via occasional pop-up stores in the UK. The seasonless collection is keenly priced to keep it accessible, ranging from £30 to £150, across men's and women's. After LFW, Unhidden will launch a partnership with a rental platform Loanhood. It is also working on an adaptive kidswear range, to be brought to market this summer, and discussing a potential adaptive footwear collaboration with Kurt Geiger. Jenkins would like to sell products wholesale in the future, once the brand is more established.

During the LFW show, Unhidden will show 20 new designs that cater to the various needs of the disabled community. The collection offers both standing and seated versions of trousers, taking into account the comfort of those in wheelchairs. The removal of excess material at the front of the hip and back of the knee ensures greater comfort and helps prevent pressure sores.

Tops are also available in standing and seated versions, with arm openings for easy access to the arm for those undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy and those with diabetes or a long-term PICC line. The dresses have openings for stoma bags or feeding tubes, eliminating the need to remove clothing. Pockets are strategically placed for easy accessibility, and snap fastenings replace buttons, making dressing easier for individuals with limb differences or reduced dexterity. Soft jerseys are also available for those with sensory needs.

Jenkins explains that she consulted with doctors, patients and disabled influencers to ensure the designs were informed by the community's actual experiences. She also analysed reviews and comments on other adaptive wear brands to identify areas for improvement. For the show, Jenkins chose a mix of both models with disabilities and those with visible differences, regardless of whether they were professional models or not. "It was important to me to show the real diversity within the community," she explains.

Hiding behind excuses

Very few designers and brands use models with visible disabilities or show adaptive fashion on the catwalk. There are some exceptions: Tommy Hilfiger has an adaptive collection, which it has included in its New York Fashion Week shows, featuring disabled models. This season in New York, disability activist Lily Brasch, who has muscular dystrophy, appeared on the Hitechmoda runway. Aaron Rose Philip, who has cerebral palsy, was featured in Collina Strada's runway show.

Teatum Jones made waves at London Fashion Week in 2017 by casting models with disabilities for its runway show. The aim was to make the point that a person's disability or physical appearance should not limit their access to great clothing. As Rob Jones, the co-founder of Teatum Jones, puts it: "We were told at the time by people that we shouldn't do it and that certain barriers existed that would make including disabled models in our show impossible, but when it came down to it, those barriers didn't really exist." Some had suggested that having models with disabilities would require double the team to assist with dressing and accessibility; Teatum Jones found this was not the case.

"We're part of an industry that prides itself on being forward-thinking and a pioneer of change and difference, but it actually isn't," says Jones. He points out that it is usually left to smaller, upcoming brands to push the boundaries in fashion, yet these brands lack the resources to make a significant impact. He believes that more established brands need to take the initiative and drive meaningful change.

Laura Winson, co-founder of Zebedee, the UK's first modelling agency exclusively representing people with disabilities, echoes Jones's view that brands should not hide behind the excuse that disabled talent is difficult to find or accommodate. Many of Zebedee's models are standard sample size and height, with the only difference being their disability. Still, getting brands to book them can be a challenge. "People always tell us the industry will get there, it's a slow process and it's just going to take time, but we've been here for six years now and brands are still not booking disabled models," Winson says.

The Bicester Collection provided funding for the Unhidden show. Chantal Khoueiry, chief culture officer at The Bicester Collection, says of Jenkins, "we admire her determination as a young female entrepreneur pushing boundaries, and we applaud her commitment to making sustainable and adaptive fashion accessible."

Kurt Geiger also supported the show by providing its HQ as a wheelchair-accessible space for the event and offering to supply disabled-friendly shoes for the models. "People with disabilities are too often excluded from the fashion sphere, and it's essential that we all join forces to help change this," says Kurt Geiger's chief creative officer, Rebecca Farrar-Hockley.

Kurt Geiger's office space includes private rooms for changing. "Everyone will have a private space to get changed; we're not having anyone get changed in the open," Jenkins says. "Privacy is important because we have a wide array of bodies with different dressing needs and dignity is paramount." To make the show more accessible, a British Sign Language interpreter will be present for the live singing performance, and the show will be recorded live on the night for anyone unable to attend physically. "We have limited the guests and kept the show quite small so that it's not too overwhelming for the models," she adds.

Change in the wider industry

Jenkins points out that, by ignoring disability, fashion brands are missing out on a significant pool of potential customers. Twenty-two per cent of people in the UK live with a disability, according to estimates from the UK government's Family Resources Survey. "People have told me 'oh, what you do it's very niche', but I don't consider one in five people to be niche, that's an awful lot of people," says Jenkins.

Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council, is keenly aware of the barriers that have traditionally kept disabled talent on the fringes of the fashion industry. "Lack of investment, knowledge and commitment to inclusivity, as well as representation in all stages of product design," have been the biggest challenges, she says. Part of the problem is lack of education, adds Jenkins: "Brands [with] huge design teams get told they have to create inclusive fashion, and they have no idea how to do it because they haven't been taught it."

Jenkins believes that the key to overcoming the barriers is to involve those with lived experiences. Caroline Casey, the founder of Valuable 500, a collective of CEOs that are working together towards disability inclusion, agrees: "Much of the misunderstandings and 'mistakes' could be avoided by simply asking us what we need or how we can get better together. By involving the community, their ideas, their talent and tenacity, by supporting, developing and investing in design we will accelerate the move beyond optics and tokenism. There is a desperate need for systemic change - not just inspiring moments."

Jenkins hopes to inspire the next generation of designers to think more inclusively. "Fashion students are reaching out to me directly to discuss adaptive design, so we can see that the next generation of designers are genuinely inspired by this work, and that's what we want to keep encouraging."
Correction: This article has been updated to include The Bicester Collection as the principal sponsor of the Unhidden show (17/2/2023).
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
More on this topic: Gucci disrupts disability inclusion The $400 billion adaptive clothing opportunity What happens when the shoe doesn't fit?

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Unhidden plans breakthrough moment for adaptive fashion at LFW

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The adaptive fashion brand's London Fashion Week debut will feature 30 models with disabilities and visible differences. Experts say it should be a wakeup call for mainstream brands to stop ignoring this group of customers.

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"My mom became disabled about 10 years ago, and for the first time, she couldn't get her clothing on - especially bras and underwear," says Emma Butler, the CEO and founder of Liberare, an adaptive underwear brand with a mission to make change in the fashion industry. "She previously had a beautiful collection of lingerie but, since her dexterity and mobility completely changed in her 40s, her only lingerie options became medical and quite ugly looking. I watched her confidence plummet."

In the aftermath of this seismic change, Butler witnessed her mother struggling to get her mojo back, and after heading to university, she met other women suffering with disabilities. "I learned that over 600 million women worldwide have some sort of disability that affects the way they dress," she adds, adding that she quickly discovered how few options there were for women who couldn't dress independently or easily.

Resolving to rectify this, Butler set to work creating Liberare, her adaptive underwear brand. The word "liberare" means "to free or liberate" in Latin, and represents the brand's aim to free disabled people from painful or uncomfortable dressing experiences, via functional garments that make getting ready for their day that much easier. On a quest to empower disabled women and offer an inclusive experience, Liberare is one of the first brands to offer adaptive underwear that is chic, as well as functional. It looks set to be the first of many: The adaptive apparel industry is tipped to be worth $400 billion by 2026.

Liberare bras (the Plunge Bralette and Liberare bra) are front opening and utilise two different types of strong (but lightweight) magnets to fasten. "Hooks and eyes are especially hard for folks with limited dexterity," says Butler. "We wanted to do magnets, but realised that the pinching motion of putting magnets together can also be difficult for a lot of folks, so we added loop grips. You can slip a finger in if you have a prosthetic arm, for example, and easily glide the fabric together, where it will stay put."

As for briefs, they created side-opening knickers to allow wheelchair users or those with limited shoulder mobility to easily slip the garment underneath them and fasten on both sides. "One of our styles is velcro, and the other is magnetic, which allows for adjustability," Butler says. They also offer side-opening pyjama sets, which she says have proven extremely popular.

You can buy Liberare's game-changing underwear now, but Butler and her team (which includes a number of disabled members of staff) also aim to licence the technology to bigger brands, to help them enter the space. "I don't think we're going to see any societal or systemic changes in the fashion industry until every brand has an adaptive line in the same way they have maternity and plus-size brands," she points out.

"Our entire brand revolves around amplifying disabled voices, but it's also about easier dressing. I mean, it is 2022 and my mom and other disabled women still have to fumble with hooks and eyes and buttons. We can send a man to the moon, so why has a bra not been redesigned in 100 years?"

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Liberare Is The Adaptive Underwear Brand Changing The Lingerie Game

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Liberare is the adaptive underwear brand making it easier for disabled people to get dressed each day. Vogue speaks to the CEO and founder or Liberare, Emma Butler, on what's next for the inclusive underwear brand.

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PVH Corp. owned Tommy Hilfiger has announced the launch of its Spring 2021 Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive collection, an innovative line of clothing designed to make dressing easier for adults and children with disabilities.

Featuring items for men, women and children, this seasons collection aims to "redefine the preppy aesthetic through a modern mix of court sports and coastal prep styles". The versatile pieces in the collection have been created to function as everyday essentials, work-from-home staples and comfort wear, incorporating modifications that promote ease of movement with easy closures, seated-wear solutions and fits for prosthetics.

Determined to address the gap in the market for apparel for those with a disability and to make a positive difference, the brand has become the first global lifestyle brand to modify its mainstream apparel to fit the needs of people with disabilities.

TheIndustry.fashion has created a gallery with images featuring the new collection:

The online shopping journey for Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive has been created with the goal of end-to-end accessibility for consumers, with a "shop by solution" feature guiding shoppers through all adaptive modifications, allowing them to choose the best solution for their lifestyle.

Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive orders will also arrive in accessible, user-friendly packaging that provides ease of opening and returning.

Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive has also cast diverse talent from the adaptive community in its campaign, with Olympic cyclist Kristina Vogel, Paralympian Rheed McCracken, Paralympic swimmer and track runner Haven Shepherd, former football player Isaiah Pead and paddle boarder Jonas Letieri.

Tommy Hilfiger, Principal Designer, Tommy Hilfiger Global, commented: "Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive is about creating fashion that is accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. Getting dressed should be a joy - an experience that empowers you to look good and feel good in what you are wearing. Our adaptive collections have revolutionised everyday dressing for people with disabilities, giving them the independence and confidence to express their individuality through style."

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Tommy Hilfiger launches innovative line of clothing designed for adults and children with disabilities | The Industry Fashion

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PVH Corp. owned Tommy Hilfiger has announced the launch of its Spring 2021 Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive collection, an innovative line of clothing designed to make dressing easier for adults and children with disabilities. Featuring items for men, women and children, this seasons collection aims to "redefine the preppy aesthetic through a modern mix of court sports and coastal prep styles".

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When Tommy Hilfiger first designed an adaptive fashion line in 2016, he was an outlier in a space otherwise dominated by hyper-functional, medical garments catered to the elderly. Five years later, the adaptive market remains largely untapped by mainstream fashion brands, but Tommy Hilfiger is furthering commitments after commercial success.

Tommy Hilfiger will increase its Tommy Adaptive collections to two per year and expand availability worldwide, having already added Europe, Australia and Japan last year. Seventy-five per cent of consumers who buy the range are new to Tommy.com, typically shop non-adaptive sections and those that do spend 4.8 times more than the average customer, according to the brand. "Leading the way for adaptive fashion is something we're very proud of," Hilfiger wrote via email to Vogue Business, adding that his passion for adaptive design stems from the issues his autistic children have faced getting dressed.

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Tommy Hilfiger ramps up adaptive fashion. Who's next?

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Mainstream brands have been slow to embrace adaptive design, but Tommy Hilfiger has stood apart and has proof it's working. Now LVMH has signalled an interest in the burgeoning market.

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Adaptive clothing is clothing specifically created for people with disabilities; this could be a physical disability or invisible disability such as chronic illnesses, but in general adaptive clothing is designed for anyone who has trouble dressing. This difficulty in dressing may present itself in a person having trouble with closures (buttons, hook and eyes, and zippers) because of limited hand dexterity, trouble with "over-the-head" dresses, blouses and shirts because of limited shoulder mobility, or inability to wear pants because of uncomfortable seam and rivet placements on the butt for wheelchair users. There are a lot more nuanced and specific examples and it's good to keep in mind that the word "adaptive clothing" doesn't refer to just one type of disability or body function and type, but rather is a general term to indicate that a clothing item is made for people who do not fit the conventions of the clothing industry

Adaptive clothing can be purposefully designed for people with disabilities, such as a button down shirt with magnetic buttons, which was designed with the intent to solve the problems of people who cannot use regular buttons. Other clothing items are "adaptive" for disabled people perhaps without the seller even knowing. "Super soft," "prewashed," and "tagless" shirts are great for people with sensory sensitivity and it adapted to their needs. Often sellers do not even use keywords like "sensory friendly" or "adaptive" to market their products, so it can be hard to find. Along the same line, period panties (sold on our site, just got to panties) are not traditionally marketed to disabled women; but period panties are excellent for women who have a hard time changing sanitary products. Many clothing items are "adaptive" in their own right, but aren't marketed as so. So the term "adaptive clothing" really refers to garments designed to ease the dressing needs of disabled people.

Adaptive clothing has been around for a while, often in the form of medical accessories. Compression stocking, cooling vests, and side opening hospital slips or shirts are all examples of "adaptive clothing." But with adaptive apparel coming to the mainstream culture in stores such as Target, Tommy Hilfiger and Zappos, let's hope the days of ugly archaic adaptive clothing is over. The best type of adaptive apparel is fashionable and functional.

We've highlighted a glossary of adaptive clothing terms from Disabled World, below, to help you with some key words you may want to know before shopping.

What are Cut-away Garments?This where the seat of the garment has been "cut away" providing easier personal care by the caregiver and comfort for the wearer.

What are Back-flap Pants?These are pants designed with fabric that overlaps at the seat and is attached by snaps at the waist to allow for ease in self-toileting for the wheelchair user.

What are Foot Orthoses?Foot orthoses comprise a custom made insert or foot-bed fitted into a shoe. Commonly referred to as "orthotics"these orthoses provide support for the foot by redistributing ground reaction forces as well as realigning foot joints while standing, walking or running.

What are One-piece Jumpsuits?These are defined as garments having back zipper access to prevent the wearer from disrobing inappropriately and assist in toileting and personal care needs for the individual.

What are Rear Closure Garments?These are special clothing items that open down the back to facilitate dressing people who cannot raise their arms over their head to put on a shirt or dress, or who are confined to a wheelchair or bed.

What are Side Snap Pants?Side snap pants feature snaps on both sides of the pants at the waistband providing ample room for care and dressing comfort, and making the waist area adjustable.

What are Side-zip Garments?Side-zip garments feature zippers down both sides allowing greater ease in dressing and facilitates the transfer process in toileting.

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Adaptive clothing is clothing specifically created for people with disabilities; this could be a physical disability or invisible disability such as chronic illnesses, but in general adaptive clothing is designed for anyone who has trouble dressing. This difficulty in dressing may present itself in a person having trou

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Raipur, Dec. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stratview Research, a leading has launched a report on the Adaptive Clothing Market which provides an in-depth analysis of the market dynamics, current and emerging trends, industry forecast, and competitive landscape.
Click here to get the free sample pdf: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/1558/adaptive-clothing-market.html#form How is the Report Helpful?
The report has a very high utility for the key decision-makers and strategists in terms of accurate market insights, future growth opportunities, and key success factors.

Most importantly, the report analyses the possible impact of COVID-19 on the market dynamics which offers cushioning against the uncertain business environment and helps in streamlining the resources and investment decisions in a fruitful manner.

What are the Top Market Drivers?
According to the report, the Adaptive Clothing market is driven by a host of factors, some of which are noted below:

The growing geriatric population along with increasing disabilities in people, among kids as well as adults.

As per World Bank, around 15% of the global population is experiencing disability.

Also, according to the United Nation, in 2017, the number of people aged 60 or above was 962 million and the geriatric population is growing at a steady rate of 3% annually, thus offering immense opportunities to the industry participants.

However, limited awareness regarding the availability of adaptive clothing is one of the restraining factors.

The report also includes growth rate estimates based on the intensity of drivers and constraints and provides the users with several graphical illustrations of the key insights.
Adaptive Clothing Market Segmentation:
Stratview Research has segmented the market in the following ways which fulfill the market data needs of multiple stakeholders across the industry value chain.
Adaptive Clothing Market Trends by End-Use Type Market Insights Which region offers the best opportunity and growth?

By Product (Adaptive Dresses, Adaptive Tops & Pants),

By End Use (Geriatric Population, Disabled Adults & Children),

By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World).

COVID-19 Impact on the Adaptive Clothing Market
The global adaptive clothing market has been bifurcated into the geriatric population and disabled adults & children. The Geriatric Population segment accounted for the highest market share in 2021 and is likely to register a steady CAGR during the review period. This is mainly attributed to the surging geriatric population in the developed countries of Europe, and Japan. Further, increasing standard of living and raising awareness of adaptive clothing in old-age homes and hospitals further boosts the segment growth.
To know more about the covid-19 impact, get a free sample report, here: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/1558/adaptive-clothing-market.html#form Who are the Top Market Players?
The European Market garnered the highest market share in 2021 and is likely to grow at a healthy CAGR during the review period. Europe has the highest percentage of population aged 60 and above, with 25% of the global geriatric population, thus has a large consumer base for adaptive clothing, booting the regional demand. Also, high prevalence of orthopaedic diseases among aged population, further bolsters the European market growth. Italy, Germany, France, and Spain have large population of aged population, thus contribution substantially to the regional market.

COVID-19 has put an instant halt to many industries across the globe. Lockdown norms in several countries have swiftly affected the global economy by affecting the supply chain, production, and demand in the market. Both direct, as well as indirect impacts of the pandemic, have been incorporated in this report.
What deliverables will you get in this report?
After a thorough analysis of the market, the experts have listed a few key players and discussed the company profiles of the below-given players -
Related reports which might be useful: About us -

PVH Corp. (The U.S.)

Silvert's Adaptive Clothing & Footwear (Canada)

NBZ Apparel International (The U.S.)

Able2Wear (UK)

Adaptions By Adrian (The U.S.)

Professional fit Clothing (The U.S.)

Adaptive Clothing Showroom (The U.S.)

Creation Comfort (Canada)

Buck & Buck (The U.S.)

Izzy Camilleri (Canada)

In-depth analysis of the Adaptive Clothing Market

Detailed market segmentation.

Competitive landscape analysis.

Historical, present, and future market size analysis.

Industry trends, technologies, and advancements.

Growth and operation strategies adopted by key players.

Potential segments/regions offering promising growth.

Geographical presence of the key players.

Click here to sign up (No costs involved):
Stratview Research is a global market research firm that offers reliable market reports, market entry strategies, strategic growth consulting, and more. The market experts compile high-quality market information to help users obtain granular level clarity on current business trends and expected future developments. Stratview Research also offers customization of the reports. Reach out to the analysts to customize the given report according to your priority/requirement.

Stratview Research has also launched 'Composights', an online portal that offers free thought leadership reports, whitepapers, market report synopsis, and much more for Composites and allied industries, worth US$ 20,000 every year.

https://www.stratviewresearch.com/composights/sign-in

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Adaptive Clothing Market is Projected to Reach US$ 5.67 Billion in 2028

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The Adaptive Clothing Market is expected to reach US$ 5.67 Billion in 2028, growing at a CAGR of 15.24% during 2022-2028, reports Stratview Research....

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Image and psychology are pretty closely linked. To be clear, we aren't psychologists, but there are clear correlations between the two concepts. Ideas around personality and its manifestation have one foot in image and the other in psychology. They way we perceive what we see and hear (and smell and touch) are present in both areas. We wanted to explore this relationship a bit more, so we'll be discussing Style, Image, and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Who Was Maslow?

Abraham Maslow (4/1/1908 - 6/8/1970) was a Jewish-American psychologist and professor. He taught at, among other places, elite institutions such as Brandeis University and Columbia University. Profoundly influential in the field of humanistic psychology, he was ranked 10th most-cited psychologist of the 20th century by A Review of General Psychology in 2002. Maslow himself summed up humanistic psychology as completing what Sigmund Freud started, saying "It is as if Freud supplied us the sick half of psychology and we must now fill it out with the healthy half."

He is arguably most famous for his Hierarchy of Needs, a theory which, when paraphrased, says that humans have to meet certain existential needs to be mentally healthy and eventually self-actualize - become the best person that they can. The stages are below.

What is Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs?"

1. Physiological needs: Like other animals, we need the basics to have even a remote chance at thriving. Food and water, air, shelter, clothing, sex, sleep, and excretion all fall under this category.

2. Safety needs: Once your body has what it needs, you focus on protecting it - surviving. What do we need to survive? We need to feel personally secure, not concerned about threats to life and limb. We need resources, jobs that allow us to make money to acquire those resources, and, of course, our health.

3. Love and belonging: Humans are social animals. Anecdotes we hear about people losing it during quarantine make sense - we need positive relationships to thrive. These relationships can be friendships, family ties, romantic intimacy, and/or a sense of connection to one's community and other social groups.

4. Esteem: We need to feel good about ourselves if we are to thrive. This can come in the form of social status, respect, self-esteem, recognition by others, and the freedom to do as you please (more or less).

5. Self-actualization: With all our other needs met, we can focus on being the most that we can be.

These needs are often simultaneously present in an individual, but fulfilling those needs is a one-at-a-time endeavor. Having a close, loving spouse meets an important human need, but if you don't have food to eat, you're going to look for a meal before a mate. You wouldn't survive otherwise.

How Your Personal Brand Relates To Your Well-Being

Unsurprisingly, as clothiers and image consultants, we see a lot of what we do in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. If we start at the bottom of the pyramid, we see that clothing itself meets a physiological need. It keeps us warm when it's cold and protects us from the elements - in short, it enables us to survive in the physical sense of the word.

This is a natural segue into the next tier of the pyramid, which involves safety needs. Clothing doesn't just keep us safe from the world around us - it also enables us to secure employment in the modern world. It goes without saying that gainfully employed people will usually have better access to resources and better health outcomes than unemployed or underemployed people.

Image & Relationships

As for love and relationships, clothing and your image both play a role. Clothes aren't everything, but good ones that fit well and flatter your frame will make you more physically attractive - just ask any guy whose wife sees him in a nice suit. The clothes you wear affect how you present yourself to the world - your image - and therefore affects how others respond to you. The right clothing - one that aligns with an authentic image you wish to project - will help you develop deeper relationships more quickly, satisfying a basic human need.

As for esteem, one word that sticks out to us is status. We wrote about how we use clothing and other markers of wealth to signal membership in a social group, hearkening back to tier three. We use clothes to project status and, in some cases, rejection of traditional status norms. Our sense of self-esteem is tied up in our image as well. Image is part of who we are, it's our brand. If you feel good about your brand, that's high self-esteem.

Becoming The Most "You" You Can Be

Self-actualization, or being the most that you can be, starts with a healthy self-image. Humans need this to reach their maximum potential. Expressing your image through your clothing can help you reach this potential.

Conclusion

The psychology of image fascinates us. We hope you enjoyed reading as much as we did writing about style, image, and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Curious to develop your image? We're here to help. Call 215-310-0219 or email info@henrydavidsen.com to start a conversation.

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Style, Image, & Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

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Philadelphia & NYC men's bespoke tailors Henry A. Davidsen discuss style, image, & Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Image & psychology.

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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains human behavior by positing there is a hierarchy of needs and that we deal with more basic needs before moving on to the next set of needs. Clothes serve a multi…

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There are 14.1 million disabled people in the UK.

8% of children are disabled

19% of working age adults are disabled

46% of pension age adults are disabled

Source: Family Resources Survey (2019 to 20)

Employment

More than 4.4 million disabled people are in work.

Disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people.

Source: Labour Force Survey October to December 2020

Extra costs

Life costs you £583 more on average a month if you're disabled.

Families of disabled children on average, face extra costs of £581 a month

For almost a quarter (24%) of families with disabled children, extra costs amount to over £1,000 a month.

Source: Scope - The disability price tag (2019)

Poverty

After housing costs, the proportion of working age disabled people living in poverty (27%) is higher than the proportion of working age non-disabled people (19%).

Source: Scope's analysis based on Households Below Average Income (2018 to 19)

2 million (43%) of the 4.5 million children in poverty are living in a family where someone is disabled.

Source: Measuring Poverty 2020 - Social Metrics Commission.

Spending power

The total spending power of families with at least 1 disabled person is estimated at £274 billion a year.

Source: Scope's analysis based on Household Below Average Income (2017 to 18)

Attitudes

1 in 3 disabled people feel there's a lot of disability prejudice.

1 in 3 people see disabled people as being less productive than non-disabled people.

In 2000, 37% of disabled people and 34% of non-disabled people felt that there was a lot of prejudice around disability. The gap trebled by 2017, with 32% of disabled people and 22% of non-disabled people feeling there is a lot of prejudice against disabled people.

Source: Scope - Disability Perception Gap (2018)

87% of parents of disabled children up to the age of 5 have felt judged by members of the public when they go out with their disabled child.

Source: Scope - Now is the time research (2018)

Government statistics on disability
UK Government disability facts and figures
Scope's research work

Scope carries out research to develop policy so we can campaign to create a fairer society for disabled people.
Research, policy and campaigning work

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Disability facts and figures | Disability charity Scope UK

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There are 14.1 million disabled people in the UK. 8% of children are disabled 19% of working age adults are disabled 46% of pension age adults are disabled Source: Family Resources Survey (2019 to 20) More than 4.4 million disabled people are in work.

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1. The Advantages of Reaching a Wider Audience

As a business or website owner, you are always looking for ways to reach a wider audience. There are many benefits to reaching a wider audience. Here are some of the advantages of reaching a wider audience:

1. You will get more traffic to your website or blog.

The more people that know about your website or blog, the more traffic you will get. This is because more people will be able to find your website or blog when they search for keywords related to your business or website.

2. You will get more customers or clients.

If you have a business, then reaching a wider audience will help you get more customers or clients. This is because more people will be aware of your business and what you have to offer.

3. You will increase your brand awareness.

Reaching a wider audience will also help you increase your brand awareness. This is because more people will be exposed to your brand and what it has to offer. As a result, more people will remember your brand and be more likely to purchase from you in the future.

4. You will make more sales.

If you are selling products or services, then reaching a wider audience will help you make more sales. This is because more people will be aware of your products or services and be more likely to purchase them.

5. You will get more leads.

Reaching a wider audience will also help you generate more leads. This is because more people will be exposed to your brand and what you have to offer. As a result, more people will be interested in what you have to offer and be more likely to sign up for your email list or contact you for more information.

Overall, there are many advantages to reaching a wider audience. By reaching a wider audience, you will be able to increase traffic to your website or blog, get more customers or clients, increase your brand awareness, make more sales, and generate more leads.

The Advantages of Reaching a Wider Audience - The Advantages of Reaching a Wider Audience

2. Why You Should Reach a Wider Audience

As a business owner, you are always looking for ways to increase your customer base and grow your company. One way to do this is to reach a wider audience. Here are four reasons why you should reach a wider audience:

1. You'll reach more potential customers.

The more people you reach, the more potential customers you have. By increasing your audience, you're increasing your chances of finding new customers.

2. You'll build brand awareness.

Reaching a wider audience will help you build brand awareness. The more people who are exposed to your brand, the more likely they are to remember it and think of it when they need your product or service.

3. You'll increase your sales.

As you reach more people and build brand awareness, you'll also see an increase in sales. The wider your audience, the more likely you are to sell your product or service.

4. You'll stand out from your competition.

If you're the only business in your industry reaching a wide audience, you'll automatically stand out from your competition. This can give you a major advantage and help you attract even more customers.

Why You Should Reach a Wider Audience - The Advantages of Reaching a Wider Audience

3. How to Reach a Wider Audience

It's no secret that the internet has drastically changed the way we communicate. In the past, if you wanted to reach a wide audience, you had to rely on traditional methods like print media, television, and radio. While these methods are still effective, they can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Fortunately, the internet has made it easier than ever to reach a wide audience. There are a number of ways you can use the internet to reach more people.

One of the best ways to reach a wider audience is by using social media. social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have billions of users. If you can tap into this vast pool of potential customers, you'll be able to reach a lot more people than you ever could have before.

Another great way to reach a wider audience is through content marketing. By creating high-quality content, you can attract attention from people all over the world. If your content is good enough, it will be shared by others and seen by even more people.

Finally, you can also use paid advertising to reach a wider audience. While this method can be costly, it can be very effective if done correctly.

If you want to reach a wider audience, the internet is the perfect tool. There are a number of ways you can use the internet to reach more people. With a little effort, you can easily expand your reach and start growing your business.

An entrepreneur assumes the risk and is dedicated and committed to the success of whatever he or she undertakes. Victor Kiam

4. The Benefits of Reaching a Wider Audience

When it comes to promoting your business, there are many advantages to reaching a wider audience. First and foremost, a wider audience means more potential customers. By targeting a larger group of people, you have a better chance of finding new customers and increasing your sales.

In addition to more potential customers, a wider audience also means more exposure for your business. The more people you reach, the more likely it is that word will spread about your company. This can lead to more word-of-mouth marketing, which is often the most effective form of marketing.

Finally, reaching a wider audience can also help you build credibility for your business. When you reach a larger group of people, you are more likely to be seen as an expert in your field. This can help you attract new customers and partners, as well as build trust with your existing customers.

Overall, there are many advantages to reaching a wider audience when promoting your business. By targeting a larger group of people, you can find new customers, increase your exposure, and build credibility for your company.

5. How to Increase Your chances ofReaching a Wider Audience

As a business owner, you are always looking for ways to increase your chances of reaching a wider audience. One way to do this is to use social media platforms to promote your business. However, before you start using social media to promote your business, there are a few things you need to know.

First, you need to identify which social media platforms your target audience is using. This will allow you to focus your efforts on the platforms that are most likely to reach your target audience. Once you know which platforms to use, you need to create engaging content that will capture the attention of your target audience.

Your content should be relevant to your target audience and should provide value. It should also be interesting and engaging, so that users will want to share it with their followers. In addition, you should use images and videos whenever possible, as these tend to be more engaging than text-based content.

Finally, you need to be active on social media. This means regularly sharing new and interesting content, interacting with other users, and responding to comments and messages. By being active on social media, you will increase your chances of reaching a wider audience.

I am an entrepreneur in the entertainment industry. Somewhere early on when I couldn't get something I wanted through the system, I threw up my hands and tried to figure a way to get it done myself. A lot of it came from my upbringing. My dad was an entrepreneur. Mike Binder

6. What You Need to Do Before You Start Reaching for aWider Audience

When you're first starting out with your blog, its understandable to want to reach as many people as possible. After all, the more readers you have, the more successful your blog will be, right?

Wrong.

Before you start reaching for a wider audience, there are a few things you need to do first. Otherwise, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment.

Heres what you need to do before you start reaching for a wider audience:

1. Find Your Voice

One of the most important things you need to do before you start reaching for a wider audience is to find your voice. What makes your blog unique? What sets it apart from all the other blogs out there?

If you cant answer these questions, then you need to take some time to figure it out. Once you know what your blog is all about, it will be much easier to attract the right readers.

2. Create Compelling Content

If you want to attract a wider audience, you need to create content that is compelling and interesting. No one is going to stick around if all you ever post is fluff and filler.

Take the time to create high-quality content that will keep people coming back for more. If you can do that, you'll have no trouble attracting a larger audience.

3. Be Consistent

One of the biggest mistakes bloggers make is being inconsistent with their content. They might post frequently for a while and then go months without posting anything new.

If you want to attract a wider audience, you need to be consistent with your content. That means posting new articles on a regular basis, even if you don't feel like it.

4. Promote Your Blog

Just because you have a great blog doesn't mean people are going to find it on their own. You need to promote your blog if you want to attract a wider audience.

There are a number of ways you can promote your blog, such as social media, guest blogging, and forums. Find the methods that work best for you and use them to get the word out about your blog.

5. Be Patient

Finally, don't expect to attract a huge audience overnight. It takes time to build up a following, so be patient. As long as you keep creating quality content and promoting your blog, eventually people will start taking notice.

If you want to attract a wider audience for your blog, follow these tips. By doing so, you'll be well on your way to success.

What You Need to Do Before You Start Reaching for aWider Audience - The Advantages of Reaching a Wider Audience

7. What You Can Expect After You Reach a Wider Audience

It's no secret that as your blog audience grows, so do the opportunities to make money from your blog. But, what does that actually mean? What can you expect after you reach a wider audience?

1. More sponsored post opportunities

As your blog audience grows, you'll start to attract the attention of brands who may be interested in sponsoring a post on your blog. Sponsored posts are a great way to monetize your blog, and they can be a very lucrative form of income.

2. Increased affiliate income

As your blog traffic increases, so will your affiliate income. If you're not familiar with affiliate marketing, it's a way for you to earn commission on sales that you refer from your blog. For example, if you have a fashion blog and you recommend a certain dress from a retailer, you could earn a commission on every sale that is generated from your readers clicking on your affiliate link.

3. More opportunities to collaborate with other bloggers

As your blog audience grows, you'll also start to gain the attention of other bloggers in your niche. This can lead to some great opportunities to collaborate with other bloggers on projects, guest posts, and more. Collaborating with other bloggers is a great way to build relationships and grow your blog audience even further.

4. The ability to charge more for advertising

As your blog traffic increases, so will the demand for advertising space on your blog. This means that you'll be able to charge more for advertising, and you'll have a lot more flexibility in terms of the types of advertisers that you work with.

5. More speaking and consulting opportunities

As your blog audience grows, you may also start to get invitations to speak at conferences or participate in consulting projects. These opportunities can be very lucrative, and they're also a great way to build your personal brand and grow your business.

Reaching a wider audience with your blog can open up a whole world of new opportunities, both in terms of monetizing your blog and growing your business. So, if you're looking to take your blog to the next level, don't be afraid to put yourself out there and reach a larger audience.

What You Can Expect After You Reach a Wider Audience - The Advantages of Reaching a Wider Audience

8. Why It's important to Keep Reaching for aWider audience

As a business owner, it's important to keep reaching for a wider audience. There are a number of reasons why this is important:

1. It helps you stay relevant.

If you're only catering to a small group of people, you're likely to become irrelevant over time. As your customers' needs change, you need to change with them. By reaching out to a wider audience, you can stay ahead of the curve and keep your business relevant.

2. It helps you grow your customer base.

The more people you reach, the more potential customers you have. If you're only marketing to a small group of people, you're limiting your growth potential. By expanding your reach, you can attract new customers and grow your business.

3. It helps you build brand awareness.

The more people you reach, the more likely they are to be aware of your brand. If you're only marketing to a small group of people, you're not getting the exposure you need to build brand awareness. Reaching a wider audience can help you get your brand in front of more people and increase awareness.

4. It helps you generate leads.

The more people you reach, the more likely you are to generate leads. If you're only marketing to a small group of people, you're missing out on potential leads. Reaching a wider audience can help you find new customers and grow your business.

5. It helps you increase sales.

The more people you reach, the more likely you are to increase sales. If you're only marketing to a small group of people, you're leaving money on the table. By expanding your reach, you can find new customers and increase sales.

6. It helps you build relationships.

The more people you reach, the more likely you are to build relationships. If you're only marketing to a small group of people, you're missing out on opportunities to connect with potential customers and build relationships. Reaching a wider audience can help you connect with more people and build relationships.

7. It helps you create loyalty.

The more people you reach, the more likely you are to create loyalty. If you're only marketing to a small group of people, you're missing out on opportunities to create loyalty among your customers. Reaching a wider audience can help you create loyalty and keep your customers coming back.

8. It helps you stand out from the competition.

If you're only marketing to a small group of people, you're not doing anything to stand out from the competition. By reaching out to a wider audience, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors and attract more attention.

9. It helps you get feedback.

The more people you reach, the more likely you are to get feedback. If you're only marketing to a small group of people, you're not getting the feedback you need to improve your business. Reaching a wider audience can help you get feedback and make improvements to your business.

10. It helps you build credibility.

The more people you reach, the more likely they are to trust your brand. If you're only marketing to a small group of people, your credibility is limited. Reaching a wider audience can help build credibility and trust in your brand.

Why It's important to Keep Reaching for aWider audience - The Advantages of Reaching a Wider Audience

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The Advantages of Reaching a Wider Audience - FasterCapital

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As a business or website owner, you are always looking for ways to reach a wider audience. There are many benefits to reaching a wider audience. Here are some of the advantages of reaching a wider audience: 1. You will get more traffic to your website or blog.

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Here at SpecialKids.Company HQ, we like our weekly instalments to be all about giving back to the community in any way we can. This is typically through top tips and advice for parents to help make life with a child with complex needs that little bit smoother and happier for everyone in the household.

This week, we thought we would do something a little bit different with our blog posts. We'd like to address the common question we see floating around the community: "Is adaptive clothing actually more expensive than standard children's clothing?

We can only speak for ourselves and not larger corporations, but one thing we can assure you the answer is not is "to turn a profit." When you turn to a smaller supplier such as us, you can guarantee that the clothing you buy for your little one is designed as if it was for our own child.

We are a special needs clothing and products supplier , and so everything we stock has specifically been chosen because it caters directly to the special needs market.

We believe we stock cost-effective product/garment which are the best of the best; which is exactly what your child deserves.

Here's what makes adaptive clothing that little bit extra special:

Attention to detail is paramount

For one thing, our clothing range isn't mass produced. We have the luxury of working closely with our designers paying particular attention to detail to create bespoke items. We consider every element; from the fabric we choose, to the way the garments are put together, and even the factories that we work with.

Being selective over every step in the manufacturing process has allowed us to create tailored, better quality garments that have been designed with the child/teen in mind. We appreciate that children with complex needs might have a slightly different shape to other children and are often not anatomically the same and hence need additional help such as those that have feeding tubes. We took this on board and made sure our garments puts the needs of both the wearer and the parents/carer first.

We continually look for ways to improve our garments in any way we can to make your life easier. Our purple popper is just one example!

Although we include some features that aren't sensory driven, we believe that the extra coverage our garments provide can give your child that overall sensory feel they crave. Regardless of if they wear their adaptive clothing as an undergarment or a standalone product.

We handpick our suppliers

We scouted for the best suppliers that knew and understood the importance of sensory needs to crea te practical and long-lasting clothing that makes your child feel comfortable in his or her own skin. It was important to us the factories putting clothing and products together didn't need reminding not to use labels or scratchy attachments. Our suppliers share our philosophies and put the wearer first throughout the manufacturing process. We also had to find suppliers that could cover the unusual age range of our clothing, and make them look age appropriate regardless of body shape, gender, or age.

Our clothes are built to last

We know that when it comes to children with special needs, sometimes there are a few extra unplanned washing cycles needed and so we make sure that all our fabrics and products are durable; meaning that they won't fade, shrink, or distort as quickly as standard fabrics will. We also ensured all the seams are top-stitched to prevent curling from those extra washes and comfortable when worn under other clothing.

We also factor age into the design

Typically, children grow at an alarmingly fast rate. Understandably, parents prefer to keep costs down where they can, so that buying a brand new wardrobe to match growth spurts and ever-changing interests every few months doesn't equate to the price of a small mortgage. Our range helps you save money buying your child with special needs new clothing.

How? Our clothes are designed with age in mind, and so you won't need to replace your garments as regularly as a standard collection. We factored this into the design by considering the size range between ages and creating a garment that grows with your child and covers a two year age span.

Most mass-produced adaptive clothing ranges are only designed for younger wearers, leaving young people and adults without much age-appropriate choice. With SpecialKids.Company, our range grows with your child into adulthood and so they'll always enjoy a pleasant dressing experience.

We may be a smaller company, but we've gone that extra mile to cater for your child and that's what makes our products so bespoke and comfortable. We are passionate about giving individuals the dignity and luxury that they deserve. When you factor all the features of the garments and the bespokeness of them and the longevity you get out of them, the answer to the question is 'NO': Adaptive clothing isn't actually more expensive than standard children's clothing.
We'd love to hear from you. If you ever have any suggestions on how to make our Specialkids.Company range better or if you would like some help and advice on products, do not hesitate to contact us.

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Is adaptive clothing actually more expensive than standard children's clothing?

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In this blog we try to answer a common question we see floating around the special needs community, "Is adaptive clothing actually more expensive than standard children's clothing?

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The Purple Pound refers to the spending power of disabled households. A disabled household is a household in which at least one of the members has a disability. Organisations are missing out on the business of disabled consumers due to poor accessibility (both physical and digital) and not being disability confident in their customer services approach.

1 in 5 - More than 1 in 5 potential UK consumers have a disability.

£2 billion - Businesses lose approximately £2 billion a month by ignoring the needs of disabled people.

73% - 73% of potential disabled customers experience barriers on more than a quarter of websites they visited.

£16 billion - Taking averages per head, the online spending power of disabled people is estimated at over £16 billion.

£17.1 billion - Estimates show that the 4.3 million disabled online shoppers, who click away from inaccessible websites, have a combined spending power of £11.75 billion in the UK.

14.1 million - The number of disabled people is increasing: From 11.9 million (2014) to 13.3 million (2020).

75% - 75% of disabled people and their families have walked away from a UK business because of poor accessibility or customer service.

1 in 5 - Nearly 1 in 5 working adults have a disability.

£274 billion - The spending power of disabled people and their household continues to increase and is currently (2020) estimated to be worth £274 billion per year to UK business.

Research has shown how various sectors lose money each month by not being accessible. A breakdown can be found below:
High Street Shops - £267 million Restaurants/Pubs/Clubs - £163 million Supermarkets - £501 million Energy Companies - £44 million Phone/Internet Providers - £49 million Transport Providers - £42 million Banks or Building Societies - £935 million

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The Purple Pound refers to the spending power of disabled households. A disabled household is a household in which at least one of the members has a disability. Organisations are missing out on the business of disabled consumers due to poor accessibility (both physical and digital) and not being disability confident in their customer services approach.

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Image and psychology are pretty closely linked. To be clear, we aren't psychologists, but there are clear correlations between the two concepts. Ideas around personality and its manifestation have one foot in image and the other in psychology. They way we perceive what we see and hear (and smell and touch) are present in both areas. We wanted to explore this relationship a bit more, so we'll be discussing Style, Image, and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Who Was Maslow?

Abraham Maslow (4/1/1908 - 6/8/1970) was a Jewish-American psychologist and professor. He taught at, among other places, elite institutions such as Brandeis University and Columbia University. Profoundly influential in the field of humanistic psychology, he was ranked 10th most-cited psychologist of the 20th century by A Review of General Psychology in 2002. Maslow himself summed up humanistic psychology as completing what Sigmund Freud started, saying "It is as if Freud supplied us the sick half of psychology and we must now fill it out with the healthy half."

He is arguably most famous for his Hierarchy of Needs, a theory which, when paraphrased, says that humans have to meet certain existential needs to be mentally healthy and eventually self-actualize - become the best person that they can. The stages are below.

What is Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs?"

1. Physiological needs: Like other animals, we need the basics to have even a remote chance at thriving. Food and water, air, shelter, clothing, sex, sleep, and excretion all fall under this category.

2. Safety needs: Once your body has what it needs, you focus on protecting it - surviving. What do we need to survive? We need to feel personally secure, not concerned about threats to life and limb. We need resources, jobs that allow us to make money to acquire those resources, and, of course, our health.

3. Love and belonging: Humans are social animals. Anecdotes we hear about people losing it during quarantine make sense - we need positive relationships to thrive. These relationships can be friendships, family ties, romantic intimacy, and/or a sense of connection to one's community and other social groups.

4. Esteem: We need to feel good about ourselves if we are to thrive. This can come in the form of social status, respect, self-esteem, recognition by others, and the freedom to do as you please (more or less).

5. Self-actualization: With all our other needs met, we can focus on being the most that we can be.

These needs are often simultaneously present in an individual, but fulfilling those needs is a one-at-a-time endeavor. Having a close, loving spouse meets an important human need, but if you don't have food to eat, you're going to look for a meal before a mate. You wouldn't survive otherwise.

How Your Personal Brand Relates To Your Well-Being

Unsurprisingly, as clothiers and image consultants, we see a lot of what we do in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. If we start at the bottom of the pyramid, we see that clothing itself meets a physiological need. It keeps us warm when it's cold and protects us from the elements - in short, it enables us to survive in the physical sense of the word.

This is a natural segue into the next tier of the pyramid, which involves safety needs. Clothing doesn't just keep us safe from the world around us - it also enables us to secure employment in the modern world. It goes without saying that gainfully employed people will usually have better access to resources and better health outcomes than unemployed or underemployed people.

Image & Relationships

As for love and relationships, clothing and your image both play a role. Clothes aren't everything, but good ones that fit well and flatter your frame will make you more physically attractive - just ask any guy whose wife sees him in a nice suit. The clothes you wear affect how you present yourself to the world - your image - and therefore affects how others respond to you. The right clothing - one that aligns with an authentic image you wish to project - will help you develop deeper relationships more quickly, satisfying a basic human need.

As for esteem, one word that sticks out to us is status. We wrote about how we use clothing and other markers of wealth to signal membership in a social group, hearkening back to tier three. We use clothes to project status and, in some cases, rejection of traditional status norms. Our sense of self-esteem is tied up in our image as well. Image is part of who we are, it's our brand. If you feel good about your brand, that's high self-esteem.

Becoming The Most "You" You Can Be

Self-actualization, or being the most that you can be, starts with a healthy self-image. Humans need this to reach their maximum potential. Expressing your image through your clothing can help you reach this potential.

Conclusion

The psychology of image fascinates us. We hope you enjoyed reading as much as we did writing about style, image, and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Curious to develop your image? We're here to help. Call 215-310-0219 or email info@henrydavidsen.com to start a conversation.

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Style, Image, & Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

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Philadelphia & NYC men's bespoke tailors Henry A. Davidsen discuss style, image, & Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Image & psychology.

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Adaptive Clothing: How to Design Apparel for an Overlooked Market

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Adaptive clothing is clothing for people with disabilities. Read about three different techniques fashion brands use to create and market apparel to this large segment of customers.

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The first time I attended New York Fashion Week was in 2017. As I arrived in the city that never sleeps, it quickly became evident as to why people call it that: there simply isn't time to sleep when you're navigating accessibility barriers. I went from fashion show to fashion show, where every time the people at the door were rarely informed on how a wheelchair user like myself could enter the building. At one point, my personal assistant had to throw me over her shoulder and drag my chair up the steps behind her - not the entrance I had always dreamed of, but it got me thinking: in an industry that celebrates diversity, why wasn't there anyone around that looked like me?

I was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy that causes progressive muscle loss throughout the body and, in some cases, leads to lung failure. Throughout my life, fashion and beauty have been my happy place. I find normality in eclectic patterns and vibrant lipsticks that allow me to stand out and actually feel seen instead of stared at. Because, although I might catch someone's attention initially because of my wheelchair, I tend to hold on to it because of my style. But, like most people with disabilities, when it comes to representation in the fashion and beauty industries, I have often felt excluded.
The power of representation

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 percent of people have some kind of a disability, forming the world's largest minority community. It's also the only minority community that anyone can potentially become part of at any point in their life. And yet, when it comes to telling our stories, we have either been reduced to harmful stereotypes or left out of the conversation entirely.

Judy Heumann, a lifelong disability rights activist and personal hero of mine, puts this down to the misguided notion that people with disabilities somehow aren't able to live full lives. "People have not seen us as an equal member within their communities, their schools, their mosques, their churches, their synagogues, social clubs, or whatever it may be," she says. "They look at us and they think, 'How could I live my life like that?'" -exactly the reason why authentic representation is so vital.

But it goes beyond that. As children, you create this image of beauty based on what society deems beautiful-so what happens when the image of beauty and desirability never looks like you? For one thing, it can have a damaging effect on your self-esteem and, at times, make it incredibly difficult to accept your own body.

This is something model Bri Scalesse-who became a paraplegic at the age of six after a car accident left her with spinal-cord injuries-can relate to. "As a child, I longed to see myself reflected in an image," she tells Vogue. "But I couldn't find my body or my chair represented on TV or in magazines. Disabled people weren't models or actresses. There was no disabled princess."
Social media and body positivity
In recent years, however, things have started to change. Social media became a tool through which people with disabilities could finally control the way they were being seen. Meanwhile, across the board, calls for greater diversity and the burgeoning body-positivity movement opened up the space to celebrate beauty in all its different forms. As a result, we're seeing people with disabilities making appearances on the runway, on the cover of magazines, in fashion advertisements and in beauty campaigns. This long-awaited representation is slowly but surely eroding the historical stigmas surrounding people with disabilities. But it hasn't been easy, nor has it been swift.

Back in 2017, as I looked around the bodies both on and off the catwalk, there was only one person who looked like me, and that was model Jillian Mercado. Mercado is the first person I ever truly felt represented by because, like myself, she also has a form of muscular dystrophy and uses a power wheelchair to get around.

Growing up, Mercado felt alienated by the industry's ableist beauty standards. And so she took it upon herself to challenge them from the inside, studying a degree in marketing at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and interning at Allure magazine. After modeling for friends' fashion projects, in 2014 she landed a campaign for Diesel. The following year she signed with IMG, and has since featured in campaigns for Beyoncé's Formation merchandise and US luxury department store Nordstrom, and was recently on the cover of Teen Vogue.

"There are so many people who feel underrepresented, who feel like they don't exist, who feel invisible in a very visible setting," she says of her motivation. "I wanted them to feel like they belong - like they can also be models."

People with disabilities are often praised for their bravery - a compliment that can feel unsettling because many of us wouldn't consider ourselves brave for simply pursuing the things we want, just like everybody else. Our stubbornness, however, is something that people might want to take note of.

Where Mercado paved the way, others have followed. There's model Aaron Philip who, in 2018, became the first Black, transgender, and physically disabled model to be represented by a major modeling agency, after one of her tweets went viral. Similarly, deaf, transgender model Chella Man gained traction after sharing photos of himself online.

There's also lecturer, writer and disability advocate Sinéad Burke - a little person from Ireland who graced the cover of British Vogue in September 2019. Burke was also the first little person to attend the Met Gala that same year, challenging traditional views on inclusion in her custom-made Gucci gown. A year later, Gucci made headlines by casting Ellie Goldstein, a young model with Down syndrome as the new face of Gucci Beauty.

Beyond representation
The inclusion of disabled bodies within fashion and beauty has been a major step in the right direction, but the industry has a long way to go. "Seeing disability representation as a key component of diversity is a start," says Scalesse. It's true, while the industry has been quick to answer calls from some minority communities, ours seems somewhat left behind.

It's about time we move beyond optics and tokenism. Yes, we need to see more people with disabilities in front of the camera, but we also need to see them behind the camera, too. We need to see people who look like us in positions of power at magazines, at global beauty and fashion brands, at the teams behind fashion weeks, in casting agencies, in all of the places where we have historically been forgotten.

After all, what good is seeing someone that looks like you in a campaign if a brand can't meet your needs? Likewise, why cast a model in a shoot or runway show when she cannot properly access the venue or backstage?

In a lot of ways, 2020 was a year of awakening. A year to recognize all the voices that were being ignored. Brands that had never been held to account before were being called out on their tokenism and unequal treatment of minorities, while the whole world was forced to slow down and listen. 2021 should be the year of action.

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Why Disability Representation Is Crucial to Building a Better, More Inclusive Fashion Industry

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Madison Lawson - who has used a wheelchair all her life - writes candidly about the importance of inclusivity in the fashion and beauty industry for people with disabilities

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Disabled people in the UK are much more likely to struggle to heat their homes and cut back on food this winter, according to a report highlighting "massive" income gaps amid the cost of living squeeze.

Research from the Resolution Foundation found people with disabilities had an available amount to spend that was about 44% lower than that of other working-age adults, exposing them hugely to the rising cost of essentials.

The thinktank said there was a chasm between the underlying disposable incomes of people with a disability (£19,397 a year) and the non-disabled population (£27,792), according to analysis of official figures and a YouGov survey of just under 8,000 working-age adults, more than 2,000 of whom reported a long-term illness or disability.

Highlighting the risks to households struggling with the highest rates of inflation since the early 1980s, it said almost half (48%) of disabled adults said they had to cut back on energy use this winter, compared with almost one-third of people without a disability.

Up to two-fifths of people with a disability (41%) said they could not afford to keep their homes warm, compared with 23% of the non-disabled population.

People with a disability are far more likely to be poorer than the rest of the population, with up to a third of adults in the lowest-income households having a disability, compared with fewer than a tenth of those in the richest homes.

The Resolution Foundation said the income gaps were only partly explained by lower employment rates among disabled workers. Even after accounting for employment status, more than half of the original income gap remains, showing that in-work disabled people face an increased risk of being on lower incomes than their peers.

The figures come after the government set out plans for making cost of living support payments from April for millions of households on means-tested benefits.

About 8 million people will receive £900 in three instalments: £301 made in the spring; a £300 second cost-of-living payment in the autumn; and a third cost-of-living payment of £299 made in spring next year.

There will be a further £300 payment for pensioners in winter 2023/24 and more than 6 million disabled people will receive a separate £150 payment as part of the plan.

However, the Resolution Foundation said further support measures would be needed to help disabled people, given the additional financial pressures faced amid the cost of living crisis.

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Charlie McCurdy, an economist at the Resolution Foundation, said that while fast-rising prices for essentials were affecting people across the UK, people with disabilities were more exposed to the most severe effects.

"This means people with a disability - who account for a third of the poorest households in Britain - will require additional protection during the cost of living crisis, which the government has acknowledged through their cost of living payments," he said.

"But more policy work will be needed, not just through this crisis, but to make more progress on closing the huge income gaps that already existed between disabled people and the rest of the population."

A spokesperson for the government said it was committed to protecting the most vulnerable and that it recognised disabled people face additional costs. In addition to one-off cost of living payments, disability benefits would increase in-line with inflation from April, they added.

"We have a range of initiatives to help disabled people start, stay and succeed in work, including tailored work coach support, to help boost incomes further."

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Disabled people among hardest hit by cost of living crisis, finds study

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People with disabilities more likely to cut back on energy use and food, Resolution Foundation says

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Why isn’t there more adaptive fashion on shopping racks?

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We spoke to some brands who let us behind the scenes into the “adaptations” they make to ensure their designs are disability friendly, and what it takes to understand the differently-abled customer

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"My mom became disabled about 10 years ago, and for the first time, she couldn't get her clothing on - especially bras and underwear," says Emma Butler, the CEO and founder of Liberare, an adaptive underwear brand with a mission to make change in the fashion industry. "She previously had a beautiful collection of lingerie but, since her dexterity and mobility completely changed in her 40s, her only lingerie options became medical and quite ugly looking. I watched her confidence plummet."

In the aftermath of this seismic change, Butler witnessed her mother struggling to get her mojo back, and after heading to university, she met other women suffering with disabilities. "I learned that over 600 million women worldwide have some sort of disability that affects the way they dress," she adds, adding that she quickly discovered how few options there were for women who couldn't dress independently or easily.

Resolving to rectify this, Butler set to work creating Liberare, her adaptive underwear brand. The word "liberare" means "to free or liberate" in Latin, and represents the brand's aim to free disabled people from painful or uncomfortable dressing experiences, via functional garments that make getting ready for their day that much easier. On a quest to empower disabled women and offer an inclusive experience, Liberare is one of the first brands to offer adaptive underwear that is chic, as well as functional. It looks set to be the first of many: The adaptive apparel industry is tipped to be worth $400 billion by 2026.

Liberare bras (the Plunge Bralette and Liberare bra) are front opening and utilise two different types of strong (but lightweight) magnets to fasten. "Hooks and eyes are especially hard for folks with limited dexterity," says Butler. "We wanted to do magnets, but realised that the pinching motion of putting magnets together can also be difficult for a lot of folks, so we added loop grips. You can slip a finger in if you have a prosthetic arm, for example, and easily glide the fabric together, where it will stay put."

As for briefs, they created side-opening knickers to allow wheelchair users or those with limited shoulder mobility to easily slip the garment underneath them and fasten on both sides. "One of our styles is velcro, and the other is magnetic, which allows for adjustability," Butler says. They also offer side-opening pyjama sets, which she says have proven extremely popular.

You can buy Liberare's game-changing underwear now, but Butler and her team (which includes a number of disabled members of staff) also aim to licence the technology to bigger brands, to help them enter the space. "I don't think we're going to see any societal or systemic changes in the fashion industry until every brand has an adaptive line in the same way they have maternity and plus-size brands," she points out.

"Our entire brand revolves around amplifying disabled voices, but it's also about easier dressing. I mean, it is 2022 and my mom and other disabled women still have to fumble with hooks and eyes and buttons. We can send a man to the moon, so why has a bra not been redesigned in 100 years?"

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Liberare Is The Adaptive Underwear Brand Changing The Lingerie Game

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Liberare is the adaptive underwear brand making it easier for disabled people to get dressed each day. Vogue speaks to the CEO and founder or Liberare, Emma Butler, on what's next for the inclusive underwear brand.

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Global adaptive apparel market size 2019-2024 | Statista

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This statistic depicts the market value of the global adaptive apparel market from 2019 to 2024.

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The Purple Pound refers to the spending power of disabled households. A disabled household is a household in which at least one of the members has a disability. Organisations are missing out on the business of disabled consumers due to poor accessibility (both physical and digital) and not being disability confident in their customer services approach.

1 in 5 - More than 1 in 5 potential UK consumers have a disability.

£2 billion - Businesses lose approximately £2 billion a month by ignoring the needs of disabled people.

73% - 73% of potential disabled customers experience barriers on more than a quarter of websites they visited.

£16 billion - Taking averages per head, the online spending power of disabled people is estimated at over £16 billion.

£17.1 billion - Estimates show that the 4.3 million disabled online shoppers, who click away from inaccessible websites, have a combined spending power of £11.75 billion in the UK.

14.1 million - The number of disabled people is increasing: From 11.9 million (2014) to 13.3 million (2020).

75% - 75% of disabled people and their families have walked away from a UK business because of poor accessibility or customer service.

1 in 5 - Nearly 1 in 5 working adults have a disability.

£274 billion - The spending power of disabled people and their household continues to increase and is currently (2020) estimated to be worth £274 billion per year to UK business.

Research has shown how various sectors lose money each month by not being accessible. A breakdown can be found below:
High Street Shops - £267 million Restaurants/Pubs/Clubs - £163 million Supermarkets - £501 million Energy Companies - £44 million Phone/Internet Providers - £49 million Transport Providers - £42 million Banks or Building Societies - £935 million

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The Purple Pound refers to the spending power of disabled households. A disabled household is a household in which at least one of the members has a disability. Organisations are missing out on the business of disabled consumers due to poor accessibility (both physical and digital) and not being disability confident in their customer services approach.

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What happens when it is or becomes impossible to button a shirt? Pull up a pair of jeans? Hook a bra? Tie shoelaces? Those of us who are not faced with these challenges take such basic functions of daily life for granted.

Think about it. A hook and eye as a closure on a bra. Buttons. Shoelaces. Zippers. Everyone has grappled with these items at some point in their lives. But if you had limited mobility due to a lost limb, how would you get dressed? You'd likely need help, which you wouldn't want because it would make you feel less capable. Depending upon your individual challenge, even clothing options that accommodate medical apparatuses can be extremely limited. Most of the time, when they are found, these garments resemble hospital gowns rather than a stylish t-shirt.

Source: Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive

That's why many brands have begun offering assortments of adaptive clothing. Adaptive clothing refers to garments that have been specifically designed for people with physical limitations. Usually incorporating simpler fasteners and non-standard shapes, these items make getting dressed easier for these individuals.

Let's take a look at some brands who are leading the charge in this space.

Adaptive Clothing Brands

Differently Enabled

Source: Differently Enabled

With one billion people living in the world today with restricted mobility or disabilities, some have become inspired to change the landscape. Differently Enabled exists to help these people, "look good, feel good, and do good," according to their tagline. After his post-COVID-19 intensive care experience, Craig Crawford founded Differently Enabled. Following his discharge from the intensive care unit, Craig was encouraged by his occupational therapist to switch to wearing his own clothes for a faster recovery, and to feel more like himself again, rather than wearing hospital gowns. He arranged to have his favorite clothes brought into the hospital the next day, but he quickly learned the hard way that his clothes were no longer functional for him. Craig had lost his strength and dexterity to untie his drawstring waist or pull down his waistband in time to reach the bathroom. This situation led Craig to bridge the gap between fashion and functionality.

Differently Enabled consists of a laboratory of designers, engineers, technicians, and data scientists who create customized products and services. The company helps people with disabilities look their best, feel confident, and pursue their dreams by offering clothing solutions for their everyday needs.

"We do nothing without or before our customer's input. Our unique intake process allows us to understand our customer's disability, lifestyle, clothing likes, clothing dislikes and requirements," said Crawford. "Because we manufacture on demand, technology allows us to customize with our customer."

Differently Enabled revealed their first collection during London Fashion Week in September 2022 as part of the London Represents Show, "the most sustainable and inclusive show in the UK," according to show organizers Samanta Bullock, Gaia Beck, and Saumen Kar.

Liberare

Many have developed the ideas for their brands by witnessing someone they love struggle with dressing themselves up in something special for the bedroom. That's how 23-year-old Emma Butler came up with her new intimate apparel collection. She saw first-hand what a dehumanizing experience shopping for lingerie was for disabled women after her mother was diagnosed with a chronic illness and was no longer able to find functional and fashionable clothing that she could easily put on unassisted. Shopping for lingerie was particularly difficult. Emma saw that her mother's lingerie options were limited at best, and the ones that existed were primarily marketed and designed for the elderly on medical websites.

Emma's adaptive lingerie company, Liberare (originally Intimately), recently received a $1M seed round investment led by the British Fashion Council, its first-ever investment. Liberare, which means "to set free," challenges the stereotype that portrays disabled women as undesirable through a collection that uses magnets and loose grips to revolutionize the intimates industry by making fashionable and functional lingerie that anyone can put on. Emma started the brand while still a student at Brown University to offer sexy, accessible, and comfortable lingerie to empower the more than 600 million women around the world who have a disability that affects the way they dress. Liberare is a beautiful, inclusive, and functional collection that uses technology to reimagine the way bras and underwear have been designed for centuries.

Kizik

Michael Pratt is the serial entrepreneur who started Kizik hands-free shoes and HandsFree Labs, Inc. The company is innovating functional footwear that doesn't require bending over either to put them on or to take them off. Kizik began with a Kickstarter campaign and built up its offering to the point where it is now available in Nordstrom and other national retailers. In 2019, Nike made a strategic investment in HandsFree Labs, which gives the footwear giant an exclusive partnership to license HandsFree's intellectual property. HandsFree Lab's CEO, Monte Deere, told Hypebeast, "'We often state the problem this way: 'No one likes the hassle of tying their shoes, and some people can't.'' Hypebeast went on to note that hands-free technology has the "potential to affect everyone: it improves everyone's life and is life-changing for those who have a condition that makes tying their shoes difficult or impossible."

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger is certainly a household name, but many people may not know that he is also a pioneer in the adaptive clothing market. He created Tommy Adaptive in 2016 to give children who had trouble getting dressed by themselves more fashionable options with greater functionality. He told the Today Show, "Nobody was doing it and when the idea came to me, I thought it was a natural for us because we are a very inclusive brand and we're really proud to be leading the way now for adaptive fashion globally." He started offering adult adaptive clothing a year later and is still one of the only major designers offering adaptive clothing. He said that the initial idea occurred to him because he has children on the autism spectrum and understood that they have different needs when it comes to getting dressed. But at the end of the day, they still want to look like the other kids in their communities. Tommy Adaptive includes the same designs as the main Tommy Hilfiger collection but uses different closures, like Velcro, magnets, hoops, and loops to make it easier to get dressed.

Source: Tommy Hilfiger

What Adaptive Clothing Means for the Retail Industry

The adaptive clothing market has been estimated by Vogue Business to be worth about $400B by 2026. As awareness grows for the challenges many have with getting dressed, and younger Gen Z consumers demand greater inclusivity from brands, more designers like Tommy Hilfiger, and brands like Nike, are poised to address this important market demographic. However, brands and retailers need to think about how they will execute these offerings.

One critical difference between designing a collection based simply on creativity and developing fashionable adaptive clothing is that the adaptive brands must engage in ongoing dialog with their consumer communities and medical professionals. Liberare, Kizik, and Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive engage in ongoing conversations with their intended audiences. In essence, they have been co-creating these collections through actionable voice of the customer data. It's imperative for adaptive clothing designers to understand how they can evolve their products to be better, more functional, and easier to put on and wear. By using the latest technology solutions, such as 3D virtual sample creation, many of the real challenges presented by designing adaptive clothing can be more easily overcome by more designers and brands.

A testament to just how far the fashion industry has come in a few short years was be on display next month. At the next New York Fashion Week, The Runway of Dreams ™ Foundation made its return to the runway with an evening fashion show on September 12 th 2022 with "A Fashion Revolution," an adaptive clothing fashion show presented by Kohl's. Adaptive clothing and footwear was worn by 60 different models, showing off pieces from brands including Kohl's, Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, Zappos.com, Target, JC Penney, No Limbits, and Stride Rite.

Runway of Dreams founder and CEO, Mindy Scheier, had been a designer on the INC team as well as a stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue. She started Runway of Dreams when her son, who was born with Muscular Dystrophy, "dreamed of wearing a pair of jeans like everyone else." After designing him a pair that he could put on over his leg braces, Mindy went on to work with Tommy Hilfiger on his adaptive line as well as with other major brands. She said, "Year after year I continue to be humbled and excited by the new brands who are entering the adaptive space....The fashion industry is listening, and we are honored to help present these brands to the massive community of potential consumers."

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Adaptive Clothing is Changing the Game for Fashion Brands, and for People with Disabilities. Find Out How Brands are Addressing Their Needs.

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Adaptive clothing is clothing specifically created for people with disabilities; this could be a physical disability or invisible disability such as chronic illnesses, but in general adaptive clothing is designed for anyone who has trouble dressing. This difficulty in dressing may present itself in a person having trouble with closures (buttons, hook and eyes, and zippers) because of limited hand dexterity, trouble with "over-the-head" dresses, blouses and shirts because of limited shoulder mobility, or inability to wear pants because of uncomfortable seam and rivet placements on the butt for wheelchair users. There are a lot more nuanced and specific examples and it's good to keep in mind that the word "adaptive clothing" doesn't refer to just one type of disability or body function and type, but rather is a general term to indicate that a clothing item is made for people who do not fit the conventions of the clothing industry

Adaptive clothing can be purposefully designed for people with disabilities, such as a button down shirt with magnetic buttons, which was designed with the intent to solve the problems of people who cannot use regular buttons. Other clothing items are "adaptive" for disabled people perhaps without the seller even knowing. "Super soft," "prewashed," and "tagless" shirts are great for people with sensory sensitivity and it adapted to their needs. Often sellers do not even use keywords like "sensory friendly" or "adaptive" to market their products, so it can be hard to find. Along the same line, period panties (sold on our site, just got to panties) are not traditionally marketed to disabled women; but period panties are excellent for women who have a hard time changing sanitary products. Many clothing items are "adaptive" in their own right, but aren't marketed as so. So the term "adaptive clothing" really refers to garments designed to ease the dressing needs of disabled people.

Adaptive clothing has been around for a while, often in the form of medical accessories. Compression stocking, cooling vests, and side opening hospital slips or shirts are all examples of "adaptive clothing." But with adaptive apparel coming to the mainstream culture in stores such as Target, Tommy Hilfiger and Zappos, let's hope the days of ugly archaic adaptive clothing is over. The best type of adaptive apparel is fashionable and functional.

We've highlighted a glossary of adaptive clothing terms from Disabled World, below, to help you with some key words you may want to know before shopping.

What are Cut-away Garments?This where the seat of the garment has been "cut away" providing easier personal care by the caregiver and comfort for the wearer.

What are Back-flap Pants?These are pants designed with fabric that overlaps at the seat and is attached by snaps at the waist to allow for ease in self-toileting for the wheelchair user.

What are Foot Orthoses?Foot orthoses comprise a custom made insert or foot-bed fitted into a shoe. Commonly referred to as "orthotics"these orthoses provide support for the foot by redistributing ground reaction forces as well as realigning foot joints while standing, walking or running.

What are One-piece Jumpsuits?These are defined as garments having back zipper access to prevent the wearer from disrobing inappropriately and assist in toileting and personal care needs for the individual.

What are Rear Closure Garments?These are special clothing items that open down the back to facilitate dressing people who cannot raise their arms over their head to put on a shirt or dress, or who are confined to a wheelchair or bed.

What are Side Snap Pants?Side snap pants feature snaps on both sides of the pants at the waistband providing ample room for care and dressing comfort, and making the waist area adjustable.

What are Side-zip Garments?Side-zip garments feature zippers down both sides allowing greater ease in dressing and facilitates the transfer process in toileting.

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Adaptive clothing is clothing specifically created for people with disabilities; this could be a physical disability or invisible disability such as chronic illnesses, but in general adaptive clothing is designed for anyone who has trouble dressing. This difficulty in dressing may present itself in a person having trou

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Toggle the table of contents

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adaptive clothing is clothing designed around the needs and abilities of people with varying degrees of disability, including congenital disabilities, acquired disabilities (such as the result of an injury, illness or accident), age (elderly people may have trouble with opening and closing buttons[1]) and temporary disabilities, as well as physical disabilities. Adaptive clothing is influenced by factors such as age, disability type, level of independence, mobility and dexterity, as well as whether a person requires help when dressing, such as from a caregiver.[2] People who struggle with zippers, shoelaces, buttons or even fabrics and texture due to a type of disability may need adaptive clothing.[3] Most adaptive clothing designs are taken from general-market clothing, the comfort of which began to increase in the 1950s, with new technologies such as elastic waistbands and stretchy fabrics.[4]

Adaptive clothing is utilized by people with a wide range of disabilities, from wheelchair users and people with visible disabilities to those whose disabilities are not as visible, but still find themselves limited by the construction of typical clothing. Those with autism may experience sensory sensitivities to certain fabrics, which is not a visible ailment.[5] There is also use of adaptive clothing by the elderly and children with and without disabilities, to make it easier to operate their clothing without assistance or to assist caregivers in dressing the user.[6][7]Adaptive design, a core component of adaptive clothing design and construction, proactively addresses these foreseen limitations by adapting clothing to the user,[8] benefitting both them and caregivers or healthcare professionals to be more efficient, increasing independence, as well as preventing potential back and shoulder injuries.[9][10] If both functional and fashionable, adaptive clothing can increase an individual's quality of life and confidence.[10]

Types of adaptions [ edit]

There are some other adaptations that take place in order to make the clothes as comfortable as possible for these individuals. One being breathability as well as using natural fibers as to not irritate the skin. Another is specialized garment patterns, seams, and closures, for example having outward facing seams in order to not irritate skin or closures that are easily opened and close like magnets.[4] Being able to adjust temperature is important because people with physical disabilities sometimes have different temperature needs than others.[5] Adaptive clothing typically incorporates flat seams to reduce friction, and discreet adaptations that provide an outward appearance as consistent with fashion norms as possible. For example longer inseams in the back of pants as for there to be more coverage for a person bound to a wheelchair.[4] These adaptations may include easy-access snap fasteners and velcro fastenings, fabric that stretches in one or both directions, clothing design with room to accommodate incontinence aids, a longer rise in the back of trousers to accommodate wheelchair users, and an elasticated waist for increased comfort and easier dressing.

Individuals with limited or no dexterity may experience difficulty in manipulating certain fastenings, such as buttons and zippers. For this reason, it is common for adaptive clothing to utilize velcro or magnetic closures in the place of closures that would require more dexterity.

Similarly, disabled people whose mobility limits them from engaging in the typical full range of motion commonly experience difficulty when dressing in clothing that must be pulled up from the feet or pulled over the head; as such, adaptive clothing may feature hidden flap-openings or additional closures that allow the garment itself to be pulled on without having to bend over or reach up. These may take the form of velcro flaps at the neck and shoulders, allowing the neckline to expand when the garment is pulled down over the head. The same adjustments may also be made for shoes and other accessories, with velcro closures being the most common feature in adaptive shoes.[11][12]

Examples [ edit]

Disability

Associated problem

Adaptive clothing solution

Alzheimer's disease

Individual disrobes at inappropriate times.

Locking clothing

Oedema

Swelling of feet and legs leads to difficulty wearing conventional footwear or pants.

Adaptive shoes and pants adjustable in size, offering non-restrictive closures. Compression socks and clothing can improve blood flow and reduce oedema.

Incontinence

Reduced bladder control and urgency

Clothing that can be removed easily and quickly and can accommodate incontinence aids discreetly and comfortably.

Parkinson's disease and arthritis (e.g., Rheumatoid athritis)

Loss of fine motor skills and dexterity

Buttons and zippers are replaced with easy touch Velcro or magnetic closures.

Contractures, arthritis, MS, MDS, SCI, MD, paraplegia, quadriplegia

Inability to bend muscles or move joints

Open back clothing which allows the clothing to be put on frontwards, eliminating the need to bend or rotate muscles or joints.

Digestive Disorders & Bowel Disease

Medical devices are common, including G/GJ feeding-tubes, colostomy, and ileostomy

Clothing that provides access to the abdomen via snaps, zippers, or strategic layering and draping. Depending on the individual, looser clothing may be preferred to conceal abdominal devices, or comfortably tight, supportive clothing may be preferred to keep devices in place (e.g. high-waisted leggings, supportive waistbands).

Scoliosis

Curved Spine

Back bodice to help hold spine straighter[13]

Factors of design [ edit]

Clothing is designed with human, environment, and, obviously, clothing in mind. This is called the "Human-Clothing-Enviornment." These 3 factors contribute to the design of each piece of clothing. The human category is further broken down into subcategories, which includes visible or invisible disabilities and how that affects the user of an article of clothing. Only when all of the "Human-Clothing-Environment" is in equilibrium will the clothing be comfortable, functional, and fashionable for the user.[14]

There is a process by which clothing creators may follow to design more functional clothing articles. The first step is to identify the problem at which they are trying to solve. For example, are there issues with zippers or buttons, or is the user wheelchair-bound? Next the get preliminary ideas. After making initial designs and seeing what works and what doesn't, creators make design refinements. Finally, it comes time to make a prototype. Once the prototype it done, it will be evaluated for its form and function. If it does not meet the criteria, the design process is repeated, starting where the creator believes the mistakes were first made. At the end of the process, the clothing design can be implemented and used.[15]

References [ edit]

1. ^ Bolster, Mary (August 2019). "Design for All". Brain & Life. 15 (4): 36. doi:10.1097/01.nnn.0000579280.63798.85. ISSN 2576-2273. S2CID 202096857.

2. ^ "What is Adaptive Clothing -". Errine Adaptive Clothing. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012.

3. ^ "Apparel Causes Additional Barriers for People Living with Disabilities". www.socialworktoday.com.

4. ^ Rutledge, Brittany (2017). "Autoethnograhic Study in the Process of Applied Design: Creating Adaptive Clothing for a Child with Spinal Muscular Atrophy". Art and Design Theses. doi:10.57709/10025817.

5. ^ Kabel, Allison; McBee-Black, Kerri; Dimka, Jessica (2016-10-22). "Apparel-related participation barriers: ability, adaptation and engagement". Disability and Rehabilitation. 38 (22): 2184-2192. doi:10.3109/09638288.2015.1123309. ISSN 0963-8288. PMID 26731674. S2CID 13758816.

6. "Adaptive Clothing for Disabled Makes Dressing Children with Permanent or Temporary Disability Stress-free for Parents and Children." ^ Web News Wire, 6 August 2013. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A338990430/STND?u=albu78484&sid=ebsco&xid=ad799d37. Accessed 10 March 2023.

7. ^ Kim, Jaewoon (2021-06-30). "The Effect of Stabilization Exercise using Tele-rehabilitaion on Muscle Activity, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index in Rural Elderly People with Chronic Shoulder Pain". Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science. 10 (2): 106-111. doi:10.14474/ptrs.2021.10.2.106. ISSN 2287-7576. S2CID 236229922.

8. ^ "What is Adaptive Clothing?". CBO Baby. 5 June 2015.

9. ^ "Adaptive Clothing/Apparel for Health Care Professionals". Silvert's Adaptive Clothing & Footwear.

10. ^ Azher, Naheed; Saeed, Muhammad (2012). "ADAPTIVE CLOTHING FOR FEMALES WITH ARTHRITIS IMPAIRMENT". Journal of University Medical & Dental College. 3 (2): 52-59. ISSN 2310-5542.

11. ^ "Adaptive Clothing - Information and Availability". Disabled World. 20 March 2014.

12. ^ "What is Adaptive Clothing?". Silvert's Adaptive Clothing & Footwear.

13. ^ Mosleh, Sara; Abtew, Mulat Alubel; Bruniaux, Pascal; Tartare, Guillaume; Xu, Yukang; Chen, Yan (January 2021). "3D Digital Adaptive Thorax Modelling of Peoples with Spinal Disabilities: Applications for Performance Clothing Design". Applied Sciences. 11 (10): 4545. doi:10.3390/app11104545. ISSN 2076-3417.

14. ^ Florea-Burduja, Elena; Raru, Aliona; Farima, Daniela; Irovan, Marcela (2021). "THE ANALYSIS OF THE SYSTEM "HUMAN-CLOTHING- ENVIRONMENT" WITH APPLICATION IN THE DESIGN OF FUNCTIONAL ADAPTIVE PRODUCTS" (PDF). Archived from the original on June 18, 2022.

15. ^ Imran, A.; Drean, Emilie; Schacher, Laurence; Adolphe, Dominique (2017-11-08). "Adaptive bra designs for the individuals with special needs". IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 254 (7): 072012. Bibcode:2017MS&E..254g2012I. doi:10.1088/1757-899X/254/7/072012. S2CID 149100712.

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Toggle the table of contents From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Adaptive clothing is clothing designed around the needs and abilities of people with varying degrees of disability, including congenital disabilities, acquired disabilities (such as the result of an injury, illness or accident), age (elderly people may have trouble with opening and closing buttons[1] ) and temporary disabilities, as well as physical disabilities.

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Written by Kewal Raja & Krishna Sabaratnam The term “adaptive fashion” refers to clothing and accessories made to be more accessible for those who have varying degrees of disabilities and health concerns. The aim of adaptable fashion is to design stylish and practical clothing that is simple to…

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Why Isn’t Fashion Inclusive Of Disabled People? | Chloe Ball-Hopkins | TEDxBristol

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Fashion Styling for People with Disabilities | Stephanie Thomas | TEDxYYC

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But #disabledandcute influencers say the fashion industry has been slow to embrace them.

Jourdie Godley, a fashion consultant, models products from FFORA including the Essentials bag in Tangerine. Credit... FFORA

I have always believed that fashion is the window to the soul. As a Black disabled woman with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects movement on the right side of my body, I have gone through what I call the stages of fashion grief.

First, there was denial, which led to pretending fashion did not matter to me. Anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance came when I realized that I was no longer going to deny myself the things that allowed me the opportunity to share myself with the world. Especially when I realized just how much fashion was a part of my story. In "The Pretty One," my collection of essays published last year, I talk about my journey to see my self-worth and how it led to my Twitter hashtag #disabledandcute, used by like-minded people to share pictures of ourselves and to declare that we are just as cute and worthy as anyone else.

I am not alone in my love for fashion. Disabled people, including the fashion plates among us, have always had to make wardrobe hacks to navigate features like zippers, buttons, shoes and irritable fabric tags. Stylish clothing for disabled people goes by many names: Accessible fashion, functional fashion, universal and inclusive fashion. I use accessible and inclusive fashion interchangeably and sometimes together because they best fit what I believe fashion should be after, not just function but style, too.

We have always known that clothes must function for our bodies. Increasingly, the fashion world is seeing this too. But it's only a start.

Three decades after the passage of the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act, disabled people want to be able to have freedom of self-expression through fashion rather than accepting scraps from an industry that has been very slow to embrace us and our needs.

The clothing brand Levi Strauss & Co. was one of the first major brands to design clothing for disabled people in the mid-1950s with the work of one of its designers, Helen Cookman. She created a pair of jeans with "stretch denim and full-length zippers in the side seams that opened from the top or bottom. Another useful design feature was a special inside half belt buttoning on either side to hold the jeans in place when the seat dropped," according to the company's archives.

Image

Christina Mallon-Michalove wearing a jacket that you can put on without the use of your arms. The design was created from a co-collaboration between Ms. Mallon-Michalove and Open Style Lab fellows Claudia Poh, Estee Bruno and Julia Liao. Credit... Estee Bruno

Christina Mallon-Michalove, who is head of inclusive design at the advertising agency, Wunderman Thompson, and chief brand officer at Open Style Lab, a design incubator for functional fashion, is a disabled woman herself, with a rare form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or A.L.S., that left her arms paralyzed. She sees accessible fashion for what it is: a requirement that will make the fashion industry even better.

"I know Levi's was the first to create the product and think about it, but when I think about the first that is creating end to end inclusive experiences, that was Tommy Adaptive" said Ms. Mallon-Michalove, referring to the preppy line by the designer Tommy Hilfiger. "When we talk about clothing and style, physically being able to buy the product is just one part of the style experience. We need functional clothing that is also fashionable."

A recent campaign from Tommy Adaptive featured Jillian Mercado, far right.

I agree. For years, I have been wondering why there seems to be more enthusiasm for clothing lines for dogs than for disabled people.

Left with few clothing options, we have been altering our own clothes all of our lives. Jillian Mercado, an actress and model with spastic muscular dystrophy, has appeared in campaigns for Diesel and Nordstrom, among others. When she was a child, she said her mother and siblings helped her adapt outfits. As she grew older, she got creative in altering clothes on her own. She says that though there have been strides in accessible fashion, they don't go far enough in imaginatively addressing issues like style.

"For the longest time I've had to make time, maybe an hour, to complete an outfit by myself and with accessible clothing it's maybe 15 minutes," Ms. Mercado says. "With that said, something that I do not like about functional and accessible fashion has to be that the clothing that is available for people like myself, isn't really my style of clothing."

Ms. Mercado at a Badgley Mischka event during New York fashion week in February 2019. Credit... Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Ms. Mercado attends an event during Paris Fashion Week in September 2019. Credit... Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

The key to satisfying disabled consumers is options, because fewer options mean more barriers.

As a disabled person, I long for the independence and the ability to choose how I express myself; the fashion industry should be a place where that is made possible. Insteadonly a handful of companies are willing to see us as desirable consumers.

One is headed by Lucy Jones, chief executive of FFORA, (a derivative of fora the plural for the word forum) who founded the company in 2017. The brand designs fashionable and accessible bags and purses, cup holders and tumblers, attachments and accessories. The products are designed to work in tandem with an attachment that FFORA designed for wheelchair users. However, the bags also come with a cross-body strap so that all body types are able to use them. In designing products, Ms. Jones says, it is essential to give accurate portrayals of lifestyles in the disability community.

"Missteps are as important as strides because it creates dialogue and criticism; therefore, we can move forward with better outcomes," she said. "But harmful missteps are when people with disabilities are not consulted or involved in decisions that directly affect them. So many opportunities can be lost by only skimming the surface and not actively engaging with disability culture."

An accessible party dress donated by Jay Calderin to the Fashion and Textiles Collection of the Peabody Essex Museum. Credit... Jay Calderin

In May, Jay Calderin, a designer and author based in Boston, donated an accessible party dress to the Fashion and Textiles Collection of the Peabody Essex Museum. The dress is gorgeous, fun and sexy and accessible for someone in a wheelchair. The dress is designed in two pieces so it's easier to put on unassisted. Though it was Mr. Calderin's first foray into accessible fashion design, he already saw what should be avoided.

"There are leaders in the industry that have acknowledged and responded to the need for accessibility and inclusivity," Mr. Calderin says. "Design that considers different bodies and different abilities from the very beginning of the design process shouldn't be the exception, it should be the rule."

Fellows and co-collaborators at the Open Style Lab. OSL teams designers, engineers and occupational therapists to conceive and build accessible wearables that address the needs with and for people with disabilities. Credit... Open Style Lab

Ms. Mallon-Michalove believes inclusive design is designing for disability, race, religion, gender and sexuality. The question is who will follow the example of the handful of designers now creating accessible fashion so that years from now they won't be the only brands doing this work?

"It's super important that someone is setting the example when it comes to things like equality," Ms. Mallon-Michalove said. "Given COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter, I think it's going to have brands and companies, specifically fashion, rethink about how they're designing. Or ask the question are our designs leaving people out? And, who is it excluding?"

Keah Brown is a journalist, author and screenwriter. Follow her work at keahbrown.com and on Twitter @Keah_Maria.

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But #disabledandcute influencers say the fashion industry has been slow to embrace them. I have always believed that fashion is the window to the soul. As a Black disabled woman with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects movement on the right side of my body, I have gone through what I call the stages of fashion grief.

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What happens when it is or becomes impossible to button a shirt? Pull up a pair of jeans? Hook a bra? Tie shoelaces? Those of us who are not faced with these challenges take such basic functions of daily life for granted.

Think about it. A hook and eye as a closure on a bra. Buttons. Shoelaces. Zippers. Everyone has grappled with these items at some point in their lives. But if you had limited mobility due to a lost limb, how would you get dressed? You'd likely need help, which you wouldn't want because it would make you feel less capable. Depending upon your individual challenge, even clothing options that accommodate medical apparatuses can be extremely limited. Most of the time, when they are found, these garments resemble hospital gowns rather than a stylish t-shirt.

Source: Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive

That's why many brands have begun offering assortments of adaptive clothing. Adaptive clothing refers to garments that have been specifically designed for people with physical limitations. Usually incorporating simpler fasteners and non-standard shapes, these items make getting dressed easier for these individuals.

Let's take a look at some brands who are leading the charge in this space.

Adaptive Clothing Brands

Differently Enabled

Source: Differently Enabled

With one billion people living in the world today with restricted mobility or disabilities, some have become inspired to change the landscape. Differently Enabled exists to help these people, "look good, feel good, and do good," according to their tagline. After his post-COVID-19 intensive care experience, Craig Crawford founded Differently Enabled. Following his discharge from the intensive care unit, Craig was encouraged by his occupational therapist to switch to wearing his own clothes for a faster recovery, and to feel more like himself again, rather than wearing hospital gowns. He arranged to have his favorite clothes brought into the hospital the next day, but he quickly learned the hard way that his clothes were no longer functional for him. Craig had lost his strength and dexterity to untie his drawstring waist or pull down his waistband in time to reach the bathroom. This situation led Craig to bridge the gap between fashion and functionality.

Differently Enabled consists of a laboratory of designers, engineers, technicians, and data scientists who create customized products and services. The company helps people with disabilities look their best, feel confident, and pursue their dreams by offering clothing solutions for their everyday needs.

"We do nothing without or before our customer's input. Our unique intake process allows us to understand our customer's disability, lifestyle, clothing likes, clothing dislikes and requirements," said Crawford. "Because we manufacture on demand, technology allows us to customize with our customer."

Differently Enabled revealed their first collection during London Fashion Week in September 2022 as part of the London Represents Show, "the most sustainable and inclusive show in the UK," according to show organizers Samanta Bullock, Gaia Beck, and Saumen Kar.

Liberare

Many have developed the ideas for their brands by witnessing someone they love struggle with dressing themselves up in something special for the bedroom. That's how 23-year-old Emma Butler came up with her new intimate apparel collection. She saw first-hand what a dehumanizing experience shopping for lingerie was for disabled women after her mother was diagnosed with a chronic illness and was no longer able to find functional and fashionable clothing that she could easily put on unassisted. Shopping for lingerie was particularly difficult. Emma saw that her mother's lingerie options were limited at best, and the ones that existed were primarily marketed and designed for the elderly on medical websites.

Emma's adaptive lingerie company, Liberare (originally Intimately), recently received a $1M seed round investment led by the British Fashion Council, its first-ever investment. Liberare, which means "to set free," challenges the stereotype that portrays disabled women as undesirable through a collection that uses magnets and loose grips to revolutionize the intimates industry by making fashionable and functional lingerie that anyone can put on. Emma started the brand while still a student at Brown University to offer sexy, accessible, and comfortable lingerie to empower the more than 600 million women around the world who have a disability that affects the way they dress. Liberare is a beautiful, inclusive, and functional collection that uses technology to reimagine the way bras and underwear have been designed for centuries.

Kizik

Michael Pratt is the serial entrepreneur who started Kizik hands-free shoes and HandsFree Labs, Inc. The company is innovating functional footwear that doesn't require bending over either to put them on or to take them off. Kizik began with a Kickstarter campaign and built up its offering to the point where it is now available in Nordstrom and other national retailers. In 2019, Nike made a strategic investment in HandsFree Labs, which gives the footwear giant an exclusive partnership to license HandsFree's intellectual property. HandsFree Lab's CEO, Monte Deere, told Hypebeast, "'We often state the problem this way: 'No one likes the hassle of tying their shoes, and some people can't.'' Hypebeast went on to note that hands-free technology has the "potential to affect everyone: it improves everyone's life and is life-changing for those who have a condition that makes tying their shoes difficult or impossible."

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger is certainly a household name, but many people may not know that he is also a pioneer in the adaptive clothing market. He created Tommy Adaptive in 2016 to give children who had trouble getting dressed by themselves more fashionable options with greater functionality. He told the Today Show, "Nobody was doing it and when the idea came to me, I thought it was a natural for us because we are a very inclusive brand and we're really proud to be leading the way now for adaptive fashion globally." He started offering adult adaptive clothing a year later and is still one of the only major designers offering adaptive clothing. He said that the initial idea occurred to him because he has children on the autism spectrum and understood that they have different needs when it comes to getting dressed. But at the end of the day, they still want to look like the other kids in their communities. Tommy Adaptive includes the same designs as the main Tommy Hilfiger collection but uses different closures, like Velcro, magnets, hoops, and loops to make it easier to get dressed.

Source: Tommy Hilfiger

What Adaptive Clothing Means for the Retail Industry

The adaptive clothing market has been estimated by Vogue Business to be worth about $400B by 2026. As awareness grows for the challenges many have with getting dressed, and younger Gen Z consumers demand greater inclusivity from brands, more designers like Tommy Hilfiger, and brands like Nike, are poised to address this important market demographic. However, brands and retailers need to think about how they will execute these offerings.

One critical difference between designing a collection based simply on creativity and developing fashionable adaptive clothing is that the adaptive brands must engage in ongoing dialog with their consumer communities and medical professionals. Liberare, Kizik, and Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive engage in ongoing conversations with their intended audiences. In essence, they have been co-creating these collections through actionable voice of the customer data. It's imperative for adaptive clothing designers to understand how they can evolve their products to be better, more functional, and easier to put on and wear. By using the latest technology solutions, such as 3D virtual sample creation, many of the real challenges presented by designing adaptive clothing can be more easily overcome by more designers and brands.

A testament to just how far the fashion industry has come in a few short years was be on display next month. At the next New York Fashion Week, The Runway of Dreams ™ Foundation made its return to the runway with an evening fashion show on September 12 th 2022 with "A Fashion Revolution," an adaptive clothing fashion show presented by Kohl's. Adaptive clothing and footwear was worn by 60 different models, showing off pieces from brands including Kohl's, Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, Zappos.com, Target, JC Penney, No Limbits, and Stride Rite.

Runway of Dreams founder and CEO, Mindy Scheier, had been a designer on the INC team as well as a stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue. She started Runway of Dreams when her son, who was born with Muscular Dystrophy, "dreamed of wearing a pair of jeans like everyone else." After designing him a pair that he could put on over his leg braces, Mindy went on to work with Tommy Hilfiger on his adaptive line as well as with other major brands. She said, "Year after year I continue to be humbled and excited by the new brands who are entering the adaptive space....The fashion industry is listening, and we are honored to help present these brands to the massive community of potential consumers."

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Adaptive Clothing is Changing the Game for Fashion Brands, and for People with Disabilities. Find Out How Brands are Addressing Their Needs.

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Amid the growing conversations surrounding diversity in the fashion industry, inclusive marketing strategies are no longer enough and retailer product offerings need to cater to a wider range of consumers.

While efforts are increasing to design for those with disabilities, this billion-dollar market remains largely untapped. Read on to find out who is already investing and factors to consider upon entering this market.
Reach out to an EDITED retail specialist to find out what analysis reports retailers such as Zara, Puma and Marni take into their weekly meetings.
The growing market

According to Coherent Market Insights, the global market for adaptive clothing is expected to increase from $278.9 billion in 2017 to nearly $400 billion by 2026. Interest in adaptive clothing also piqued in 2019 - with searches increasing by 80% based on data from Lyst. With 2020 witnessing a newfound awareness for inclusivity in the industry as well as consumer mindsets shifting towards social good, now is the time to act as consumers place their brand loyalty with those that support their values.

While the need for medical input has been a barrier to entry for many, several retailers, most notably Tommy Hilfiger, have recognized the growing demand for more inclusive designs in the industry that are accessible, medically safe and fashionable - pillars based upon the Disability Fashion Styling System: Accessible, Smart, Fashionable™.

Design details to consider
Wheelchair-friendly cuts
Silhouettes will need to be cut differently to accommodate those in a wheelchair. Remove thick seams and back pockets on trousers (which can cause sores) and lower pockets on the front.
Magnetic & velcro fastenings
Feature these details on shirting and bottoms to create ease when dressing, while their hidden nature helps maintains a stylish look.
Hidden pull loops
Feature on clothing to help individuals pull garments on and off, as well as easily adjusted throughout the day.
Tagless & seamless fabrics
For those with sensory issues and sensitive skin, tags and seams can be a huge irritant. Removing these from garments is a simple way to make your assortment more inclusive.
Adjustable & elasticated waistlines
Opt for elasticated waistlines over buttons, zippers and drawstring fastenings for an easier and more comfortable style.
Wider neck & arm holes
Relaxed silhouettes with wider cuts can be easier for those with limited mobility to get on and off.

If you're thinking about introducing adaptive designs to your assortment, make sure you conduct customer research and expert/community focus groups in order to understand the market properly and specific medical needs. For more information check out the Disabled Living Foundation.

Which retailers are investing?
Market leader: Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive

Tommy Hilfiger in the US has a much wider offering with over six times as many products in stock compared to in the UK. 76% of the US adaptive line is advertised as discounted compared to 65% of its standard assortment. In the UK, just one adaptive product is on promotion compared to 50% of its standard assortment.

Adaptive range average prices are lower than the standard assortment. The average price for adaptive outerwear is $182.23/£103.33 vs. $231.84/£236.73 for standard. Fabric choice comes into play here with the adaptive outerwear made out of mainly technical fabrics compared to leathers and shearling, which dominated the exit prices for standard designs.

The category landing page is user-friendly, with consumers able to shop by solution including 'easy closures', 'ease of movement' and 'seated wear.' Customers can also shop by feature which includes details such as open necklines, magnetic buttons and adjustable waists among others.

The retailer is set to launch its latest adaptive collection in summer 2020. It currently features 'coming soon' products on its website, which include swim shorts and printed shirts for menswear, as well as a trench coat, printed midi dresses and joggers for womenswear.

Zappos
The US retailer stocks an extensive range of adaptive clothing brands across mens, womens and childrenswear. Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive is its top stocked brand with 130 products currently in stock, followed by Kizik and IZ Adaptive with 41 and 25 products, respectively.
Aerie
This past January, the retailer launched a collection with Abilitee Adaptive Wear and Slick Chicks, featuring a range of accessories and underwear for customers with disabilities and medical needs. The range includes insulin pump belts, cath clips, ostomy covers, as well as underwear featuring side fasteners.
Seasalt's Easy On range
The UK retailer's Easy On range includes subtle features designed to make dressing easier for those that find it difficult. It is focused on providing its signature style that customers love with helpful design twists such as hidden pull loops, larger arm holes, magnetic fastenings and elasticated waistbands.
Nike FlyEase range
The easy-entry footwear system is designed to 'expand access and unlock benefits for all athletes.' FlyEase the sneakers must meet at least two of the three design criteria including: easy to open and close; easy to get in and out of; and adjustability that accommodates different foot shapes and sizes.

Brands to know
Kintsugi
Founded in 2018, the UK brand's name draws on the Japanese philosophy of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer, tapping into the idea of celebrating uniqueness and individualism. Etailer SilkFred currently stocks 13 products with prices ranging from £24 - £75. The brand also features image descriptions on its Instagram posts to help followers who are blind or partially sighted.
Elba London
The London-based lingerie brand was founded with the aim of making bras more inclusive and easier to put on. Its focus is on front-fastening bras featuring EZ magnetic closures made in soft, breathable fabrics with no scratchy lace. It ultimately hopes to re-define lingerie for all women, without compromising on style for functionality. The bras retail at £48, while matching briefs retail at £12 and £15.
FFORA
Launched in 2019, the US brand focuses on wheelchair attachable accessories. Its assortment includes design-led bags and purses, including 'active' designs for wheelchair 'back-splash' in the rain, as well as cup holders. The brand also features image descriptions on its Instagram posts to help followers who are blind or partially sighted.

Social good: Runway of Dreams Foundation

The pandemic has seen retailers and consumers rally together to support charities and those in need. The trend for social good will continue post-COVID with higher expectations for retailers to support charities.

The Runway Dreams Foundation is a non-profit organization that works towards making adaptive apparel as common as petite or plus size, on the basis that 'clothing is a basic human need.' The foundation teamed up with Zappos Adaptive in 2019 to host a revolutionary fashion show that brought together 2,000 fashion leaders and innovators to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the industry.

Think about the store experience

As stores in the UK reopened on June 15th, achieving pre-pandemic footfall numbers will be a top priority for retailers. While store layouts will be different due to social distancing measures, make sure you are factoring in plans for your customers with disabilities in order to make them feel confident and safe returning to stores in their new format - particularly as many may have been self-isolating for a longer duration.

In September 2019, Marks & Spencer was praised for introducing sunflower lanyards to all its stores to help staff recognize and assist customers with hidden disabilities.

Dates to be aware of
2020

Throughout Jul: Disability Pride Month

Sep 23rd: International Day of Sign Languages

Oct 6th: World Cerebral Palsy Day

Oct 8th: World Sight Day

Dec 3rd: International Day of Persons With Disabilities

2021

Jan 4th: World Braille Day

Mar 1st: International Wheelchair Day

Mar 1st: Zero Discrimination Day

Mar 3rd: World Hearing Day

Mar 21st: World Down Syndrome Day

Through Apr: National Autism Awareness Month

Apr 2nd: World Autism Day

Apr 19th - 25th: MS Awareness Week

May 3rd - 9th: Deaf Awareness Week

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The new adaptive apparel market: fashionable and accessible

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While efforts are increasing to design for those with disabilities, this billion-dollar market remains largely untapped. Read on to find out who is already investing and factors to consider upon entering this market. Reach out to an EDITED retail specialist to find out what analysis reports retailers such as Zara, Puma and Marni take into their weekly meetings.

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As admiration for British Vogue's powerful May 2023 cover featuring prominent figures from the disability community continues to reverberate widely, we are reminded of the importance of visibility and representation. Vogue's creative director Edward Enninful lives with a disability himself. People within our industry have a habit of dismissing fashion with statements like "It's not as if we're curing cancer," however fashion has the potential to heal. There is the psychological healing associated with seeing oneself reflected on the cover of the preeminent fashion magazine after a lifetime of feeling unseen by the luxury industry. But rarely discussed in the mainstream is how fashion has for decades been inflicting harm. Until recently the seemingly innocent decisions of a designer or pattern maker had the potential to be life-threatening.

"The Game Changer pant is the most important work I've ever done," says Toronto-based Izzy Camilleri from IZ Adaptive, one of the earliest adaptive clothing ranges founded in 2009. The world appears to be in agreement as Camilleri received 2 awards in 2022 for her adaptive line: the Innovation Award at the Women's Empowerment Awards and the Fashion Impact Award from the CAFA Awards.

Camilleri has dressed celebrities like Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie and David Bowie, but when people from the disability community began asking for a pant without a crotch seam, Camilleri was at a loss. "I didn't really understand what the big deal was, she tells FashionUnited. "I just kept explaining how that seam is so integral to pant design because it divides the right and left, and the curves contour and cup the rear." Camilleri was merely echoing an industry standard that also formed the bedrock of fashion education. It was impossible to create a well-fitting pair of pants without a crotch seam. Fashion students who forgot to add it in their technical flat sketches routinely had their grade docked for carelessness.

Pioneering technology in Game Changer Pant from IZ Adaptive Ph. IZadaptive.com

Rethinking design for the adaptive market

But for wheelchair users the seam can lead to pressure sores on the sit bones when the spine presses down on it. Over an extended period it can penetrate the skin. The wound can take up to a year to heal and in some cases the individual might have to lie on their stomach for 3 months to aid recovery. The worse case scenario is that if can lead to fatal blood infection which is how Superman actor Christopher Reeve died. All because of the placement of a seam.

"It's common, debilitating, and for the longest time I didn't think I could do anything," says Camilleri. "Then during first lockdown, with so little going on, I wondered if I could crack it. I called these pants the Game Changer because that's really what they are."

With patent pending, IZ's Seamless Technology involves a seated cut with classic front, and additional length at the back to prevent gaping. Some styles boast faux stitching where seams would usually be to resemble conventional jeans and stitching also creates trompe l'oeil back pockets. Front pocket bags have been sewn down because even folded fabric can lead to sores. The technology has been applied to sweats, chinos, leggings and yoga pants for men and women.

Adaptive fashion, an exciting design frontier for creative thinkers

There are so many considerations that go into the development of adaptive fashion that it really is an exciting opportunity for designers and pattern makers who like to be challenged. A paralyzed person can start the day with a 30 inch waist but it can measure 32 inches as the day wears on due to organs dropping during extended periods of sitting. A well appointed elastic counters this.

Camilleri pioneered adaptive design when it wasn't much discussed. "For the longest time I was alone." Now she licenses her technology to other brands, and works closely with Runway of Dreams, Gamut Management and, most importantly, the disability community. Her initial foray into adaptive fashion in 2004 emerged from working on custom items for a client who used a wheelchair and learning of the challenges she faced. Statistics in Canada at the time showed that 84 percent of people that break their back were aged between 18-34, the result of either car accidents or sports. The remaining 16 percent were caused by falls among the elderly. The staggering gap between supply and demand motivated Camilleri to pivot her business to provide designs for people with disabilities, specializing in clothes for wheelchair users.

"There were only options for the elderly, nothing for the young accident victims who are rebuilding their lives and maybe returning to work," she says. "If you're a real goth girl you're still the same person you were before the accident, and imagine having that stripped away from you through lack of options."

IZ offers sleek wardrobe staples with stealthy innovations not always visible to the naked eye which is how Camilleri intends it. Traditionally designed coats can be a problem for people in wheelchairs or those who are unable to stand to tuck the hem underneath them. "Many wheelchair users wear short bombers for this reason to avoid that bunching sensation," says Camilleri. "But in the Canadian cold your lap is going to be freezing, and you're not moving your legs so it takes a long time for the body to generate the energy to warm up." Hiring fit models in wheelchairs is critical during prototyping. IZ coats follow the line of a seated person with the back reaching the seat of the chair while the front extends over the knee so it can be put on without the need to stand.

Runway look from Unhidden London Fashion Week Show

Victoria Jenkins, garment technologist and founder of brand Unhidden whose February runway show created a stir during London Fashion Week, has had multiple surgeries for gastro-intestinal problems. She created her brand to provide inclusive and adaptive clothing for disabled people, such as tailored trousers for wheelchair users with vertical pockets so that the contents don't fall out, and an elasticated waistband that isn't restrictive or painful for seated wearers. There are also shirts with portals for stomas or feeding tubes, and arm openings for easy access for those undergoing chemo or radiotherapy. Clothing designed without these considerations "can compromise dignity," says Jenkins. "Being able to thread tubes through openings is more comfortable and less risky."

Slippery fabrics can be dangerous for chair users and some people with certain skin conditions can only wear natural fibers. If a person has trouble raising their arms to get into sleeves, detachable sleeves are helpful and capes have proven popular, says Camilleri. IZ pea coats and jackets have faux buttons covering magnetic closures while zippered styles also conceal a magnet so it simply pops together to ease dressing for those with dexterity issues.

When reviewing the many failings in traditional garment design it can seem as if society or, more specifically, the fashion industry is adding insult to injury for the disabled community. So I have to ask, is it fair to consider traditional design ableist? Jenkins argues that this line of thinking is counterproductive. "It is pure ignorance but that is not always a brand's fault," she says. "We are so segregated that it's simply a case of out of sight, out of mind. I do think it is exclusionary and I think any brand calling themselves sustainable needs to have a look at what excluding 25 percent of people means for them. We have finite resources and we need to make them work smarter and that means universal design practice must be baked in."

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When clothes cause harm, innovation in adaptive fashion is the future of design

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Little discussed is how fashion can cause injury to the disability community and how sometimes the innocent decisions of a designer can be life-threatening

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George at Asda launches new children’s adaptive clothing collection | Retail Bulletin

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On the runway at the Double Take adaptive fashion show on September 8 2022
IMAXTree for Genentech

Far from simply being a narrow niche concern, the adaptive fashion market is projected to be worth some $400 billion by 2026.

Adaptive fashion refers to clothing and apparel that is suitable for individuals with physical or sensory disabilities who may have difficulty dressing or experience severe discomfort and inconvenience wearing standard clothing.

Typical modifications to ensure clothing can meet the needs of disabled consumers may include magnetic and Velcro fastenings instead of buttons and laces for individuals with dexterity issues, concealed zips for access to external tubes and temperature control fabrics.

Though several specialist manufacturers of adaptive apparel do exist such as Belgium-based So Yes, U.K. brand I Am Denim and Chicago-based Social Surge - major fashion houses and brands have been slower off the mark.

Whilst forays by the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Nike into the adaptive clothing market are welcome, the latter in the form of its Go FlyEase trainer which allows for hands-free fitting, their presence is the exception, not the rule.

When it comes to assistive goods and equipment, there will, of course, always be a place for specialist providers, particularly when dealing with more complex medical needs.

Nonetheless, the lack of mainstreaming for adaptive clothes results in multiple downsides for shoppers with disabilities.

For a start, a paucity of consumer choice and competition inevitably drives prices up and makes products harder to source. Beyond this, personal style and identity is just as important for the disabled consumer as anyone else - therefore, limiting the pool of products available to them only narrows and curtails such choices.

In 2022, inclusivity barriers within the fashion industry remain multiple and myriad -from a lack of physical access to stores, dressing rooms and fashion events, right through to the scarcity of inclusive design modules in education courses and a lack of diverse body types strutting or wheeling the catwalks.

Another major pain point relates to misplaced and inaccurate stylistic assumptions about what disabled customers need and want.

In the eternal juggling act between form and functionality - too often the latter wins out - with brands preoccupied with the requirement for comfort over and above both style and emotional attachment.

Seeing is believing

Just prior to New York Fashion Week this past September, Genentech - a pharmaceutical company that manufactures medications for individuals with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) sponsored the Double Take fashion show with a view to subverting some of the misconceptions overshadowing the adaptive clothing sector.

Rather than overly medicalized functional solutions and active wear, the show primarily used models with disabilities showcasing high-end glamorous evening wear - proving that comfort and functionality need not come at the expense of a stylistic flourish.

The show was undertaken alongside Open Style Lab - a non-profit initiated at MIT in 2014 dedicated to conceiving functional but stylistic apparel for people with disabilities through the use of collaborative teams of designers, engineers and occupational therapists.

Sawsan Zakaria at the Double Take adaptive fashion show on September 8 2022
IMAXTree for Genentech

Andrea Saieh is an Open Style Lab fellow who assisted in adapting some of the outfits seen at the Double Take show and is a fashion designer with her own namesake brand based in Bogotá Columbia.

She says that her experience working on the Double Take show served as a timely reminder of the importance of meticulously co-designing alongside people with disabilities:

"As fashion designers, we need to make sure we are listening to people about what they need. Too often, we are designing clothes but not listening to what disabled people are saying and just making assumptions about what we think they want."

Sawsan Zakaria (pictured above) was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and was a participant on the Double Take runway.

"Perhaps a lot of clothing manufacturers assume people with disabilities can't think for themselves and don't care about their appearance. Oftentimes, a lot of adaptive clothing is, the best way I can put it - very medical looking," she says.

"Ultimately, I know that because of my disability - I stick out like a sore thumb. But the great thing about fashion and maintaining a personal style is that it just pulls away from all that disability-focused stuff and helps disabled people fit in, tell their story and put others at ease to just talk about clothes and tell you they like your shirt."

Recognizing the wider fit

Shay Senior, who runs Israel-based adaptive clothing consultancy and accreditation outfit Palta believes the industry requires a mindset shift away from seeing adaptive clothing as a limited market serving only individuals with certain types of disabilities.

"Rather than talking about adaptive clothing, we like to think more along the lines of inclusive clothing and universal design," says Senior.

"Instead of just thinking about a pair of trousers marketed towards a wheelchair user - how about something that works for other individuals who maintain a seated posture for many hours of the day like office workers?"

He continues, "Magnetic closures might be good for a person with dexterity issues but there are also plenty of non-disabled people who like the style and just want to be able to put on and take off their shirt quickly.

"Too often the global brands we speak with worry that designing an adaptive collection would be a complete departure from what they are doing right now and that they would need new factories and fabrics but, in reality, it isn't that black and white and the markets are far more interconnected than they imagine," he explains.

Saieh couldn't agree more:

"Instead of having brands just for people with disabilities, it would be wonderful to just get to a place where all fashion brands were doing this," she says.

"In fashion, each designer and brand possesses their own unique aesthetic and in an equal world, people should be free to choose the aesthetic they most closely identify with.

"In the end, these major fashion brands already have the base design and so they can think about adaptive variations in much the same way as they do about different sizes, as long as they are doing their research and getting customer feedback.

"Brands will save money because they are broadly using the same design, the same materials and it's essentially the same clothing with little tweaks for customers for whom it will make a big difference," Saieh says.

One might imagine that such a difference would extend well beyond the feel-good factor of wearing something you love the look of.

Physical comfort is clearly important too but the psychological warmth that comes from seeing both one's personal needs and style consistently reflected on clothing racks, in online stores and throughout the media should never be underestimated either.

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Why Top Brands Should Rethink Adaptive Fashion And Take It Seriously

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In 2022, major clothing brands still see adaptive fashion for people with physical disabilities as a niche and limited market. Yet, given that 15% of the global population has some form of disability - the financial gains are considerable and entry into the market is not as complex as it may seem.

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Global adaptive clothing market was valued at US$ 1,259.1 Million in 2022, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period (2023 to 2030).
Global Adaptive Clothing Market- Drivers Growing Geriatric Population along with Increasing Disabilities in People
Growing geriatric population along with increasing disabilities in people, among kids as well as adults, is a key factor driving the global adaptive clothing market growth. According to a report presented by the World Health Organization, in November 2021, globally over 1 billion people are estimated to experience disability. This corresponds to about 15% of the world's population, with up to 190 million (3.8%) people aged 15 years and older having significant difficulties in functioning, and require health care services. Moreover, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services., in 2020, the number of Americans age 60 and older increased by 34% from 55.7 million to 74.6 million. In 2019, 30 million women and 24.1 million men were age 65 and older, thus, offering immense opportunities to the industry participants.
Rising Demand for Adaptive Clothing from Hospitals
There has been huge demand for adaptive clothing from hospitals as such clothing is convenient for caregivers, nurses or hospice staff to undress or dress patients. Adaptive clothing is preferred by patients suffering from diseases such as arthritis, paraplegics, and quadriplegics. Clothing has a crucial role for patients to get treatment. The adaptive clothes have openings, it makes easier for the doctors to attach any medical equipment to the patient's body without sacrificing dignity. Thus, it helps to get the quicker access to the medical devices.
Figure 1. Global Adaptive Clothing Market Value Share (%), By Region, 2022 Global Adaptive Clothing Market- Regional Analysis
Among region, North America held a dominant position in market in 2022, and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period due to the high rate of disabled people in the region. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in May 2023 around 27% or one in 4 were living in disability across the U.S Moreover, the presence of robust healthcare facilities is expected to boost the regional market growth in the near future.
Global Adaptive Clothing Market- Restraints Less Awareness about the Adaptive Clothing in the Emerging and Underdeveloped Regions
Less awareness and high cost of the adaptive clothes are expected to restrain the market growth during the forecast period. A large number of the population across the world is unaware of the use of adaptive clothing, and another factor affecting the market is the cost of the adaptive clothing. The adaptive clothing are costlier than the normal cloths. Adaptive clothing allows people with disabilities to feel comfortable and confident in their appearance, however, not everyone with disabilities has the option to purchase adaptive clothing due to its high cost and limited supply.

Report Coverage

Details

Historical Data for:

2018 to 2021

Forecast Period:

2023 to 2030

Forecast Period 2023 to 2030 CAGR:

6.7%

2030 Value Projection:

US$ 2,117.4 Mn

Geographies covered:

North America: U.S. and Canada

Latin America: Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America

Europe: Germany, U.K., Spain, France, Italy, Russia, and Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific: China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, ASEAN, and Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East &Africa: GCC Countries, Israel, and Rest of Middle East, South Africa, North Africa, and Central Africa

Segments covered:

By Product Type: Adaptive Dresses, Adaptive Tops & Pants, Others

By End User: Geriatric Population, Disabled Adults & Children

Companies covered:

Silvert's Adaptive Clothing & Footwear, Izzy Camilleri, NBZ Apparel International, Able2Wear, Adaptions by Adrian, Professional Fit Clothing, Adaptive Clothing Showroom, Creation Confort, Buck & Buck, PVH Corp. and Lycra Company.

Growth Drivers:

Growing geriatric population along with increasing disabilities in people

Rising Demand for Adaptive Clothing from Hospitals

Restraints & Challenges:

Less awareness about the adaptive clothing in the emerging and underdeveloped regions

Global Adaptive Clothing Market- Trends
Growing demand from hospitals for the adaptive clothing is a key trend in the market. Rising demand for adaptive clothing from hospitals and other healthcare facilities as such clothing solutions are convenient for caregivers, hospice staff, and nurses to undress or dress patients is a major trend. Adaptive clothing is widely preferred for patients with arthritis, quadriplegics, and paraplegics.
Figure 2. Global Adaptive Clothing Market Value Share (%), By End User, 2022 Global Adaptive Clothing Market- Segmentation
On the basis of end user, the Disabled Children and Adult population segment held the highest market share of global adaptive clothing market in 2022. It is expected to be the largest and the fastest growing segment throughout the forecast period. The segment's dominance can be attributed to increasing population in the developed countries such as the U.K., Germany, Japan, and others. Furthermore, increasing standard of living and raising awareness of adaptive clothing in old-age homes and hospitals further boosts the segment growth.
Global Adaptive Clothing Market- Competitive Section
Major players operating in the global adaptive clothing market include Silvert's Adaptive Clothing & Footwear, Izzy Camilleri, NBZ Apparel International, Able2Wear, Adaptions by Adrian, Professional Fit Clothing, Adaptive Clothing Showroom, Creation Confort, Buck & Buck, PVH Corp. and Lycra Company.
Global Adaptive Clothing Market- Recent Developments

In September 2021, LYCRA Company, a global leader in innovative solutions for stretch and performance technologies for the apparel industry, launched LYCRA ADAPTIVfibre breakthrough technology. This fibre allows garments to have a better fit for various lifestyles, movements, and provide better fit as per the different body types.

In May 2023, JAM The Label, a Australia- based adaptive fashion brand, launched its first-ever capsule collection created in collaboration with fashion designer with disability named Rachel Shugg.

In September 2022, Kohl's (an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation) is expanding its adaptive merchandise assortment with the launch of adaptive products for adults. The collection was designed in partnership with Gamut Management, a consulting and talent Management Company for people with disabilities, per a company press release. Kohl's already offers adaptive products for kids, including apparel from its Jumping Beans, Tek Gear, SO and Sonoma Goods for Life labels and toys from brands including Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set Toy and Foxmind Go Pop! Roundo.

*Definition: Adaptive clothing are garments that are designed with medical function in mind for post-surgery patients, the disabled, elderly, rehabilitation patients, special needs children and adults, people with arthritis, stroke victims, and others. Adapted clothes provide easy access to body parts without removing the entire garment, and makes it easier to change or remove clothing. There are many styles and medical purposes for disabled clothing - mostly garments with zippers that provide access to parts of the body that would otherwise require the clothes to be removed entirely. With adaptive clothing, a disabled or elderly patient can retain dignity, can provide some level of self-care, and experience the added comfort of quicker access to medical appliances and needs for both them and for a nurse or physician.
Clothes designed for people with physical disabilities and the elderly, infirm, and post-surgery patients are known as adaptive clothing. These people prefer adaptive clothing as it is easy to dress and undress themselves. Adaptive clothes are generally replaced with magnetic closures from the buttons and zipper. These garments makes it easier for caretakers or caregivers to dress or undress patients or people that lack the full range of motion required for self-dressing. Adaptive clothing is available for people suffering from spinal cord injury, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, incontinence, contractures, and others.
Market Dynamics
Adaptive clothing is designed for adults & children with disabilities, elderly, and the infirm people who may find it challenging to dress themselves due to an inability to manipulate closures such as buttons and zippers.

Furthermore, these clothes do not have conventional buttons or zippers as these are replaced by Velcro and magnetic closures, and are designed with stretchy fabric. However, adaptive clothing such as jumpsuits thatare made for patients suffering from Down syndrome include zippers to prevent wearer from disrobing.

Growing prevalence of diabetes is expected to drive the global adaptive clothing market growth over the forecast period. There has been rising demand for adaptive clothing such as adaptive socks in the hospital & healthcare centres. Adaptive clothes are used by diabetic patients that help them to prevent the foot from potential fungal or microbial infections. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in November 2021, the number of people with diabetes had increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 globally. Prevalence of diabetes has been rising more rapidly in low- and middle-income regions such as Africa and Latin America than in high-income regions such as North America and Europe. Therefore, such factors are expected to drive the global adaptive clothing market growth during the forecast period.

Adaptive clothing is used in hospitals as it makes it easier for caretakers, nurses, and hospice workers to undress and dress patients. Patients with disorders like paraplegia, arthritis, and quadriplegia prefer to wear adaptive attire. Clothing is essential for patients to receive therapy. Since the adapted clothing has holes, doctors can attach any medical device to the patient's body without jeopardizing his or her dignity. As a result, it facilitates quicker access to medical devices.
Key features of the study:

This report provides an in-depth analysis of global adaptive clothing market, and provides market size (US$ Million) and compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for the forecast period (2023-2030), considering 2022 as the base year

It elucidates potential revenue opportunity across different segments and explains attractive investment proposition matrix for this market

This study also provides key insights about market drivers, restraints, opportunities, new product launches or approvals, regional outlook, and competitive strategies adopted by key players

It profiles key players in the global adaptive clothing market based on the following parameters company overview, financial performance, product portfolio, geographical presence, distribution strategies, key developments and strategies, and future plans

Key companies covered as a part of this study include Silvert's Adaptive Clothing & Footwear, Izzy Camilleri, NBZ Apparel International, Able2Wear, Adaptions by Adrian, Professional Fit Clothing, Adaptive Clothing Showroom, Creation Confort, Buck & Buck, PVH Corp., and Lycra Company

Insights from this report would allow marketers and management authorities of companies to make informed decision regarding future product launches, technology up gradation, market expansion, and marketing tactics

Global adaptive clothing market report caters to various stakeholders in this industry including investors, suppliers, adaptive clothing manufacturers, distributors, new entrants, and financial analysts

Stakeholders would have ease in decision-making through various strategy matrices used in analyzing the global adaptive clothing market

Detailed Segmentation:

Global Adaptive Clothing Market, By Product Type:

Adaptive Dresses

Adaptive Tops & Pants

Others

Global Adaptive Clothing Market, By End User:

Geriatric Population

Disabled Adults & Children

Global Adaptive Clothing Market, By Region:

Company Profiles

Silvert's Adaptive Clothing & Footwear

Izzy Camilleri

NBZ Apparel International

Able2Wear

Adaptions by Adrian

Professional Fit Clothing

Adaptive Clothing Showroom

Creation Confort

Buck & Buck

PVH Corp.

Lycra Company.

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adaptive clothing market competitors analysis

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adaptive clothing market opportunity analysis

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Adaptive Clothing Market size, Trends and Forecast to 2030

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130 Pages] Adaptive Clothing Market is expected to reach US$ 2,117.4 Mn by 2030. Market by Indications, by Distribution Channels and Region

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adaptive clothing for people with disabilities or elderly.

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The UK is slowly catching up with the US and its options for adaptive clothing. We now have a selection of fantastic brands to choose from on the high street and online. However, there is limited awareness, and some people don't know what is available to them.

With over 15% of the global population experiencing some form of disability, we must do more to raise awareness so that everyone has access to adaptive clothing.

But what is adaptive clothing?

Adaptive clothing is designed specifically for people with physical disabilities. Men, women and children included as well as the elderly or people who are recovering from surgery. Designed to help the wearer dress with ease or can be dressed by their carer. Switching buttons for poppers, velcro or magnetic fastenings, reducing leg length for amputees. Choosing fabrics for comfort and hygiene whilst still looking classy and making the wearer feel good.

Adaptive apparel has come such a long way on the high street to how it was a few years ago. Some big fashion brands now have an adaptive clothing section on their websites, but there are also some great up and coming small brands that everyone should know.

That's why here at Ucan2 magazine, we have gone on a hunt to track them down so that you have all your options in one place.

Where to buy adaptive clothing in the UK
1. Optivus UK 2. Bealies Adaptive Wear 3. Unhidden 4. Able2Wear 5. Tommy Hilfiger 6. Bombini Tribe 7. Elba London
Optivus is a streetwear-inspired brand offering adapted clothing for men, women and children. Conceived by a mother wanting to give her son trendy fashion choices whilst reducing the stress of dressing and discomfort that standard clothing caused. Their goal is to "make their users valued, empowering self-esteem and self-acceptance by rendering a treasured experience."

Bealies Adaptive Wear is the place to go for your adaptive joggers for wheelchair users. The brainchild of Caron Mcluckie whose son suffered a spinal cord stroke in 2016, who couldn't find joggers with fly zip openings to easily self catheterise. From this Bealies was born, where she now joggers look great but gives the wearers dignity and self-confidence.

Read the full story of how Bealie's was found here.

Unhidden throws out the pyjama's with their adaptive clothing for men, women and fantastic homewares, instilling confidence and pride in the disabled community. Founded by Victoria Jenkins after a chance encounter with a woman in the hospital who struggled to remove her clothing when the doctors came round, restricted to wearing pyjama's and loungewear but wanted to wear nice clothes. Unhidden, was created to give dignity and confidence back to the people who 'normal' clothing didn't work for.

Able2Wear has been developing adaptive clothing for over 25 years and is the longest established supplier of wheelchair clothing. They work closely with wheelchair users, carers and professionals to bring you their unique collection of garments. Designed to bring confidence, style and comfort to the wearer.

Tommy Hilfiger is one of the world's leading designer lifestyle brands. But not as widely known for its adaptive clothing, which first began in 2016 for children and then extended the year after to include adults. Its website now has a 'shop by solution' section where you can explore adaptive modifications.

Follow them over on Instagram.

Bombini Tribe currently offers adaptive clothing for men, but adaptive clothing for women is coming soon, along with adaptive clothing for kids. The owner Gary Scholes started for his rugby team and close friends and now delivers all over the UK.

Follow them on Instagram.

Forget the fiddly bra fastenings with Elba London, bringing you stylish lingerie that offers front magnetic fastenings to enable people with dexterity or mobility limitations. Elba is 'able' backwards and, Elba London wants everyone to be able to access lingerie that is not just accessible but also comfortable and looks good.

Pop over to their Instagram.

There you have it, some of the most fabulous adaptive clothing brands for disabled people from around the UK. You must agree there is plenty of choices out there.

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The UK is slowly catching up with the US and its options for adaptive clothing. We now have a selection of fantastic brands to choose from on the high street and online. However, there is limited awareness, and some people don't know what is available to them.

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Men's Tommy Adaptive Clothing Collection | Tommy Hilfiger® UK

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Discover the latest Tommy Adaptive clothing collection for Men, featuring easy access closures and more. Receive 10% off by signing up to our newsletter.

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Adaptive Clothing for Kids | Assisted Dressing | M&S

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Discover adaptive clothing for kids in our easy dressing range. You'll find carefully crafted garments and soft cotton materials in the range at M&S

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Why are there more clothing lines for dogs than disabled people?

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For wheelchair users like me, who love fashion, 'adaptive' clothing has often been disappointingly dowdy. But Tommy Hilfiger and other high-end designers could change that