Adaptive clothing: beautiful, trendy and stylish

People with disabilities often need clothing that is adapted to their individual needs. These garments are characterized by functional elements – which you can often tell by looking at them. But that doesn't have to be the case: some manufacturers not only meet the functional requirements of their customers, but also their fashion needs.

Rollimoden is a supplier of functional clothing for wheelchair users. Ribcap offers protective helmets and medical headwear for young and old. And Wombly adaptive kidswear specialises in adaptive clothing for babies and children.

Garments designed for people with disabilities often have to meet various requirements that are not relevant to conventional fashion. Pants for people who use a wheelchair should be cut in a way that makes sitting more comfortable. Closures for shoes, pants or jackets should be designed in such a way that they are easier to use for people who cannot use their hands to their full extent. There are also items of clothing or accessories that fulfill additional functions, for example helmets that protect people in the event of falls or seizures.

Large fashion companies naturally also try to cater to the tastes of as many people as possible. With adaptive fashion, however, it is even more important to consider the needs of consumers, as their use depends on it. In addition, the batches are significantly smaller and the production costs higher than for mass-produced off-the-peg fashion.

As a result, producers of adaptive fashion cannot follow every trend immediately, explains Anne Jürgens from Rollimoden Versandhandel GmbH. To make sure that her clothing really does find takers, she likes to ask her followers via Instagram how much interest there is before starting production on a new item.

Ribcap also carefully examines the needs and preferences of its target group. “We have to develop an innovative design that meets the expectations of people with disabilities. The innovative design should be user-friendly and comfortable and look stylish at the same time,” says Nico De Wilde from Ribcap. Such an approach requires more time and effort than the production of standardized clothing.

Lina Phyllis Falkner from Wombly adaptive kidswear can confirm this: “Tailoring to the respective needs is very research and coordination intensive. The design process cannot be compared with that of a conventional item of clothing and is therefore much more resource-intensive.”

According to Nico De Wilde, one of the biggest challenges is finding the balance between functionality and aesthetics. This succeeds if you manage to integrate the functional elements into the design.

Lina Falkner takes a similar view and explains the next level of difficulty: “Particularly with smaller items of clothing, for example for children, an element such as a button placket quickly becomes visually dominant. Additional openings are also always a technical cutting challenge, as the opening must not become too prominent in the design.” Solutions that Wombly has found for this are facings or second layers that cover openings or button plackets, explains Falkner.

De Wilde adds: “Finding the right fabric that is both comfortable and functional as well as fashionable was also a challenge. For example, there are fabrics that offer the right functionality but don't have the desired look for a stylish ribcap design.” Falkner points out that it becomes even more difficult when a manufacturer also claims to produce sustainably and fairly. “Often, special fasteners such as magnetic buttons or press stud straps are not yet available in a sustainable version.”

Despite all the challenges involved in designing and producing adaptive clothing, aesthetics are an indispensable part of fashion. Stylish and trendy clothing is not an extra for people with disabilities, but a must.

This is particularly true for occasions for which people pay special attention to their clothing, such as business appointments and public events, as well as special celebrations or dates. Fashion trends play a particularly important role for children and young people who compare themselves with their peers.

People with disabilities still encounter many prejudices in their everyday lives that stand in the way of inclusion. “Fashionable clothing can be an important piece of the puzzle for more equality,” hopes Falkner. “Clothing has a huge impact on self-esteem and a sense of belonging. Trendy fashion contributes to inclusion by giving people with disabilities the opportunity to follow the fashion zeitgeist and thus feel part of society. [...] In this way, it can help to break down prejudices and stereotypes.”

De Wilde also sees a direct link between aesthetic and trendy clothing and the fight against stereotypes. “Fashion promotes inclusion. When fashion brands design stylish and accessible clothing, they send the message that people with disabilities are valued and deserve to participate fully in society. When people with disabilities see themselves in the media or marketing, it promotes a sense of belonging and acceptance.” He hopes that this presence of people with disabilities will also lead to more manufacturers and brands producing adaptive clothing, resulting in a wider range of products.

Contemporary fashion can be characterized by many factors. These include fabrics, colors, patterns and cuts that take seasonal trends into account. All three manufacturers surveyed agree that the choice and quality of materials also play a major role. “High-quality fabrics and materials improve the look and feel of the garment,” explains Nico De Wilde from Ribcap. “Fabrics such as silk, wool and pure cotton look more elegant, are more comfortable to wear and last longer.”

Details that set accents and make garments unique also play a major role. This includes the design of fasteners and seams as well as washes, prints, embroidery, patches and other decorative elements. Rollimoden has developed a pair of trousers with a smartphone pocket on the front of the thigh. “We also have shoes from Billy Footwear on offer,” reports Anne Jürgens happily. “Billy is a spinal cord injury patient in the USA and has developed fashionable trainers that have an all-round zip. This means you can open up the upper part of the shoe and simply slip them on.” And finally, a stylish outfit also means that items of clothing can be combined with each other depending on the occasion, adds De Wilde.

The fact that adaptive clothing and fashion trends go hand in hand has not yet reached the wider fashion market. However, you will find many manufacturers who meet this requirement at REHACARE:

Julia Pott
REHACARE.com