Adaptive Clothing makes life easier for folks with limited mobility by designing clothing with the user in mind.

As a personal stylist for women, my role is to really see someone. I’m here to listen to observe and then to create a helpful strategy for her to harness her authentic personal style and simplify her life. This highly personalized process includes a deep dive into her values (would she prefer to support BIPOC makers, female founders, sustainable brands?), her mindset (is she struggling to accept her body as it is now or does she lack confidence in her stylistic choices?) and her lifestyle (what actually works for her day to day?).

I spend a great deal of time listening, researching and sharing my knowledge with individual clients and the Poplin community. Sometimes, information is directly applicable to you, the reader. Other times, it makes more sense for a friend or family member and is worth sharing. And then there are times when the information may not feel applicable, but knowing it changes you in some small way. I’m curious which of these camps you fall into.

Few things are as inspiring to me as watching a woman with power use her voice to make the world better. Sure, you can negotiate world peace in your efforts to improve the planet. But, for many of us, day to day choices have a significant impact on the people around us and the future direction of society. The women who have put their energy into offering truly inclusive clothing are making big changes in the industry and changing the conversation around inclusivity.

In the past few years, inclusivity sparks thinking about brands who offer sizes for every body type. Universal Standard was a front runner in this journey and our culture is forever changed thanks to that brand and other like it. No longer do “straight sizes” end at 14. Many retailers offer pieces up to size 18 or well beyond. That’s real progress.

Amplifying brands with female founders and/or founders of color is another big part of our journey to true inclusivity. Venture Capitalists who fund these brands have propelled them forward. We can also thank shows like Shark Tank that give opportunities to folks who may not otherwise have them and retailers like Nordstrom who started selling lesser known brands and introduced them to a huge consumer base.

Now, it’s time to take our conversation about inclusivity in fashion to another level. Let’s talk about Adaptive Clothing.

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What is Adaptive Clothing?

According to the machine that is Google, Adaptive clothing is apparel that has been designed for people who have difficulties dressing themselves due to age, disability or general lack of mobility.

Thanks to a recent column in the Style section of the New York Times, more people are starting to become familiar with the idea of Adaptive Clothing. This may apply to you directly or it may be more applicable to a family member who now struggles to put clothing on without assistance. Companies offering adaptive clothing offer more than clothes, they bring independence.

Now that you’ve heard of Adaptive Clothing, you can never unhear it. If you are already jonesing to find some, we’ve got you covered.

Where Can I Find Cool Adaptive Clothing?

Skims

Say what you will about Kim Kardashian, but she is always on the forefront of inclusivity. Not only does Skims have undergarments in a wide variety of skintones and extended sizes, the brand also has items with adaptive needs in mind. Something as simple as a front closure on a bra can make it easier to put on for someone with limited mobility.

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger offers adaptive clothing for men, women and kids. The Skims pieces show that something as simple as a front clasp can be a game changer, the Tommy options take accessibility to the next level. This button down shirt has magnetic closures for folks who struggle with buttons. It’s just one example of thoughtful design with the user in mind. Need more? How about jeans with a Velcro and magnetic fly designed to appear as a traditional fly? The jeans are loose fit with a button and loop adjustable waist and internal pull up loops.

Adaptive pants and sweatshirt for the win.

Slick Chicks

We’ve seen what a couple of mainstream brands are doing for accesiblity, now it’s time to dive into some of the brands focused entirely on adaptive clothing. As you can imagine, there are myriad options that aren’t super attractive, but they do the job. In Poplin-land, we want you to look and feel your best everyday. So, it’s all about pieces that do that. Several of the choices from Slick Chicks are functional and cool. Adaptive underwear comes in several versions with a side Velcro fastener for a woman who is sitting or lying down. You can pick up a pair from the brand while shopping for other items or just grab one at Nordstrom.com. Options are also tag-less for folks who struggle with irritation from tags. The adaptive hoodie above is genius! Dropped armholes make getting in and out of it much easier than you’d expect, a magnetic zipper is so much easier for someone with limited hand dexterity. Speaking of Universal Standard, this style is reminiscent of a sweatshirt the brand made years ago and something anyone can wear and feel great.

Adaptive Leather Jacket is all the things! High quality lamb leather with a flannel lining designed to be easy to take off and on and to rest comfortable in a chair. A timeless classic that is also life changing.

IZ

Fashion designer Izzy Camilleri created custom pieces for a client in a wheelchair. The experience opened her eyes to the challenges women with limited mobility face and IZ was born. There are some hits and some misses with this brand, but I love that it exists. And I especially love this timeless leather jacket. Among the genius innovations, the jacket has a zipper down the back that is both hip and functional. It allows the user to unzip it into two pieces if needed for easy removal. Smaller labels like these have new pieces arriving periodically, so remember this site if you need something in the future as new pieces may appear.

I’ve learned so much researching this and hope that it’s been useful for you, too. In order for these lines to flourish, we need to support them by sharing them with our friends and family and/or purchasing some pieces of our own. I’m loving this evolution in fashion and I vote we all keep it going.

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What is Adaptive Clothing and Where Can I Buy Cool Adaptive Clothing?