As a mama of a little girl who wears a prosthetic leg, we struggled when she was younger to find pants that would fit over her prosthetic leg. Invariably, her pants would rip at the knee where her hinge was or they would be constantly falling down because we had to buy them 1-2 sizes bigger to fit over her prosthetic. There would be weeks were I was buying stacks of leggings at Target and I wished for a longer term solution–a clothing brand that had her body type and unique needs in mind.
Adaptive clothing makes getting dressed and functioning within clothes more accessible to people with a wide variety of needs. The disability community is so diverse, so modern designers embrace a variety of styles of adaptive clothing with one goal in mind: to create an innovative garment that makes life easier for the wearer.
Examples of Adaptive Clothing
- Pants, shirts, dresses or skirts that open at the sides with magnetic closures instead of buttons
- Shoes that allow the wearer to step into them without forcing them on
- Pants cut higher in the back and lower in the front that are more comfortable for wheelchair users
- Clothes with easy access points for medical equipment
- Sensory-friendly clothing items
- One-piece outfits
Here are some of our favs on the market!
IZ Adaptive
We love this fun and trendy brand for creating adaptive fashion that’s functional but cool too!
Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive
Tommy was one of the first adaptive brands that we found–I love that they have a professional work wear line that Callie can transition to as she gets older. Their line stays true to the brand’s classic vibes while still offering things like hidden magnetic clasps on their button up shirts and Velcro closures.
Zappos Adaptive
Zappos is hands down one of our favorite brands and one of the prime reasons is they sell single shoes! We are obsessed with their collections from popular brands like Converse, Uggs, and Brooks.
Seven7 Adaptive
Cute and affordable jeans for wheelchair users! Their adaptive line of jeans have a lower cut in the front and a higher cut in the back for a more flattering look and comfortable feel. Their skinny jean style has Velcro openings on the bottom to accommodate orthotics/prosthetics and reinforced belt loops so caregivers can assist with dressing.
Target Kids Adaptive
Target is already my favorite place to shop and I was over the moon when they started carrying adaptive clothing for kids–dresses with access for feeding tubes, Velcro features on pants for orthotics, and sensory sensitivity clothing are part of their line.
Billy Footwear
We love Billy for their comfort and easy on/off shoes. Their line of orthotic shoes is great for people who wear braces because they zip all the way around the front so you can place your foot into them without the need to slide them in. Plus they are super stylish!
Love & Light–
Jaime