Say you have a child with a disability who has challenges using his fingers and hands. It's been a long haul helping him learn to feed himself, hold a cup, maneuver a toothbrush, grasp toys, turn lights on and off, use a TV remote control and twist doorknobs, among other manual tasks. Thanks to lots of practice and even more determination, your child can now do these things. Not with ease, but he manages. And yet, there is one key life skill that eludes him: dressing himself.
That child is my Max, who has cerebral palsy. And as of this week, he's gained some dressing independence because Tommy Hilfiger has launched a line of adaptive clothing, available now. It's due to the efforts of fashion designer Mindy Scheier, founder of the nonprofit Runway of Dreams. Her muse: Her 11-year-old son, Oliver, who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy.
This is a big deal for children like Oliver and Max, their parents and the fashion industry in general. It's the first time a major clothing line, let alone a designer one, has created clothing for people with different abilities. The collection includes 22 pieces for boys and girls, sizes 4 to 20; the tops, pants, jeans and dresses are adaptations of other Tommy Hilfiger styles. They have magnetic closures instead of buttons, adjustable pant legs to fit foot braces and adjustable sleeves for the limb different.
Given that nearly one in five people in the U.S. have a disability, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, it may be hard to believe that until now no big manufacturers have created adaptive clothing. But the truth is, often people just don't get it unless they know someone with a disability. "I've been in design my whole career and only after I had Oliver was I privy to issues I never knew existed," says Mindy. "It takes a big mouth to help the industry understand this is a community that has not been served." Perhaps Tommy Hilfiger gets that more than other designers would, given that both he and his second wife, Dee, each have children with autism, and Tommy has done a PSA for Autism Speaks.
Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive Clothing is the same price as the brand's standard children's styles, something Scheier pushed for. "I didn't feel our community should have to pay more," she says. "It's a huge testament to Tommy, he absorbed the extra costs—the cost of a magnet is significantly more than a button." Some parents won't be up for paying designer price tags (the cost of the red shirt is $29.50). But Mindy's just getting started, and is in talks with other brands and retailers. "My dream is that there's adaptive mainstream clothing for every person out there whether you're shopping at Walmart or Saks Fifth Avenue," she says.
Mindy's already designed two more collections for Tommy Hilfiger, who made a donation to Runway of Dreams. They're in discussion about expanding the clothing to retail stores, and creating a line for adults.
Clothes like these will be a game-changer for our kids. Not only will they have more autonomy, they'll better fit in with their peers, given that the clothes have the usual cool, crisp Tommy style. As Mindy says, "When you put on something that you feel good in, it affects your confidence and self-esteem."
It's also heartening that Tommy Hilfiger is furthering the progress of inclusive fashion, which in recent years has ranged from more clothes for plus-size women to models of different abilities on the runways. Style should be fully accessible; how you dress shows the world who you are, something that's especially key for people like my son. Too often, people can't see past the disability. But with clothes this good looking, hopefully all they'll be thinking is, "Nice outfit!"
Former Glamour editor Ellen Seidman is author of the popular parenting blog Love that Max about special needs children.
Photos: Getty, Tommy Hilfiger
Source: http://feeds.glamour.com/c/35377/f/665038/s/4dd0880b/sc/21/l/0L0Sglamour0N0Cfashion0Cblogs0Cdressed0C20A160C0A20Ctommy0Ehilfiger0Eintroduces0Ea0Esp/story01.htm
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