Best Adaptive Clothing Brands for Special Needs Kids (And Adults, Too!)
Parents and caregivers of special needs kids often feel like they’re fighting an uphill battle on everything from medical care to schooling to safety to … yes, even clothing. If your child has sensory needs or wears a medical device, there is a good chance you’ve spent countless hours pouring over clothing trying to find something that will actually work for your child. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve ordered that have been cast aside because it wasn’t the right fabric, had seams or there was a tag. Thankfully retailers are paying attention and many have introduced accessible lines in the past several years.
Best Accessible Clothes for Kids Fashions
Target was one of the first mainstream stores to offer an accessible clothing line and will always, always have a warm place in my heart. Plus, they have Caroline Carts in their stores. What’s not to love?
Target has an entire line of accessible clothing for babies though pre-teen. Their styles include sensory friendly, abdominal access, and easier dressing for kids in wheel chairs or with other mobility limitations. They even have a line of uniform options, as well.
Prices: Range from $4.50 to $35, making this really easy on sensitive budgets.
Sizes: Preemie to Kids Size 18
Best Adaptive Clothes for Adults on a Budget
JC Penney really knocks it out of the ballpark for for adaptive clothing for adults. The brands and styles match the what is offered without being obviously “adaptive”. They use innovative fasteners, like velcro at the neckline and waistband and magnets for buttons, to maintain fashion without sacrificing dignity.
Bonus – JC Penney is always running a sale and these styles are included!
Prices: Range from $5 to $54
Sizes: Kids (including Husky!), Misses, Women’s Plus Sizes through 30W, Men’s, Men’s Big and Tall through 5XL
Best Brand Name in Adaptive Clothing
Tommy Hilfiger introduced the Tommy Adaptive line in 2016 from his experience having kids on the autism spectrum, as well as a sister with MS, and blazed a path for fabulous clothing for an underserved community. His goal was to create pieces that matched the needs of people with a variety of needs and disabilities, without the glaring medical/ functional feel that so many accessible clothes had at the time.
The Tommy Adaptive line includes pieces with easy closures, comfort, seated wear, and prosthetics.
Prices: $19 to $259
Sizes: Kids (XS – 16) Women’s (2-18) , Men’s (S-XL; 30-42 Waist)
Best Store for Adaptive Shoes (and Other Things Too!!!)
I am a huge fan of zappos.com – their customer service is among the best, they consistently rank high in employee satisfaction and they have fully embraced the complex needs of customers requiring adaptive clothing, shoes, and accessories, including medical wear.
Zappos comes with fast, free shipping and a 365 day return policy – and carries over 40 adaptive lines from brands such as Reebok, Billy, Crocs, Converse, Ugg, and Vans. Zappos goes beyond ugly velcro sneakers and offers shoes with zippers and yes, velcro but not “ugly velcro”, and even sells single shoes, as well as different sizes per foot.
Sizes: Kids and Adults
Prices: $20 and up, comparable to the selected brand
Honorable Mentions
American Eagle/ Aerie
American Eagle’s Super Soft line isn’t marketed as adaptive but it’s an absolute win. The fabrics are, well, super soft and have no tags, making them perfect for teens and adults with sensory sensitivity.
Sizes: XS to XXXL
Prices: $20 to $30
Aerie across the board is some of the most comfortable clothes you’ll find, but I adore that they carry the Spoonie Threads Insulin Pump belt in a gorgeous hot pink. Being a teenager is so hard – made only more complicated when you have type 1 diabetes. I love love love that they have chosen to include products like these in their store.
