From Skims to Anthro: 9 Brands You Might Not Know Make Adaptive Clothing

Of the roughly 340 million people in America, about 42.5 million live with some type of disability, making up about 13% of the total population. According to the American Institutes for Research, or AIR, this group has an estimated spending power of $490 billion, or nearly half a trillion dollars, and many in it are willing to use a portion of that to invest in fashion. That is, as long as there are brands to design pieces that fit their wants and needs.

Understanding the financial and societal benefits of catering to the sartorial wishes of people with disabilities, some of the biggest names in retail have entered the adaptive-fashion market in the last few years, designing everything from bralettes and thongs with magnetic or hook-and-eye front closures for comfort and accessibility (thank you, Victoria’s Secret and Skims) to hands-free sneakers courtesy of Nike and Kizik that use a variety of advanced, patented technologies to make putting shoes on and taking them off an easy, one-and-done movement. But those are just a few of the highlights. Ahead, check out the functional fashion offerings of nine brands, all of which are putting in the work to push the fashion industry into a more inclusive future where everyone has access to clothing, shoes, and more that work for them, both practically and aesthetically.

Anthropologie

Tommy Hilfiger

tommy adaptive

Boatneck Sweater

Skims

Kizik

JAM

Slick Chicks

No Limbits

Victoria’s Secret