Dress for Success
Does arthritis limit your wardrobe? Expand it with accessible clothing.
By Kelly Rouba
Stefanie Tepley, of Culver City, California, has juvenile idiopathic arthritis and knows firsthand that dressing can be a real chore. “I can’t do buttons because of my fingers,” says Tepley. The 18-year-old also has trouble with zippers, pullovers, and tying shoelaces. Pants with elastic waistbands or drawstrings are often her only options.
While having limited dexterity may seem to restrict your wardrobe, all hope is not lost. Stephanie Thomas, a disability fashion specialist who owns the Norfolk, Va. fashion consulting firm APOSH, says a growing number of companies are now manufacturing accessible clothing that’s designed to be easy to get on and off. Tops and pants are made with magnetic or Velcro fastenings, and garments are relaxed in the waist. Traditionally, this clothing genre was not regarded as being fashion forward, but that has begun to change.
“In the last six years, the desire for accessible, yet stylish clothing has hit the forefront – expectations have been raised,” Thomas says.
One company on the front lines of this trend is WheelieChix-Chic. Louisa Summerfield of London, England, launched the company last fall in response to personal experiences. “I have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and I’m in a wheelchair, so dressing has always been an challenge,” she says.
Summerfield, now 41, was diagnosed at the age of 9 and began using a wheelchair six years later. About 10 years ago she became aware that “general clothing shops don’t even think about people with disabilities,” she says. “And the places that do offer accessible clothing, view it a bit like maternity wear.”
WheelieChix-Chic’s clothing are priced on the higher end (starting at $96 for dresses and $105 for pants), but Summerfield ensures her designers create feminine, chic, and sexy outfits because she wants women to be remembered for the confidence they exude – not their disability.
