Fashion for Disabilities
Another fun fact about me: I was born with Microtia and Atresia, which means that I have an underdeveloped ear and ear canal. Because of this I can’t hear very well, so I wear a hearing aid. It’s interesting to reflect on because my disability is what unknowingly sparked my interest in fashion and then psychology years later.
Personal struggle:
The biggest fashion struggle I faced throughout my life (and still do today) is the challenge of wearing sunglasses. I’m super grateful to have thick hair because I wear my sunglasses through it. I love accessories and wish I could wear different styles, but you’ll only ever spot me with one pair (unless it’s for a photo or something temporary) because it’s really difficult to find a weight that’s light enough to stay in the hair without falling down. The most recent pair, which I’ve worn for four years now (pictured above and below) were a gift from my thoughtful husband found at Tiffany and Co.—classic black cat eyes with Tiffany blue on the inside… I love them!
Fashion representation:
I haven’t seen people with disabilities showcased on the runway or front covers of magazines, and that says a lot considering how fashion consumes much of my life. I was made fun of in school when I was younger and through writing this blog it came to mind that one of the reasons why disabled children are probably questioned and made fun of so much is because other kids generally haven’t seen anyone like them before. When these instances do occur (i.e. the girl on the front cover of a magazine with a disability) it’s considered a big deal and shared all over social media when it should be more normal.
Adaptive fashion:
I don’t feel that fashion is made for people with disabilities. It was only when researching for this blog where I discovered some adaptive clothing lines, but of all the hours of shopping I’ve done (and I’d say it’s a lot) I’ve never seen a section in store or online for disabled people. In fact until I joined the board for Ear Community (a nonprofit organization I’m involved with) I didn’t know things like adaptable sunglasses for myself even existed!
IG poll:
From my Instagram poll this week inquiring about fashion for disabilities, I found out more struggles that people with disabilities face: velcro works best for those with musculoskeletal disabilities because buttons and zippers can be very challenging, hemming one leg of pants for someone with scoliosis can become costly, and limited oromotor control in those with cerebral palsy requires some sort of napkin. My friend’s cousin made a bandana around his neck as a signature look because of this, which I thought was pretty creative!
Solutions:
An idea I have is that fashion companies could have a tab on their website or section in their store with a selection of items for the most common disabilities. To drive motivation to make clothes and accessories for a market that is relatively small, a tax incentive could be a good option! If governments gave incentives for the distribution of more adaptive clothing, do you think this could be the slow start to a solution of more fashion options for people with disabilities?
I think it would be fantastic if someone like Anna Wintour expressed an interest in models with disabilities to be included both on the runway and in fashion campaigns, which would create more popularity for companies to promote such lines.
Personally, I know it would feel great to see people normalize fashion for disabilities to the point where it’s mainstream. An issue I wrote about recently included the underrepresentation of black models, and I similarly feel a great deal of passion about the underrepresentation of those with disabilities in the fashion industry. I read a quote once that said “fashion is more fun when it’s for everyone,” and that spoke to me.
@thechicpsyche