I’ve got a fashion challenge with my son, and it doesn’t have to do with him wanting to wear his new Lightning McQueen slippers all the time. We need to find clothing that he can put on himself. This is not easy; Max’s cerebral palsy means his fingers aren’t that nimble and he can’t easily move his arms up and down. My husband’s mother used to be a clothes designer, and we’ve recently asked her to consider making pants for Max that he’d be able to open and close.
Turns out another grandmother has already been there, designed that. Karen Bowersox, 65, of Ohio has a granddaughter, Maggie, with Down syndrome. It had long been a challenge finding clothes that fit her body, Bowersox has said.
Her inspiration
As she’s noted, people with DS typically have a short thigh bone and upper arm bone, which can make sleeves and pants too long; because of low muscle tone, they may develop larger stomachs. In 2010 Bowersox found a good designer and launched Downs Designs. Today, there’s an entire line of clothing including jeans with elastic bands so they’re easier to pull up and down, shirts with different sleeve lengths, shorts and capris. Bowersox calls her creations “Down Sizing.” Tags are printed in inner pockets, so there are no itch problems for those with sensory issues.
Other clothing line creators have had similar motivation; the recently debuted Mianzi Fashion line is the brainchild of a father, Richard Nachum Kligman, who has a son with cerebral palsy. The shirts feature quick-drying bamboo fabric and an extra layer of material so that they don’t get soaked from drool (an issue for some children and adults with CP). He launched the line with $25,000 in funding pledged on Kickstarter. Last summer, Bowersox won $50,000 worth of digital marketing from Staples’ Push It Forward contest.
Clothing geared toward people with special needs can improve their lives by giving them more confidence—and increasing their independence. There are actually many people out there with fine-motor skill challenges who would benefit from Downs Designs, including ones with CP. Sometimes Max struggles even with elastic waist bands, like the kind on sweatpants, so we’ve been considering ones with big loops he can grasp. Meanwhile, I’m showing this to my mother-in-law. Hint, hint.
From my other blog:
Disciplining kids with special needs
A reminder of special needs parent powers
15 learning milestones that thrill parents of kids with special needs
Images: Downs Designs