PunkinFutz Survival Guide No. 44

RESOURCES, EVENTS, TIPS, AND SUPPORT ALL IN ONE PLACE, EVERY MONDAY.
The Power of Adaptive Fashion
I learned the power of adaptive fashion when my daughter was young.  She has ataxia, so she has a persistent tremor throughout her body.  She was very self conscious about it until we found a local Brooklyn clothing designer, who made clothing that appeared to be in constant motion because of the cut and fabrics used.  Suddenly, instead of people asking Maddie why she shook, people would stop to ask her where she got the cool clothes.  Her tremor actually made the clothes look even better.  Her "disability" became her advantage.  Also importantly, the clothes had no snaps or zippers - they pulled on.  They not only made her feel more confident because she looked great, but also because she could manage them independently.  It was clear when she put them on; she strutted! 

Our sense of of independence, empowerment, self-expression, and self-confidence correlates to the clothes we wear.  The powerful importance of adaptive apparel and the need for many more and better options is clear.
Come check it out!  The best names in Adaptive Fashion, all in one place this Thursday!
And don't miss our own Shenik Ruiz on Instagram Live at 5 PM today!
A terrific introduction to the issues of adaptive fashion written by the amazing Xian Horn and including PunkinFutz fashion maven, Shenik Ruiz, along with our friends at Patti + Ricky and Runway of Dreams can be found here.

Xian is also among a group of hometown fashion trend-setters featured in this NY Post article with some great-looking threads.
The Current State of Adaptive Fashion
  • Research showing "the global adaptive clothing market will be worth more than $392 billion by 2026."
  • An excellent short Guardian article on the current state of adaptive fashion.
  • NYT Article on why ads for adaptive fashion have been blocked from Facebook.  We experienced this with our our wheelchair bags! 
  • Tommy Adaptive from Tommy Hilfiger (including seated pants and magnetic closures) created with Runway of Dreams' Mindy Sheier
  • The rise of adaptive fashion brands and marketplaces, including our favorite, Patti + Ricky, Juniper Unlimited, Seven7 Adaptive Jeans and Zappos Adaptive.
  • A bit of everything from shoes to clothes and undergarments available from Silvert's, although it all looks like your grandparent's clothing.  Adaptive Wear is similar, with many of the items identified as "Granny Sweet."  Few of us want to buy clothes identified as "Grannywear!"
  • Reset  and IZ are decidedly not your grandparent's clothing.  We need more options like these.
  • Check out the new options in adaptive lingerie at Intimately and Slick Chicks.  This is clearly still a very young market with lots of room for growth.  Don't miss our recorded conversation with Emma Butler, Founder and CEO of Intimately.
  • When my mom went through Chemo, this site was a game-changer.  She wanted hats to match every outfit, of course.  
  • Of course, major US retailers like Target and Kohl's have entered the adaptive space.  Some of their offerings are simply marketing, but their entry into the field signals a welcome change - adaptive is becoming mainstream.
Her leg is way cooler than mine!
Established in 2014, Open Style Lab (OSL) is 501©3 organization dedicated to creating functional, wearable solutions for people of all abilities without compromising style. [They] team designers, engineers and occupational therapists to conceive and build accessible wearables that address the needs of and with people with disabilities. [Their] mission is for all people to have access to style, regardless of cognitive and physical ability.
There is a significant difference between slick marketing campaigns and truly excellent adaptive design.  We need more of the latter and less of the former.
"Accessible style is like this gateway—to acceptance, socialization, easier employment. Everything."  Kieran Kern, The Importance of Fashion-Forward Adaptive Clothing

The Social-Emotional Impact of Adaptive Clothing: Research shows that "clothes can have profound and systematic psychological and behavioral consequences for their wearers."  Check out this fascinating study from Northwestern University found in The Journal Of Experimental Psychology.  Spoiler alert: how you feel about what you are wearing profoundly affects how you perform your tasks!

And an important Huffington Post article about the power of fashion for all of us.  
Exploring Adaptive Fashion with Free PunkinFutz Programming
Don't miss our recorded Wednesdays at Noon Featuring Revolutionary Women of Adaptive Fashion: Emma Butler (Intimately) and Mindy Scheier (Runway of Dreams).

A  B I T  O F  F U N
This is my son's suggestion for today.  1000 people playing Ode to Joy on their Ukuleles inside Royal Albert Hall in London.  My apologies for whatever YouTube advertisememt comes first.  I try to stay away from YouTube to avoid the ads.  Wait 4 seconds and skip!
Joyful Fun for a Monday
Please note, PunkinFutz is in no way affiliated with any of the organizations covered in this newsletter.  PunkinFutz receives no compensation, directly or indirectly, from any organization or entity mentioned.