Adaptive Clothing UK champions fashion inclusivity by creating stylish sensory and accessible clothing for children alongside a sensory school uniform range. Brand founder and former police officer, Helen Clawson, discusses the inspiration behind the business and her plans for its future.
Laura Turner: What’s the story behind the business?
Helen Clawson: I was inspired to launch Adaptive Clothing UK in spring 2023 after a personal experience showed me how small changes to clothing can make a big impact on people’s lives. I was a police officer serving in Greater Manchester Police when I was assaulted in the line of duty. The injuries I sustained left me with hidden disabilities, including intermittent paralysis on the right side of my body. When the condition is triggered it can last for minutes or days, and suddenly I’m dependent on family to help me do even basic tasks like getting dressed. I quickly realised proper adaptive clothing would make this so much easier. Years ago, when I had my first daughter, I adapted her swimsuits to make the process of changing her nappies easier and less time-consuming. However, it was my niece Lilly who inspired me to start designing an adaptive and sensory childrenswear range. Being autistic along with sensory processing disorder, we knew the difficulties of finding clothing for her that would not cause discomfort, and thus Adaptive Clothing UK was born. Now, as a mum of three, I want to see all children being able to enjoy every moment of life as easily as possible.
LT: What research did you carry out?
HC: I spoke to parents, carers, specialists, and where possible, the children. This was vital in helping me approach the design process. One recurring issue experienced within my network was difficulty in finding adaptive and sensory clothing, particularly for those occasions where that favourite jumper might not be appropriate such as going to school, a special occasion and swimming. The three main pain points that needed addressing were reducing the time involved, reducing pain and discomfort to the child, and reducing the stress. We have designed every item with these challenges in mind.
LT: What adaptations have you incorporated?
HC: The foundation of all of our garments is flat seams and zero or strategically placed labels to avoid discomfort and irritation, making every garment we design SEN-friendly. We currently have accessible vests, joggers, T-shirts, onesies, swimsuits and sun-safe suits, along with an award-winning school uniform range. Depending on the garment, sizes range from 3-6 months to 17-18 years, with all our schoolwear available from 7-8 years to 17-18 years. Our adaptive swimwear has been designed with both parent and child in mind. The flatlock seams are less irritating, so ideal for children with autism and SPD. We have placed poppers at the crotch for easy opening to change nappies or use the toilet without having to remove the whole swimsuit. We’ve also placed poppers on the rear of the straps for ease of dressing and removal. These are proving a huge hit with parents of young babies, too, due to the fantastic nappy changing design. Our 100% pure cotton adaptive T-shirts are designed with flatlock seams and concealed poppers on each shoulder, enabling the T-shirt to slide on and off for easier dressing and changing. The 100% pure cotton sleeveless vest is made for breathable and lightweight wear and is gentle on the most sensitive skin, so perfect for babies and little ones with additional needs. With flatlock seams and poppers on the shoulders and crotch, the design allows you to easily slide the vest on and off, providing quick and easy removal, easier changing, and access to medical tubes. Again, due to the design of the vest, this is another that is proving a hit with parents of young babies. Our 100% cotton adaptive joggers feature flatlock seams, an adjustable drawstring waistband, and the addition of concealed poppers on the inside legs from ankle to crotch for easy dressing.
LT: What does your sensory school uniform range comprise?
HC: Our school uniform is designed to make every day more comfortable, with flat seams, no tags and soft fabric. The range consists of shirts, trousers, polo shirts with poppers, and SEN P.E. T-shirts. Our school shirt provides support for children who have difficulties wearing traditional school uniform or formal attire. It imitates the look of a traditional shirt whilst offering discreet and reassuring sensory adaptations. When asked for feedback on what parents would like to see in a sensory school product, the itchy seams present within traditional shirts and casualwear were a recurring issue. Our flattened seams help reduce the distraction of itchiness and sensory discomfort and the easy slip-on design makes getting dressed and changed after sports easier. Despite looking like a traditional school shirt with a full set of buttons, only the top three buttons can be undone, allowing the shirt to be pulled on or off quickly and easily. Stiff and uncomfortable fabric can be a major source of sensory discomfort too. Our soft fabric and collars are gentle on a child’s skin whilst still providing durability and enough support for a school tie. We also understand how uncomfortable labels can be for children on the spectrum or for those who experience any form of sensory overload, which is why our shirt labels can be found within the front pocket, eliminating any contact with skin. Our school trousers are indistinguishable from traditional school uniform and come with all the sensory adaptations present in our school uniform range with the added reassurance of a thicker and more durable fabric. They have a fully elasticated waistband, flatlock seams, and the labels are discreetly placed in the pocket. And despite looking exactly like a traditional school polo, ours have poppers at the crotch to allow the shirt to stay tucked in and help keep a nappy in place for those who are not yet able to use the toilet facilities.
LT: Who are you targeting in terms of stockists?
HC: We are looking for independent shops that would like to stock our brand, and if they are ecommerce, we are happy to drop ship. With summer fast approaching, we do have a couple of shops currently stocking our swimsuits and we are looking at more shops to do so.
LT: Can you tell me about your charity partnership?
HC: I’m so proud to partner with Just4Children, which is a fantastic charity that provides support for families to help their children with disabilities and sickness. It is passionate about the relief of sickness and preservation of good physical and mental health of children and young people under the age of 25, providing and assisting in the provision of services and grants to obtain medical treatment, therapies and equipment that would not otherwise be available to them. We give a percentage of our profit to the charity to enable it to carry out its wonderful work.
LT: You also publish a blog. What does it cover?
HC: We try to cover anything related to disability and children. If I’ve been chatting with someone about a specific subject I may write about it, as if one person is asking the question, many others will be too. We try to provide an array of relevant information or suggest a product or service that we’ve found useful. I also like to share what’s going on behind the scenes of the business.
LT: What is your vision for Adaptive Clothing UK?
HC: I’d like to do more wholesale to increase brand awareness and get the garments in the hands of those who need them. I have lots more designs that I need to get manufactured and available to customers, which I know will make a positive difference to the families who require them. We are also honoured to have been nominated and won numerous awards for the brand, including one from Theo Paphitis, so I would love to continue making an impact. Longer-term, I aim to be the number one adaptive brand and open the UK’s first adaptive clothing store. Being able to go into a store and try clothing on is something taken for granted by able-bodied people. I want to give that same feeling of trying clothes on in a store to children who require adaptive clothing. Representation is important, and the high street needs to be more inclusive. I’m looking for investment to help me achieve these goals, so if anyone wants to be part of this movement, please get in touch at adaptiveclothinguk@outlook.com.
To visit the Adaptive Clothing UK website, please click here.
