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Target launches clothing line for special-needs kids (sneak peek!)

by

Whitney Barthel

posted in Parenting

Special needs parents are beyond excited about Target’s new adaptive clothing line, launching November 22. The new clothes will be available on Target.com, joining the sensory friendly items already available in Target’s line of adaptive clothing.

While clothing lines for kids (and adults) with special needs aren’t necessarily a novelty, nearly all of these lines are complicated by at least one of three big issues.

target clothing

1. These clothes can be incredibly hard to find. Availability is definitely an issue. In my experience, you have to buy online, or not at all.

2. They’re also expensive.
Most vendors hand-make the clothing for each individual child after purchase. So the price per piece is usually out of this world — especially for a child who will outwear and outgrow clothing in a flash.

3. The clothing available to parents like me just doesn’t look normal. Most of the apparel options are very obviously adaptive clothing. So we must choose between functionality and looking more out of place.

Trust me, #3 is a big thing for parents who have children with special needs. We want our kids to be comfortable and wear clothes that work for them. But we also want them to feel like they fit in.

Target adaptive clothingDaniel, my 7-year-old with Down syndrome. He could be an underwear model in those boxer briefs, don’t you think?

As a special needs mama with lots of special needs mama friends, this is really exciting. From the look of things, Target is addressing every single one of the biggest hurdles in buying adaptive clothing for children.

target clothing line

Julie Guggemos, Target’s senior VP of product design and development, told HuffPost her team spent “hundreds of hours” working with several special needs advocacy groups and countless parents of children with special needs.

The team ultimately decided to add the line to the current Cat & Jack line, designing adapted clothes modeled from clothes on the regular line.

Guggermos stated to HuffPost, “We wanted to ensure that the children who purchase the adaptive clothing or sensory friendly clothing from Cat & Jack didn’t feel that they were standing out in any way.”

target clothing

Members of the design group for Target’s new adaptive clothing line brainstorm.

The prices are certainly unbeatable in Target’s current sensory friendly adaptive clothing line, starting out at just $4.50.

A few other things to look forward to: bodysuits with easy access holes for tubing, tops and bottoms with flat seams and heat transfer labels, sweatshirts that snap in the back, and jackets with Velcro seams. They all look awesome. Check them out!

Target adaptive clothing

Target adaptive clothing

Target adaptive clothing

Target adaptive clothing

*Velcro seams are specially designed for kids who have limited tensile strength or fine motor skills, giving them increased ability to self-dress. They are also good for kids who may be wheelchair bound or for those who remain in a seated position for long periods of time. Simply leave open a few strips at the jacket bottom for maximum comfort. 

What would you like to see in Target’s new adaptive clothing line?

Photos by Target, Thinkstock, Whitney Barthel

The post Target launches clothing line for special-needs kids (sneak peek!) appeared first on BabyCenter Blog.

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