5 Adaptive Clothing Features (and Why we Made Them)

What is French Toast Adaptive?

Are you looking for adaptive clothing brands for kids? All kids deserve to shine bright and feel confident in their schoolwear. That’s why we created French Toast Adaptive, a line of adaptive clothing for kids to wear in and out of school. The collection makes it easier for kids with disabilities to get dressed, look good and feel great in their clothes. We took our bestselling styles and modified them for fit, ease, comfort and independence — little changes that make a big difference for kids with limited dexterity and sensory sensitivities, as well as children who use leg braces, prosthetics and wheelchairs.

How’d we make French Toast Adaptive?

We started by listening to kids with disabilities, their families and caregivers about what features they’d find most useful in adaptive clothing. We wanted to know what would be helpful to a wide variety of kids in every aspect of their lives: from getting ready in the morning, to the school day routine, to hanging out with family and friends on the weekends. 

We learned that kids and caregivers had three overarching concerns: 

• Ease of dressing
• Sensory friendly
• Comfort

With these three principles in mind, we set to work on a collection that provided thoughtful solutions to their concerns. Read on to learn more about five adaptive clothing features and why we made them.

#1: EZ-Closure Hook + Loop 

Hook-and-loop closures take the place of zippers, buttons and other types of closures, so kids can get dressed more independently. Many items in the French Toast Adaptive collection include features like decorative buttons, so the design modifications appear subtle and discreet. Our pants feature openings with hook-and-loop fasteners on the outer or inner leg to accommodate leg braces and prosthetics. It’s details like these that make our clothing something kids will love to wear. And, of course, kids being able to get dressed all by themselves is a really big deal. Why we made it: Independence and easy dressing

#2: Lift Loops™

Easier on-and-off is always a good thing! Lift Loops™ are just what they sound like: reinforced loops at the waistband that help kids with minimal dexterity or not enough hand strength to easily pull their clothes on and off. The loops help caregivers when assisting with dressing a child, and they encourage independence when a child is able to dress her or himself. You’ll find this feature on our knit bottoms including the adaptive fleece jogger, adaptive legging and adaptive pleated ponte scooter skort.  Why we made it: Independence and easy dressing

#3: Flat Seams

Flat seams are a big part of sensory-friendly clothing, aka clothes that your kid will be happy to wear all day! Flat seams use a special stitching technique, so they lay flat against the garment, rather than raised. This creates a soft, smooth surface against the skin that helps reduce irritation and makes them more comfortable to wear. Why we made it: Sensory-friendly 

#5: Label-Free Comfort

For kids with sensory sensitivity, tags and labels can be hugely distracting and unpleasant. French Toast Adaptive clothes feature a tagless design and tearaway care labels that are easily removable, so you can get rid of them altogether. No tags = no itchies.  Why we made it: Sensory-friendly

#5: High Rise

Comfort is key, and kids need clothes that work for them and feel comfortable (not just for a few minutes, but for an entire day). A higher-rise waist in pants and shorts helps prevent the fabric from rubbing against potentially sensitive areas. It also provides more coverage (and privacy) by keeping the waist from dipping in the back when seated and accommodating children who wear diapers. Why we made it: Comfort (and more) 

At French Toast, we’re proud to make premium schoolwear affordable and accessible to all. Learn more about French Toast Adaptive here, and meet some of our Adaptive models: Autumn, Nadia, Hannah, Chase and Colton. Or start shopping now: check out French Toast Adaptive for girls and French Toast Adaptive for boys.