Tommy Hilfiger Releases Clothing Line for Kids With Disabilities

Sometimes it can feel like runway clothes are only made for a certain type of body, but no one knows the struggle of finding clothes that fit better than those with disabilities. That’s why Mindy Scheier founded Runway of Dreams, a “nonprofit organization working with the fashion industry to adapt mainstream clothing for the differently-abled community.”

Scheier found how difficult shopping was when her own boy was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. She works to make not just clothes, but fashionable clothes from major retailers, accessible to kids with disabilities. Scheier started to focus her attention toward famed designer Tommy Hilfiger after attending a focus group on the current market.

Needless to say, Hilfiger was on board.

The collection features 22 pieces of clothing for boys and girls and is the same as Hilfiger’s current collection, except for the modifications that make the clothes more accessible. Such modifications include magnets at the back of shirts, adjustable waistbands, adjustable sleeves and pant legs to fit kids with different limb lengths, and alternative ways to put a garment on.

“There are magnets down the backs of the T-shirts, for example, so you can go in hands first,” Scheier told TODAY. “Putting a shirt on over your head if you have low muscle tone or missing digits can be a very difficult task.”

The new line costs the same as the original and launched Tuesday.

Scheier is thrilled and hopes that adaptive clothing can become a “new normal.”

“If you think about it, we have petite departments, plus-size departments, even pets’ clothing departments,” Scheier said. “But we have nothing for the disabled community. I think that feels like the next natural step. It’s going to be our new normal.”

Do you know any parents or caregivers who’d be interested in this new line? Make sure you SHARE this story with them! Looking for more resources for kids with special needs? Check out Don’t Pay Full Price’s Complete List of Free Things and Grants for Kids with Special Needs!