Not long ago, if a consumer was in need of adaptive clothing—say, pants with an opening for a dialysis catheter—they would likely have to shop at a medical supply store.
Clothing brands are beginning to realize, however, the potential not only for embracing inclusivity in their marketing, but also the growing opportunity to sell adaptive products to consumers with disabilities.
In fact, Coresight Research estimates the size of the adaptive clothing and footwear market in the U.S. to be in the neighborhood of $50 billion.
Thereabouts
In that vein, department store JCPenney is introducing a new private-label brand called Thereabouts, a line of fashionable clothing for children that includes products for those with disabilities.
The launch of the apparel line, which is now available on JCP.com, arrives as parents and their children prepare for a return to in-person learning this fall.
“We believe all kids should feel confident and capable in the clothes they wear and parents should feel good about the clothes they buy,” said Michelle Wlazlo, JCPenney’s chief merchandising officer, in a statement. “Fulfilling the wants and needs of our diverse customer base is the foundation of our business. That’s why we relied on research and feedback from parents and kids throughout the design process.”
Thereabouts includes school staples from uniforms to outerwear to shoes. In all, about 30% of the nearly 500 Thereabouts SKUs contain adaptive features, while 95% of the collection is available in plus and husky sizes.
The clothing brand even put thought into the kinds of fabrics it used to make the garments, keen on accommodating children with tactile defensiveness or touch sensory sensitivity. That thinking extends to implementing sensory-friendly seaming, eliminating tags and incorporating easy-access openings.
More inclusive offerings to come
To create the brand, JCPenney worked with consultant Alexandra Herold, the founder of adaptive fashion marketplace Patti + Ricky. The department store is also working with Herold and her ecommerce platform to include adaptive offerings from accessory brands such as PunkinFutz, BeedleBug, Max & Me and Myself Belts. Wlazlo said in an interview that Herold not only helped with adaptive offerings, but also consulted with the brand “so that we fully understood the needs” of people with disabilities.
“What I’m so proud about this process is it involved parents and kids,” Wlazlo added, noting both parties were involved in the design of the apparel products.
To market the brand, the inclusive kids’ clothing line will be featured on the retailer’s livestream shopping experience JCPLive alongside mother and style blogger Taryn Truly. The segment will stream on JCPenney’s social channels and website.
In addition, the department store will also highlight the brand during the Runway of Dreams fashion show, which emphasizes the need for mainstream adaptive clothing, on Sept. 9.
For each Thereabouts item sold, JCPenney will donate $1, up to $100,000, to the nonprofit Communities in Schools to fund programming that helps at-risk students stay in school.
Building on a private label legacy
Wlazlo said this latest launch builds on JCPenney’s private label program, which includes brands such as Liz Claiborne and St. John’s Bay. She described the program as a core strength of the retailer.
Thereabouts is actually the tenth private label brand introduced by the banner this year and is the first in its kids division, she said, adding, “Overall, I could not be more excited to be here because of the power of our existing in-house brands.”
