The pieces for men and women include a trenchcoat that can be taken off while seated and hidden access points for stomas and insulin pumps
The budget retailer Primark this week launched an ‘adaptive’ fashion range featuring 49 items of womenswear and menswear that have been adapted to meet a variety of needs.
The collection, which was unveiled on Monday, has been designed in collaboration with Victoria Jenkins – a disabled fashion designer and founder of the brand Unhidden – and comes after the release by Primark of an adaptive underwear range in January 2024.
Items have been designed to make dressing simpler, from magnetic zippers and snap fastenings to waist loops that help to pull up trousers and hidden openings for tube, stoma or catheter access. There are also options for people who are seated, such as wheelchair users. The collection – which also includes nightwear and underwear – was shaped through a series of focus groups and ‘hands-on’ fit sessions with members of the disabled community, says Primark.
“It’s an incredibly proud moment to see this collection go live and see adaptive fashion come to the high street on this scale for the first time,” said Jenkins. “Disabled people face lots of barriers in their lives and clothing shouldn’t be one of them. We don’t want to live in a uniform of jogging bottoms and T-shirts but often don’t have a choice. I hope this launch is a step in changing that narrative, bringing more choice to the high street.”
Disabled people face lots of barriers in their lives and clothing shouldn’t be one of them. I hope this launch is a step in bringing more choice to the high street
Despite 24% of people in the UK living with disability, research that was commissioned by Primark in partnership with the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers shows that three-quarters find it difficult to get accessible clothing. Seven out of 10 of those surveyed said they had to spend more on clothing that meets their needs, while 80% said they feel excluded from buying fashionable clothes.
The range will be available from Tuesday 28 January in 31 stores in the UK and through the 113 UK stores that offer a Click & Collect service.
The fast fashion chain, which attracts annual sales of £9bn, specialises in offering the latest trends at low prices. It has marketed itself on a promise of “making clothing affordable and accessible to everyone”. But it has faced criticism over the environmental cost of its offerings, as well as a number of scandals around labour conditions in its supply chain.
Adaptive fashion hits the high street
The collection includes:
* Women’s V-neck knitted jumper, (£24); also available in seated style: The sage green knitted jumper incorporates a double-ended zip sleeve and thumb holes, says Primark, offering flexibility that’s typically not available in knitwear. The seated version of this jumper has a shorter hem at the front, says the brand.
* Men’s straight leg jeans, (£14); also available in seated style: Featuring magnetic button closures, waistband pulls, and tube-access pockets, with the seated version featuring a longer back hem, ankle-cut leg and side zip.
* Women’s poplin shirt, (£18): A smart white shirt in a poplin material that features accessible openings and tube access.
* Men’s padded gilet, (£12): This padded black gilet features a magnetic zip, large pockets for medical devices and tube access.
Main image: Esme Moore for Primark
This article was amended on 23 January to include mention of controversies around Primark as a fast fashion brand
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