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Who Said the Disabled Cannot Have Fashion?
Clothing tends to embody one’s identity and give individuals self-esteem. However, the disabled with physical inconvenience haven’t been able to get adequate choices in clothing. Creating adaptive clothing for them is not only based on the consideration of the huge market potential, but also the performance of the fashion industry caring for human and fulfilling its responsibilities to society. Physically disabled men have the same basic social functioning as others, they need to dress decently, and deserve their own fashion style, but the market for this group of people hasn’t received enough attention. Fashion belongs to everyone, even those with disabilities An American professional fashion model called Jillian Mercado, who…
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Fashion & the Ceaseless Abandonment of Disability
It may come as a surprise to some, but fashion and disability possess an overall similarity to one another. They both consist of a definition which in short summarises the topic on a whole and both terms contain a variety of unique characteristics and aspects which contribute to the meaning. For instance, fashion relates to clothing, designing, runways, make-up and so much more. Simultaneously, disability includes aspects of intellect, vision, physicality and many more. So with both subjects representing diverse, distinctive notions and understanding the complexity each specific aspect holds; why is it apparent that one subject refuses to acknowledge the other? Why is the fashion industry ceaselessly abandoning and refusing…
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Disability Visibility in Fashion: Platforms not Pedestals
Disabled people remain the most underrepresented minority in media. This includes disability (in)visibility in fashion. Retailers seem obsessed with over-representing ‘perfect’ bodies. Disabled consumers scroll through Instagram and can’t relate to mainstream brands. Many manufacture clothing that disabled people can wear, however we don’t see this reflected throughout their marketing strategies. Dishonest representation is harmful Homogeneous representations continue to saturate fashion marketing, alienating disabled people. They are led to believe those clothes aren’t made for them. Social media hasn’t exactly helped; now rooted in contemporary fashion culture, its ubiquity can be damaging to many disabled and non-disabled consumers. Particularly young women. Regular online interaction has maintained ideas of the body…
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Are Disabilities Ignored in the Fashion Industry?
Is the Industry Doing Enough to Cater for Those with Disabilities Disabilities seem to be ignored in the fashion industry due to crammed shops, an absence of disabled people on catwalks, and a lack of inclusive products. Sporting a complete lack of representation and accessibility for people with disabilities. Making up 20% of the population, the fashion industry severely lacks the catering for that group of people. Requiring more inclusivity from products to shop lay outs. Disabled shoppers are far from a niche market: nearly one in five people in England and Wales are disabled – presenting a market worth £249 billion. Although the fashion industry is moving in the right…
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Designer Prosthetics: A Modern Solution for Aesthetics
Prosthetics have come drastically far from the first prosthetic hand, Le Petit Lorrain, designed by French surgeon Ambroise Paré in the 16th Century. However, aesthetically, not that much has been changed. With 3D printing now becoming a useable and more affordable option, innovation and uniqueness are the new selling points of improved modern prostheses; designer prosthetics. Why we need to upgrade to designer prosthetics Prosthetics can change lives every single day. For those who need them, they are a lifeline which gives them immeasurable gifts of activity, freedom and independence. These bionic and artificial limbs envision the possibility of our transhuman futures, undaunted by biological weakness and enhanced by technological advancement…
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Why Fashion is not Inclusive for People with Disabilities and Why This Needs to Change
Fashion brands are not inclusive of people with disabilities and this needs to change. If clothing is produced at a mass rate for people who do not have disabilities then they should be equally available for people who do without having to settle for less. Adaptive clothing has yet to become mainstream and easily available which is shocking in a society which is supposed to be inclusive. As fashion can be about self-expression it should be without saying that it should cater to those who live with disabilities. Often, a disability can result in a person being in pain before they even start to put uncomfortable and unsupportive clothing on.…
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The Misrepresentation of Disability on the High Street
Fashion is more than the clothes you wear; it expresses your personality. It provides practicality to your everyday life through holding essential items such as your phone and keys, while also expressing your sense of style. Many people tell you not to judge a book by its cover, yet fashion enables us to understand a lot about a person before we have met them. What happens when the fashion choices you want to wear become uncomfortable and, most importantly, impractical? Why the high street? Despite the misrepresentation of disability in fashion as a whole, let’s focus on the high street as a point of reference as it offers price ranges…
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Fashion + Disability: Is the industry doing enough?
When was the last time you hit the shops looking for your next night out number? Or pressed ‘Add To Cart’ on this season’s must have pieces? It’s a familiar excitement most people know, but for people living with a disability, it isn’t quite so easy. Adaptive clothing is invaluable to those living with a disability, but is almost unheard of within the fashion industry, especially across the realms of fast fashion and chic design. Long flowing fabric can get caught in the wheels of a wheelchair, so kimonos are a no no, and the buttons on jeans are often too difficult for those with motor neuron conditions. Garments with…
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It’s time to represent everyone in fashion
Since the start of advertising for industries like fashion, there have been specific standards and stereotypes used to present products to the consumer. In the fashion world, these standards and stereotypes are imagined through tall, thin, and predominantly white models. These models are beautiful people in the eyes of society but only represent the minority. It’s time for this industry to open its eyes and represent every person, every body type, every gender and every culture. The dawn of diverse representation In a world where there are so many different types of people, the fashion industry was slow to represent them. It was only in the 2010s when we began…
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Instagram and Inclusivity
The discussion of inclusivity in fashion is a topic we all should be aware of. Everyone has a connection to fashion just by wearing clothes. Regardless of whether style is at the forefront of the decisions made when getting dressed. With that being said, the topic of fashion and disability is an excellent campaign that highlights issues people with disabilities face. Perhaps when shopping or scrolling down Instagram. Social media has the power to be inclusive. This can create change in the fashion industry by highlighting the effects on body image. I think many of us can agree that the topic of body image has affected our outlook when it…
