1. What makes Adaptawear different from ordinary clothing?
Adaptawear combines the look and feel of everyday clothing with discreet features that make dressing easier.
We have developed our range by listening to the people who understand dressing challenges first-hand, including customers, carers, Occupational Therapists and care specialists. Their experience has helped us create clothing that addresses some of the difficulties found in conventional garments, without making the finished clothing look clinical or different from the styles you already know and love.
For example, buttons can be particularly difficult to manage for someone with arthritis or reduced dexterity, while carers may find traditional fastenings awkward when helping someone to dress. Our designs use practical alternatives such as magnets, hook-and-loop fastenings, open-back designs and drop-front styles to make dressing easier.
The result is adaptive clothing that looks like everyday clothing, with clever details working quietly behind the scenes.
2. What is adaptive clothing?
Adaptive clothing is everyday clothing designed with additional features to make dressing, undressing and personal care easier.
Depending on the garment, this can include easier fastenings, open-back designs, drop-front trousers, front-fastening bras and other details that help people dress independently or make assisted dressing more straightforward.
Adaptawear adaptive clothing is suitable for a wide range of dressing needs and can be particularly helpful for people experiencing limited dexterity, reduced mobility or difficulty managing conventional buttons and zips.
Our range includes adaptive clothing for arthritis, stroke, Parkinson’s, dementia and incontinence, as well as practical styles for anyone who finds traditional clothing difficult to put on or take off.
3. Is adaptive clothing only for older people or disabled people?
No. Adaptive clothing can be useful for anyone who finds traditional clothing difficult to manage.
Our customers have a wide range of needs and circumstances. Some people choose adaptive clothing because of reduced dexterity or mobility, while others may need support with dressing following an illness, injury or change in circumstances.
Adaptawear is designed around the challenge of getting dressed, rather than a particular age or diagnosis.
4. Can Adaptawear clothing be machine washed?
Nearly all our clothing is made from durable materials suitable for machine washing and, where appropriate, tumble drying. Individual garments may have different care requirements, so we recommend checking the care instructions supplied with your garment.
Some Adaptawear garments contain small magnets, which are designed to remain in the garment during normal washing.
If your garment has a hook-and-loop or Velcro-style fastening, always close the fastening before washing. This helps prevent the hooks catching on other fabrics or becoming tangled.
Do not iron over Velcro-style or hook-and-loop fastenings, as the heat can cause them to melt.
5. Why are some Adaptawear clothes sized S, M, L and XL?
Adaptive clothing doesn’t always follow conventional high-street sizing.
Body shape and proportions can change throughout life, and a person’s usual clothing size may not always provide the best fit for every style. We therefore use a range of sizing systems depending on the garment, including general sizes such as Small, Medium, Large and XL.
Our size guide provides the measurements you need to choose the most suitable size for each garment.
Where a particular product has its own sizing advice, you’ll also find this on the product page.
6. What if my Adaptawear clothing doesn’t fit?
We want you to feel confident about ordering from Adaptawear. If your clothing doesn’t fit as expected, don’t worry. We will do our best to help you find a more suitable size.
If you’re unsure which size or style would be right for you, our team can offer advice before or after you order. We can help you consider the fit, dressing features and practical details of a garment so you can choose with greater confidence.
You can contact us on 0800 051 1931 or email us.
7. Is Adaptawear clothing suitable for assisted dressing?
Yes. Many of our garments have been developed with both the wearer and the person helping them to dress in mind.
Features such as open-back clothing, drop-front trousers, front-fastening bras, magnetic shirts and easy hook-and-loop fastenings can make dressing and undressing more straightforward for carers and loved ones.
The right garment depends on the individual’s needs, so if you’re choosing clothing for someone else and aren’t sure which style would work best, our team can help.
8. Which Adaptawear clothes are suitable for arthritis or limited dexterity?
Many of our garments are designed to make dressing easier for people who find buttons, zips and other traditional fastenings difficult to manage.
Depending on the level of dexterity and the type of dressing assistance required, options include magnetic fastening shirts, front-fastening bras, elasticated waist trousers, hook-and-loop fastenings and easy-opening clothing.
These features can reduce the amount of fine finger movement needed to get dressed while retaining the appearance of everyday clothing.
9. Do you offer adaptive clothing for wheelchair users?
Yes. We offer clothing designed to make dressing more comfortable and practical for people who spend time sitting or use a wheelchair.
Our range includes features such as raised backs, elasticated waists, drop-front designs and full-length side zips, depending on the garment.
These details can make a difference when dressing in a seated position and can also help with changing and personal care.
10. Do you offer adaptive nightwear and clothing for personal care?
Yes. Our range includes adaptive nightwear and specialist clothing designed to make dressing, changing and personal care easier.
You’ll find open-back nightwear, fully opening styles, all-in-one pyjamas and other garments with practical openings designed around different care requirements.
These styles can be particularly useful where dressing takes place with assistance or while the wearer is seated or lying down.
11. Do Adaptawear clothes still look like normal clothes?
That’s an important part of what we do.
Our aim is to combine practical adaptive features with the familiar styling, colours and silhouettes you’d expect from everyday clothing. Many of the features are deliberately discreet, so the finished garment looks like a conventional piece of clothing rather than specialist carewear.
Adaptive by design, stylish by choice.
12. Can you help me choose the right adaptive clothing?
Absolutely. Choosing adaptive clothing isn’t always straightforward, particularly if you’re buying for someone else.
If you’re unsure which garment would best suit your needs, our team can talk through the different options and help you understand the dressing features available.
Call us on 0800 051 1931 or email us. We’re always happy to help.