Adapting to Style

Adaptive clothing is not known for its fashionable qualities, but that’s no reason it has to look unfashionable, according to New York designer Jacquelyn Pepe. Inspired to lend adaptive clothing some fashion savvy, Pepe has launched a line of adaptive clothing called PepEase that she hopes will inspire confidence in its wearers.

Developed under the guidance of Dr. Vijay Vadd of the New York-based Hospital for Special Surgeries, Pepe’s designs meet the essential criteria of adaptive clothing: They must be designed to roll flat so people can roll or can be rolled into the clothes; they must use snaps — not Velcro — as fasteners; and they must be roomy enough to accommodate catheters and IV bags. Beyond that, Pepe says, she chooses comfortable, washable fabrics that convey either a sophisticated or active lifestyle.

The clothes designer says that for many years the fashion industry has been reticent to get involved with clothing intended for anyone less than the catwalk-perfect consumer. “Coming from an industry that is associated with glamor, I’ve had a difficult time trying to convince people of the need and importance of my concept,” Pepe says. But, she adds, “Years ago, no one did large-sized clothes, and no one did maternity wear.”

Pepe believes the next untapped market is the elderly, particularly aging baby boomers, and people with disabilities who will require adaptive wear. “A lot of advertisers are placing people in wheelchairs in ads. That’s obviously a sought-after segment of the population.”

Pepe got the idea for PepEase when caregivers had a difficult time dressing her grandmother, an Alzheimer’s patient with limited motor skills.

With more than 20 years of experience in the garment industry, Pepe makes patterns for Ralph Lauren Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, The Gap, Old Navy and others. She uses the same well-known fashion designs she cuts for able-bodied consumers to construct her adaptive clothes, which she describes as “not too funky,” but instead feature more of an “elegant, Ralph Lauren look.”

“Just because you’re disabled, you should still feel good about yourself, and your clothes should reflect how you feel,” she says. “The whole thing is that [the clothes don’t] look adaptive. When people hear ‘adaptive clothing,’ they freeze and think all you’re doing is throwing a Velcro closure on regular clothes.”

Pepe recently added a golf shirt to her line designed for people who have limited motion but are still active. The shirt sports false button closures that are fastened with magnetic snaps for golfers with arthritis or limited hand usage. The drawstring hem is designed to make tucking in the shirt easier, and the shoulders are cut narrow for maximum arm movement.

Pepe also has designed polar fleeces, ski outfits and bathing suits. Her designs currently are featured on QVC’s Web site, but she says the notion of fashionable adaptive clothing remains relatively unknown among the health care community.

“The concept of our clothing is that you’ll feel comfortable and get that warm, cozy, secure feeling in every item in our line. The key is [that people] should not lose their dignity or style.”

For more information, contact PepEase by telephone at 212/869-9377 or e-mail [email protected].