Adaptive apparel advocacy : a case study exploring how Mindy Scheier catalyzed the adaptive apparel market

The purpose of this study is to gain an in-depth, holistic, and contextualized understanding of how Mindy Scheier catalyzed the adaptive apparel market by exploring her role as an adaptive apparel advocate and her collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger(R), to launch a first-of-its-kind adaptive apparel line, Tommy Adaptive. The recent interest of apparel brands to embrace the PLWD consumer suggests a possible shift in the apparel industry toward an inclusive approach to fashion. A single, main case study design was used to examine the phenomenon. The study found that Scheier was motivated to become an advocate for the adaptive apparel market by the apparel needs and challenges of her son. This motivation led Scheier to engage in an in-depth consumer market and design innovation research to gain knowledge of the apparel needs and challenges of PLWD. This knowledge led to a collaboration with a supply chain partner, which led to the first-of-its-kind mainstream fashion-forward adaptive apparel line with Tommy Hilfiger(R). The study also found that Scheier sacrificed her career goals, her income, and her dignity to ensure adaptive apparel went mainstream in the apparel industry. The study's findings have contributions to the Social Model of Disability, MRCS, R-A, and GSCM theory and implications for apparel brands and entrepreneurs wishing to enter the adaptive apparel market as well as for policymakers, and apparel researchers

Developing Design Perspectives through Critical Reflection

Active learning, defined as instructional methods that engage students in the learning process, was developed as an effective tool to enhance the classroom experience for students. Through active learning, students can experience four modes of learning; concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, reflective observation and active experimentation, which is the key tenant of Kolb\u27s (1984) experiential learning theory (ELT). Therefore, via active learning approaches based on ELT, the learner can engage with concrete examples that become the basis for their reflections, and those reflections help create abstract concepts of the subject. This presentation will discuss the need to develop and incorporate design perspectives into the curriculum of fashion students and review how fashion styling assignments were created to practice the use of design perspectives. Student perception of the relevance, helpfulness and enjoyment of the assignment will also be discussed

Confidence Booster and Career Determination Factor: What Clothing Means to People Living with a Physical Disability

People living with a disability (PLWD) are no different than people living without a disability who wish to participate in society and accomplish life goals that amplify their well-being. These life goals often include finding employment, receiving an education, and achieving overall health and well-being. However, disability often has a negative impact on the accomplishment of these goals due to frequent barriers PLWD face, such as lack of appropriate clothing (Kabel, McBee-Black, & Dimka, 2016). Labeling theory addresses the negative impact of being labeled disabled on the accomplishment of life goals (Rosenfield, 1997). PLWD form self-stigma when they are labeled which is associated with the acknowledgement, agreement, and internalization of the negative stereotypes about themselves (Kao et al., 2016). To investigate the impact of clothing on workplace participation an exploratory study was developed using the frameworks of labeling theory and the construct of self-stigma

Designed to Include: A Pilot Study Offering Creative Design Solutions for People Living with Disabilities

People living with disabilities (PLWD) struggle with clothing-related barriers to social participation, which can impact their quality of life and independent living. PLWD navigate both physical and attitudinal barriers and the individual models that frame disability often describe the disability as a personal tragedy or problem that the PLWD must overcome. The aim of this exploratory pilot study was (a) identifying clothing-related problems, and (b) using an inclusive design approach to support the clothing-related problems facing PLWD

Barriers to Independent Living: Unmet Apparel Needs for People Living with Disabilities

People living with a disability (PLWD) struggle to find apparel that fits their needs and the appropriateness of the activities they wish to engage. These unmet apparel needs create barriers to social participation, , and also extend into areas that impact educational and employment opportunities affecting their quality of life (Corrigan, Larson, & Rusch, 2009; Kabel, McBee-Black, & Dimka, 2016). Wingate, Kaiser, & Freeman (1985) suggest that lack of appropriate apparel can make PLWD feel isolated, and Lamb (2001) argued that more research is needed to investigate the barriers that exist for PLWD and the extent to which apparel contributes to social exclusion. Using the social model of disability this qualitative research study was designed to explore the unmet apparel needs of PLWD. The results from the study suggest that identified unmet apparel needs negatively impact the social lives of PLWD, which supports the social model of disability

Best Practices for Online Teaching in Textile and Apparel Education

Online courses are increasingly common in the textile and apparel discipline, but there are currently no dedicated forums or publication(s) that textile and apparel professionals can consult for guidance regarding best practices for online teaching. The goal is to use online course materials and teaching experiences shared during the session to move forward with a monograph publication and/or teaching collection that can be used as a resource for educators

Digital E-commerce: the need for inclusive representation in the digital apparel retail environment

This paper will extend digital fashion innovation study and research to the arena of human-centered design (HCD) aspects of e-commerce design and delivery. Research indicates that people with disabilities (PWD) can feel ignored by apparel brands and retailers (McBee-Black, 2022) and these obstacles can add to what is often a stressful experience of aspiring to dress stylishly (Annett-Hitchcock, 2023; Kealy-Morris, 2022, 2023). The authors have conducted a scoping review of the current literature exploring the gap in research related to the delivery of apparel e-commerce for people with disabilities. This methodological approach provides an overarching purpose to rapidly map the ‘key concepts’ (Arksey and O’Malley, 2005, p.21) underlying emergent research topics and the central sources available where an area has not been reviewed comprehensively before

Exploring Clothing as a Barrier to Workplace Participation Faced by People Living with Disabilities

In response to research which argues that people living with a disability (PLWD) face societal barriers including workplace participation, this study explored how the barriers to social participation, specifically workplace participation, faced by PLWD are exacerbated by the lack of appropriate clothing and the role that stigma, self-efficacy, and clothing have in workplace participation. Finding appropriate clothing is a significant barrier to social participation for many PLWD. The social model of disability used in this study supports this by suggesting that it is society which places barriers to PLWD rather than their disability. A qualitative inquiry of semi-structured, in-depth interviews was used, and the results showcase six sub-themes of barriers: work defines me, disability as the barrier to workplace participation, work allows extra societal opportunities, stigma questions my self-efficacy, workplace accommodations diminish my stigma, and clothing builds my self-efficacy. The study found that, for PLWD, workplace participation is hindered because of occupational typecasting and lack of appropriate clothing, which increases their stigma and decreases their self-efficacy. The contributions of this study include theory support, policy, community, and educational enhancement

Literature Review on Nomenclatures for Clothing Targeting People Living with Disabilities

This paper discusses the results of a literature review of the terms adaptive clothing, functional clothing, universal design, and inclusive design, which are used in the clothing industry when marketing wearable product to people living with disability.</p

Developing Design Perspectives through Critical Reflection

Active learning, defined as instructional methods that engage students in the learning process, was developed as an effective tool to enhance the classroom experience for students. Through active learning, students can experience four modes of learning; concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, reflective observation and active experimentation, which is the key tenant of Kolb's (1984) experiential learning theory (ELT). Therefore, via active learning approaches based on ELT, the learner can engage with concrete examples that become the basis for their reflections, and those reflections help create abstract concepts of the subject. This presentation will discuss the need to develop and incorporate design perspectives into the curriculum of fashion students and review how fashion styling assignments were created to practice the use of design perspectives. Student perception of the relevance, helpfulness and enjoyment of the assignment will also be discussed.</p