Inclusion Without Limits   5 min Adaptive Clothing: Bridging Aesthetics and Disability

In a world where appearances matter, fashion brands have grown more diverse than ever in serving a wider clientele—yet persons with disabilities remain largely excluded. How can this exclusion be explained? Is it possible to reconcile aesthetics with consideration for disabilities in order to create truly inclusive designs? Tracing where inclusive fashion stands globally and in the region, Firas Hamiye and Muhammed Salem examine how leading brands are cautiously beginning to develop tailored lines for people with disabilities.

“I struggle when I wear long-sleeved sweaters, especially in winter, because of the weight of the clothing on my body. By contrast, I’m more comfortable in the summer because of the lighter clothing I wear,” says Karima Saleh, 31, a social worker and administrator at a local NGO in Lebanon, who has a physical disability. Karima explains that she was born with no right arm below the elbow. “Clothes restrict me at work and in my movement,” she says. Karima explains that she needs help from her mother and siblings to put on clothes like dresses with zippers or buttons. As she wears the hijab, she also needs assistance with hairpins and wrapping the headscarf. “Initiatives for adaptive clothing for people with disabilities are almost non-existent in Lebanon,” she says.

According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 1.3 billion people with disabilities worldwide, representing nearly 16% of the global population. The adaptive fashion market was worth approximately $257.4 billion by early 2026 and is projected to reach nearly $291.23 billion by 2031.

“Adaptive clothing” refers to clothing specifically designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. There has been a shift in recent years, with many global brands like Nike and Tommy Hilfiger incorporating adaptive clothing designs into their fashion lines, while local brands have also sprung up to serve the market.

Egyptian designer lead the way

In Egypt, the lack of adaptive clothing led fashion designers, who are themselves disabled, to address such clothing gap. Ashgan Alabhar, for instance, launched the first brand catering to the needs of people with disabilities in Egypt. “Matfasal Leek,” literally meaning “Tailored for You,” aims to bridge the comfort gap while focusing on proper fitting—something people with disabilities often struggle to achieve.

Another initiative was made by Nesma Yehia, a person of short stature due to a genetic condition, who chose to overcome the bullying she has faced since birth by launching her own clothing line, becoming the model for her own brand. “My struggle started during middle school, when I was a new adolescent whose clothes should be from the grownups’ clothing departments. The design in the kids’ clothing departments were no longer fitting the young lady I was becoming. Given my short stature, I would buy the clothes and then tailor them and half of the cloth would be thrown away. Even the ready-to-wear departments did not have the option to tailor clothes for people with special physiques,” said Nesma.

   

The Azerbaijani example

In Azerbaijan, for example, the first adaptive fashion brand, Kekalove Adaptive Fashion, was founded in 2019 with the aim of designing clothing specifically for people with disabilities. The brand’s founder, Mahammad Kekalov, says one of the company’s core principles is that of involving people with disabilities in the design process, taking their input into account when creating clothing that suits them and letting them determine various details such as colors, buttons, fabrics, styles, and other aspects.
 
Kikalov had his own reasons for creating an adaptive fashion brand. His grandmother had a visual impairment, which affected him deeply. Growing up, he witnessed the challenges faced by people with disabilities in Azerbaijan, and his first thought was how his work could benefit his grandmother. “People didn’t understand the challenges and the hardships people with disabilities face, and so they couldn’t imagine the solutions we were offering,” said Kikalov. “But we didn’t give up... I like to believe that it was our resilience and commitment to the adaptive design philosophy that our brand didn’t fail within its first year.”
  For Nesma, she had another motivations for launching her own brand. “I decided to build my own brand, insofar that I have conversed with many people with different kind of disabilities. I sell the outfits I tailor online since I make custom-made designs, meaning that I make one piece per design, depending on the customer’s needs. Additionally, I want to cater for different kinds of physical disabilities. That said, not all disabled individuals have the same length of limbs/arms, or the same height,” she asserts.

Inclusive fashion by global brands

In 2017, Tommy Hilfiger launched a clothing collection for people with disabilities. The Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive collection includes clothing for adults and children, featuring easy magnetic closing devices, adjustable and expandable cuffs, sensory fabrics, and clothes designed specifically for wheelchair users.

“Inclusivity and democratization of fashion have always been at the core of my brand’s DNA,” Hilfiger said. “These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering the differently abled community.”

Nike has also invested in adaptive footwear, introducing slip-on trainers that are easier for people with disabilities to wear, according to Vogue.

Redefining aesthetic concepts

Vogue also reports that adaptive fashion aims to break down barriers and stereotypes that dominate the apparel and fashion industry. The magazine sees adaptive fashion as part of a global movement to redefine what is beautiful, and to celebrate authenticity and individuality.

“Shopping for clothes can be challenging without a disability, but imagine going shopping with the added anxiety of knowing that most clothes aren’t even close to being designed to meet your needs,” said Sophie Cooper, CEO of the adaptive fashion brand I Am Denim. “People with disabilities shouldn’t feel forgotten, excluded, marginalized, or left out of something as simple as finding fashionable clothes that fit them and make them feel good.”

There are also other challenges for designers of inclusive fashion themselves. For example, Nesma believes that “challenges are manifold". "I work on my own with no external financial support. I buy cloth on my own expenses, given that customers would pay me when they receive the final design. I would love to sell offline, have my own store, and organize fashion shows; however, this requires great financial sums, which I do not have at the time,” she says.

Adaptive clothing and the mainstream market

In one pioneering experiment, mannequins were modified to fit clothing for people with disabilities (short stature, amputated limbs, bodily variations, etc.). This highlights that art, fashion shows, and even the way clothes are displayed in stores are not designed for people with disabilities, or at least, there is no dedicated space, shelf, or area for clothing and mannequins for people with disabilities.

Student Kamala Sultan, who has a disability herself, tells Azerbaijani TV channel Meydan that “some people think fashion shows are only for people without disabilities.” But, she says: “Today the world of fashion is accessible to us, and we now hold fashion shows for people with disabilities, allowing us to showcase our beauty and fashion in a better way.”

In a similar way, Nesma does not want stores labelled "for disabled only". “What I aspire to implement is to collaborate with at least one or two of the renowned department stores, such that any person with physical disability can have any design from the store tailored according to his physical needs. I do not want special stores for persons with physical disabilities. Instead, I want to see that in as many stores as possible,” she firmly adds.

Tackling Unaffordability

Forbes magazine addressed in a report the struggle of people with disabilities to be “seen” in a society that restricts them and fails to consider their specific needs. The magazine pointed to the mistakes made by some major brands which have designed and produced clothing for people with disabilities, but placed them off limits to large segments of the population due to their high price, thus limiting access to these garments to a select few.

The Forbes report further detailed errors such as failing to involve people with disabilities in the design process, marketing, and selection of messages targeted at consumers. Conversely, some brands lack the resources to pay for inclusive marketing that ensures accessibility for everyone, including people with disabilities. This results in their exclusion from the production chain. Given this reality, adaptive clothing becomes something that can only be designed and implemented by major brands, meaning it is exclusively consumed a privileged segment of the disabled population.

Some others attribute the shortage in inclusive fashion market to the customers themselves: the disabled. “The problem is that many people with physical disabilities are almost invisible. Out of previous bullying incidents, they are not much outgoing, and they would be reluctant to attend fashion shows, albeit being exclusively prepared for them," argues Nesma. "From dealing with people with disabilities on daily basis, I can tell that most of them, especially those of short stature, would like to deal with individuals who are similar to them. They have become hypervigilant when dealing with regular people. That is why I am currently preparing my MA in Psychology, hoping that through fashion, I could help people with physical disabilities to have the adequate confidence to thrive in their communities, despite bullying.” she concludes.

July 2026