Kohl’s has rolled out a new line of clothing specifically geared toward children with physical disabilities and complex medical needs.
The Menomonee Falls-based retailer on Wednesday announced those new products, known as adaptive apparel, are now available for babies through young adults under the company’s three largest kids’ brandnames– Jumping Beans, SO and Urban Pipeline.
Adaptive apparel is designed to be more comfortable and functional for people with disabilities and their caretakers. The items in Kohl’s new line include t-shirts with abdominal openings, pants with Velcro or magnetic closures and hoodies with two-way zippers, mostly made with sensory-friendly loose fitting, soft fabric.
“We aligned on what needed to be considered when fitting, such as how a pant fits when sitting down, could the pockets still be used, is the shirt long enough to cover in the back, and so forth,” said Judy Koepsel, technical design manager at Kohl’s.
Koepsel’s three-year-old daughter has developmental and sensory needs, so she is personally aware of the clothing-related challenges both children with disabilities and parents face, she said.
A group of Kohl’s employees, who are parents of children with disabilities, assisted with the product development process, educating design teams about their children’s unique needs.
Kohl’s said it made an effort to ensure the style and design of the products looked no different from that of the respective brand.
“Just because we are creating clothing for unique needs doesn’t mean that it needs to be basic,” said Kara Smoltich, associate product manager for Jumping Beans. “We have made every effort to ensure that the product looks as close to our core line as possible. Everything from graphic artwork to pocket detail is reflective of the brand.”
