Ag Apparel is made for women who sit in wheelchairs.
Jordan Silver brings some “haute” to wheelchair users’ “couture.”
By Kelly Rouba
For the past 16 years, disability fashion specialist Stephanie Thomas has been following trends within the industry and admits that most of them haven’t been pretty.
“When designing clothing for people with disabilities, the primary focus was function, with very little emphasis on fashion,” Thomas said. “This is due to the industry’s perception of the needs and wants of people with disabilities.
“There is a prevailing mindset that permeates our society, and it is that people with disabilities are not interested in looking good and that fashion is not important to them.”
In 2007, Thomas founded a disability fashion consulting firm called APOSH. The firm, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia, was created to serve as a liaison between people with disabilities and the fashion industry. “We try to advocate to retailers about the importance of acknowledging and servicing this consumer that makes up the largest minority group in our nation, (that being) 54 million people with disabilities with an aggregate income of one trillion dollars,” she said.
According to Thomas, the number of companies manufacturing accessible clothing has grown along with the desire for more stylish clothes. “Over the last six years, people with disabilities have tried to become more stylish by encouraging companies to raise the bar on accessible clothing,” she said. “But, even today, we still have limited fashionable clothing options for people with disabilities.”
Classic with a Twist
Jordan Silver, of Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, couldn’t agree more. When her aunt Janet Silver was stricken with ALS a few years ago, they couldn’t find anything stylish that would be easy for Janet’s caregivers to dress her in. “There really wasn’t anything fashionable or any sort of style of clothing she liked, so I started just adapting the clothes for her. I started doing little things to her clothes to make it easy to put on,” Silver said.
Silver, who specialized in both fashion and costume design in college, was surprised by the lack of clothing options for women with disabilities. “I didn’t understand why there wasn’t anything fashionable out there, especially because there are so many women who are disabled and who are working. I was really in shock,” she said.
To help fill the void, Silver founded Ag Apparel. The company, which offers adaptive apparel for women with disabilities, officially launched this past March. All items are created by Silver and later reproduced by a custom sewer in Connecticut.
Silver describes her apparel as being classic with a modern twist. “I tried to make staple items that women could add to and keep the clothes for longer periods of time,” she added.
To ensure that clothing is not just fashionable but also easy to get on, each item in the line has been tested by women with various types of disabilities as well as Silver’s mother, who has difficulty dressing due to arthritis.
Each piece in the clothing line is also named after the women in Silver’s family, including her aunt. “I tried to incorporate my aunt’s recommendations throughout the entire collection,” she said.
Silver also tries to make sure all of her apparel are universally designed. The Janet top is just one example. “It is completely open on the sides and easy to put on with little arm movement. The back is wider than the front with a 6 ½ inch contrasting fabric bow that ties in the front and gives complete coverage,” she said.
According to the Ag Apparel website, “Pants and skirts have dual zippers on the side seams of the garment for easy dressing, added comfort, and movement. The zippers also allow for the garments to be interchanged with one another, giving women the option to easily change their look, whether it be for the day or evening.”
The Element of Ag
Sadly Janet Silver passed away before she could ever see her niece’s finished line. But, Silver is confident her aunt would have approved as she has already received much praise for her work. From the start, “I got really great reactions,” Silver said. “I couldn’t believe it. They loved the clothes.”
Since its launch, Ag Apparel has been featured in New Mobility and Quest magazines. Silver will also be in O, The Oprah Magazine this winter since she was one of only 80 women demonstrating leadership potential who were invited to attend the Women Rule! Leadership Training Program. The three-day event, which was held in New York City in June, was sponsored by The Oprah Magazine and The White House Project.
While Silver is excited by all the recognition, she hasn’t lost site of why she committed herself to developing Ag Apparel. “The first line is the Element of Ag Apparel; it is dedicated to my aunt, a strong independent amazing woman and all of the amazing Silver women as well,” she said.
Women interested in making a purchase are asked to visit the Ag Apparel website, www.agapparel. com, and then place their orders via phone or e-mail. This way, Silver is able to better connect with customers so she can meet their specific needs. “If you buy clothes off the rack, you usually have to get them hemmed because they are too big,” Silver said, noting that she offers a variety of sizes and can have items tailor-made to fi t just right.
Like many women, Silver believes fashion is an expression of who you are. “It’s about individuality and setting your own style,” she said. “And if you’re not confident in your clothing and you don’t feel good, it shows.”
Both Silver and Thomas hope to see clothing, like the items offered by Ag Apparel, make it into mainstream stores in the near future. There are many clothing options out there, from maternity wear to workout clothes, but there isn’t much for those with disabilities, Silver said.
“If we can walk into Wal-Mart or any store and buy clothing for pets, we should be able to roll into Wal-Mart and purchase clothing cut, designed, and marketed to wheelchair users,” Thomas adds.
Kelly Rouba is a frequent contributor to Action.
