inclusive | intergenerational

My aim for this project was to produce a wardrobe suitable for a teenage girl, a middle-aged man and an elderly woman, any of whom could have reduced dexterity.

Through academic research, I learnt that people with limited use of their hands often struggle to don and doff clothing. I designed a collection of clothing suitable for anyone, so that those with dexterity issues of any age can wear the same clothes as their peers. This meant avoiding the use of buttons and zips, using only Velcro and elasticated areas as means of fastening and suppression. To ensure that my clothing was comfortable for people with nerve sensitivity (which is common among people with MS), I decided to use only cotton, silk and/or lightweight linen.

Colour inspiration came from research into the relationship between gender and colour, with one study showing that wearing the ‘wrong’ colour for their gender could encourage women to be more dominant and men to be more caring.