Soft Logo

This week, Soft, a company that makes soft clothing designed for children with sensory sensitivity, announced that it will launch its first collection in Fall 2009 with a full line of children’s clothing and accessories. Styles will range from casual sportswear to holiday and occasion wear.

Soft’s clothing is designed especially for children who experience tactile defensiveness, a symptom of Autism, Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and ADHD that can cause them to overreact to touch or refuse or avoid touching. This sensitivity can also mean that something as simple as the texture or feel of clothing can be distressing to a child.

In an email Q&A, Jessica Elsas, founder of Soft, told SizeTracker that, “Sensory sensitivity with regard to clothing is a widely misunderstood and unaddressed issue. As a teacher, I am acutely aware of the myriad behavior and social-emotional issues that can result from children who experience tactile defensiveness in the classroom, and I know that these behavioral and social issues carry into the home and community. It is one of many barriers to true inclusion in the classroom and beyond.”

Soft’s Inclusive Clothing Design Features

With this in mind, Elsas and her company aspire to create a clothing brand that can enhance social skills, sensory organization, and concentration, by addressing unique sensory needs, but without sacrificing personal style and self expression.

According to Elsas, “Universal design is a concept that has been applied to architecture, and curriculum planning—as a way of making sure these things are made accessible from their inception, rather than going back and adapting after the fact. We intend to apply that same principle to clothing–so that parents and eventually adults will be able to purchase clothing with the confidence they won’t have to spend time and money self-tailoring, snipping tags and labels, sewing down seams–and all the many adaptations people report to us that they have been doing for years.”

Before designing their products, Soft surveyed over 5000 parents. As a result, Soft’s designs incorporate features adapted specifically to the needs of children with sensory sensitivity – as well as of children with developmental delays that could benefit from similar adaptations. These features include:

• Flat seaming and seamless construction for extra comfort
• Soft cotton combed, peached and pre-washed for extra soft and smoothness
• Wide collars for a roomy fit
• Encased elastic waistbands that don’t pinch
• Printed labels (tagless) that don’t itch
• Vegetable dyes, natural enzyme washes, and water-based prints to protect against allergies
• Soft, cotton-covered snaps – instead of buttons – when closures are needed.

Innovative Design Ideas

Soft Adapt Chinos

For typical children’s wear, anything that might be patched on, woven in, embroidered, or otherwise be used to accessorize or embellish the surface with snazzy detail is OK. But, designing for children with SPD means that Soft has to be creative in how they make clothing that is both comfortable and stylish.

For example, instead of using decorative stitching or buttons to embellish clothing, they print the design details with vegetable or water-based inks to make clothing look fashionable without irritation. As well, they use these inks to give the impression of pockets, ties, and other clothing accessories.

A great example of this are their chinos (see sketch) and jeans which incorporate all of these design elements.

Soft’s Clothing Size and Fit Information

Through their research, the company found that the majority of sensitivity issues (89%) are experienced by children in the 2-10 year age range. So, they will introduce their line in sizes 2-10. Soft’s technical designer has ensured that Soft’s size and measurement standards are consistent with the other major brands that their potential customers currently buy.

To parents with toddlers, Elsas says that Soft’s smaller sizes are “constructed to accommodate diapers in most pant styles. Our skirts and dresses were designed with diapers and/or unique toileting needs in mind, with an a-line construction and a high waist (which thankfully is very trendy this season!)”

Even though the company has not yet made their line available, Elsas says that they are receiving emails on a daily basis from parents who hope the range of sizes will be expanded to tween, teen, and even adult sizes. The company is already doing market research into these areas, as well as looking into infant sensitivities – so be sure to watch their progress!

For More Information

“I am hoping that through our stated company mission, marketing campaigns, and eventually adoption by major retailers–we will call attention to this common problem, and the various resources available and therapeutic options for those who experience sensory sensitivity.” –Jessica Elsas, founder and designer at Soft

To learn more about the Soft brand or to share your stories, advice, questions and more about Sensory Disorders (Autism, Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD and more), visit the following resources:

• Soft Website
• Soft Social Network
• Soft Blog

Soft is also searching for non-profit partners, to whom they plan on donating a portion of their profits and cross promoting through their website and marketing campaigns.

2 Responses to “Soft: Inclusive Clothing Designs for Children with Sensory Sensitivity”