Representation Station: Adaptive Clothing Part 2
By: Katie Carr
Over the last few years, more and more disability representation has made its way into mainstream media and culture, especially where it concerns children. In this series, we’ll highlight categories where we’ve seen significant disability representation and share more about what’s available, who it’s impacting, and why it’s important.
In this installment, we highlight the children’s clothing brand Sense-ational You, founded and run by Julia Deney (she/her/hers). Sense-ational You creates inclusive and adaptive clothing with the focus of meeting the needs of autistic children and kids with Sensory Processing Disorders.
Julia attended Cornell University as a Fashion Design major with an interest in children’s clothing and volunteered with a local preschool for autistic children. Whenever she mentioned her major to the staff or parents in casual conversation, they often brought up the struggles their students and children have with clothing.
“These conversations sparked an interest in me to learn more about sensory needs concerning clothing, which led to a two-year independent study before I graduated. Once I graduated and I was figuring out my next steps, I realized there was no company I could go work for that was doing this and I didn't want to stop, so I began the process of turning my independent study into Sense-ational You.”
A child wears a navy blue hoodie with a constellation pattern on it. A white oval at the top of the graphic had black text that reads “Navy Constellation Hoodie features.’ Smaller white ovals surround the child and point to various features of the hoodie and have black text labeling them. They are labeled ‘Sound reducing hood,’ ‘Flat seams,’ ‘Large pockets,’ ‘Eye mask,’ ‘No tags,’ and ‘Magnetic closures.’ The background is light purple with organic shapes and lines. In the Bottom right corner is the Sense-ational You logo.
Now two years later, Sense-ational You offers a variety of tee shirts, joggers, and hoodies with hidden functionalities like magnetic closures, flat seams, sound reducing hoods, eye masks, adjustable compression linings, and elastic waistbands. All of the clothes feature flat seams, no tags, and soft knit fabrics. Julia chose magnetic closures, as opposed to zippers or buttons, “for those that struggle with fine motor as many autistic children do, and for those that need a little built-in fidget.”
Sense-ational You’s tees have hidden, adjustable compression linings for children to receive calming deep pressure sensory input wherever they may be. Their joggers feature elastic waistbands for easy dressing, and large magnetic pockets so children can easily carry comfort items or fidgets for self regulation.
One of Sense-ational You’s most popular products is the hoodie, specifically the Navy Constellation pattern created by an autistic graphic designer. The hoodie has a weighted, sound-reducing hood and an eye mask for those that need to dampen sensory input. It is in such high demand that Julia is fundraising to be able to offer this item in adult sizes.
These clothes, while made with autistic children and children with Sensory Processing Disorders in mind, are great additions to any kid’s closet. Julia explained that “All children can enjoy no tags and flat seams, even magnetic closures are a lot of fun! But many children need these accommodations and don't get them. By showing that a few changes can make fashion more accessible we are showing that it is easy to be inclusive as we all should. It also opens a great conversation for parents to have with their neurotypical kids on why some kids may need these changes in their clothes.”
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