Clothes for Queer, Disabled Lesbians: A Growing Marketplace
Queer disabled bodies, the good news is more options!
Lesbians with disabilities deserve compassionate services and respect. That’s even true with clothing!
Some psychological effects clothing choices can have on individuals vary. It can be very frustrating. Having nothing to wear can be a big problem. Emotional distress can be anything from low self-confidence, low self-worth, feeling like something is wrong with you, unable to express yourself the way most others can. Not wearing clothing you feel comfortable and stylish can lead to social isolation, depression, anxiety, self-harming, and other behaviors due to being marginalized.
People may ask how clothing concerns can create emotional distress in any person or population. Well, the short answer is this.
Imagine going into store after store to find the perfect outfit or shoes and coming out empty-handed repeatedly. The queer community does not fit the same dress category as their straight counterparts. Perhaps the outfit for the day is an excellent suit for a butch-identified queer woman. However, men’s clothing does not fit the curves of a female body shape, and female suits might be too feminine for a butch-identified queer woman. Perhaps you are a transwoman looking for that perfect pair of dress shoes. Not only do you have a body that does not fit the typical feminine dress, but finding a cute feminine shoe for a size 14 or 15 wide foot is difficult, if not impossible.
Clothing concerns can create emotional distress in any person or population.
The too often queer, disabled community resigns themselves to a mediocre existence due to marginalization in the fashion industry and just like many other areas of life. They are all too familiar with not fitting into that perfect mold of ideal body types. Therefore, psychologically they may feel inferior to others and not live out their full potential.
We are happy to say; innovative companies are aware of this and finding clothing for disabled queers is getting easier.
Thanks to some very forward-thinking small companies. These companies recognize that queer, disabled bodies need functional clothing that fits and looks fantastic. Fashion has to wake up that we are not a bunch of 5’10” 120-pound with unrealistic body types.
Size 2? That’s a thing. And most models are still precisely this.
We are a diverse population, and we have distinctive needs. Feeling good in our clothes can be essential to mental health and dealing with the world.
And there are influencers to help spread the word. British YouTuber Jessica Kellgren-Fozard has over 70 videos on the queer, disabled community, and vintage and makeup topics on her channel.
British YouTuber Jessica Kellgren-Fozard has over 70 videos on the queer, disabled community, and vintage and makeup topics on her channel.
Remember Jillian Mercado, who played Sophie’s sister, Maribel Suarezon, on The L Word: Generation Q will certainly recognize Maribel. She is also one of the leading disabled models in the fashion industry.
Jillian is featured in some of the most prominent magazines, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Diesel, Nordstrom, and Target ads. Jillian identifies as queer and has been a trailblazing force for LGBTQIA+ and disabled representation.
The smartphone is designed for people with disabilities. How come clothes can’t be too? That is why Billy Footwear takes that idea and uses it for shoes. Billy Footwear incorporates zippers that go along the side of the shoes and around the toe.
The benefit? The upper of each shoe opens and folds over completely. Instead of slipping into a shoe, you put your foot down and zip around the shoe.
And clothing company Seven7 Jeans has stylish clothing with a micro Velcro fly and magnetic closures in place of zippers and buttons. Way cool.
This trend is going mainstream, and it is about time. Even Kohls and Target are offering more and more adaptive clothing.
To meet this variety of needs, designers are responding by creating stylish clothes with the following features:
- Magnetic closures at the side of clothing
- The clothing you can put on while sitting, standing, or lying down
- Soft clothing for sensory Issues
- Footwear that is easy to put on
- Underwear that snaps clothes at the sides
- Open-back shirts/pants
- Medical equipment-friendly outfits
- Clothing tailored for wheelchair users
- Clothing that works with prosthetics
- Seams that do not cause rubbing and irritation from sitting on them for extended periods
- Cool, queer sizes for all bodies and types
Even Kohls and Target are offering more and more adaptive clothing.
Alice, one of the authors of this article, is colorblind. She uses technology to help her identify colors. This Smartphone app lets me point my phone to a piece of clothing and verbally announce the color. It is in its early stages, and I still make occasional mistakes, but it is an excellent invention for the color blind or the blind.
Lesbians with disabilities are also more likely to face social isolation, which carries health risks. And when a person’s disability includes a mobility impairment, one issue that can arise is increased physical and social isolation. It is fantastic all the changes that are going on.
And, of course, there is always Goodwill thrifting or second-hand clothes. Because if you spend $10 on an item and another $30 to alter the thing to fit you, that is a deal. But before you alter the item, wash it so that you know the article of clothing is easy to care. There is no sense in spending a lot of money on clothes you can’t throw in the machine to wash. And once you find a good place that alters clothing to fit you, you can look fabulous.
If you are into menswear, then queer black-owned, Hautebutch.com is your place. .https://hautebutch.com/ has larger sizes and an excellent butch design. They even offer a virtual custom design session, so with the help of zoom, get an idea of how they can help you look stylish.
There is Progress in the queer, adaptive clothing market. It is time to give the disabled, queer community more of a spotlight and create a thriving economy for all queer people everywhere.
