In January, we dressed up Charlotte in a cute pair of overalls to wear to church. We quickly found ourselves frustrated that it was entirely inconvenient for diaper changes. Not to mention, that Charlotte has already outgrown most changing tables. We found ourselves wishfully thinking that there had to be clothes designed for kids with special needs. When we researched, we realized just how little qualifications it takes to make something “adaptive” or “special needs.” A removal of tags or a flat seam is really about all you need. It seems as if the market is aimed for quick mass-produced items that don’t really involve much change of the design. They don’t live our kiddo’s routines. They don’t know what parents go through in trying to dress their non-typical kids. They don’t understand that we are desperate for clothes that can help our kid feel confident in what they are wearing.
We began to play around with the idea of actually designing a kids clothing label. We knew the name already, as a lot of people follow Charlotte’s Facebook page, “The Charlotte Letter.” Stephanie’s sister, Cassandra, immediately wanted to be part of the project and is knocking it out of the park by designing the brand. We are currently testing prototypes of a couple outfits we have come up with before they will hit full production. We have hired a fashion designer and are working with a cut and sew manufacturer in Dallas.
We know that we have plenty of people who want to help support this mission, but don’t necessarily require adaptive clothing. In addition to the more complicated designs, we will have various t-shirts and other items with uplifting, positive messages that will help us keep costs low by compensating for the price it takes to specially design these outfits.
-Please like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram
-Join us in helping get the word out by sharing pics of you and your kiddos wearing your purchases
-If you have a special needs kid, we would love to have coffee, lunch, or a phone call with you and hear about what a day in the life of your kiddo is like. (Especially if you have needs different than Charlotte’s!)
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