When you think of school uniforms, you might think of private schools, but a surprising 21 percent of public schools now require students to wear uniforms. Mainstream students may roll their eyes at a dress code, but for students with special needs, a school uniform can present very real challenges.
To help ensure this isn’t an issue for the 6.6 million school-age children and teens in the U.S. with special needs who are receiving education services, Land’s End is teaming up with MagnaReady, an American clothing brand that produces adaptive clothing for those with dexterity issues, to create the Universal Collection, the first line of adaptive school uniforms.
The adaptive uniform collection looks just like the Land’s End original uniform items, but buttons and zippers have been replaced with super-strong and easy-to-manage magnets made with MagnaReady technology.
The collection also features MagnaReady technology on pant legs to accommodate leg and foot braces, velcro closures on waistbands to make getting dressed easier, sensory-friendly seams and tags.
The line, which will be available beginning September 1, includes shorts, pants, dresses, skirts, polos, and dress shirts. The duds are perfect for kids—all items are durable and machine-washable.
“The adaptive clothing movement is slowly becoming mainstream and every time we have another retailer introduce new options for men, women or children, I am thrilled,” MagnaReady CEO Maura Horton said in a press release. “Everyone should be able to express their personality through their clothes and have options readily available to them that fit their unique needs. Access to adaptive clothing that is fashionable and current should not hold anyone back.”