Nashville-based lifestyle influencer April Lockhart proudly identifies as a "fashion girly."She found shopping and styling "therapeutic" and shared clips of colorful outfits on Instagram and TikTok, with an audience of more than 14 million followers.Lockhart was also born with a limb difference and fully expressing her personal style sometimes comes with compromise.

"It was always lacking to see myself in those areas," Lockhart says to Marie Claire. The brands she aspired to shop for didn't reflect her identity in the ads or needed an extra tailor to be wearable. Adaptive fashion, or items designed specifically for people with disabilities, did not offer a viable solution for those who say she prioritizes aesthetics over function. "I never shopped for adaptive because the style always came first, and if we were honest, the adaptive style consistently fell flat," she says.

Bri Scalesse, a model who has used a wheelchair since she was six years old, likewise discovered that adaptation pieces rarely catered to her sense of style — she was able to strategically shop and find ways to "work" her favorite brands for her, but "what was always missing was fashion." I wanted to see the body of a disabled person like me in advertising and magazines."

Both women are making what other shoppers have always wanted to see available to them through Anthropologie's inclusiveness-focused expansion. Along with models and creators Maya Moore and Allison Lang, the pair are both the face of the retailer's first adaptive pieces, available online today.

Anthropologie has entered into an adaptation fashion chat with eight pieces created through an annual process of research and product development. From aボ48 button-up Andy T-shirt to aベ148 Bettina dress, each item takes an existing Anthropologie bestseller and changes it with details that enhance the proportions, closures, and comfort factors for people with disabilities. The overall look is exactly the same as Anthro's standard boho chic fare.

The adaptive design, sold at major retailers, is a welcome addition to a large and overlooked style cohort. Some studies have estimated the total market for adult adaptive clothing in the United States last year atド23,800 million, but this category is not as commonly produced as the plus, petite and tall sizes. A few retailers also have pieces that are catered to all abilities that take into account major trends and personal styles. (For example, a rough Google search for "adaptive clothing" will show you mostly a scrub-like matching set.

As with anthropologie's transition to plus size in 2019, according to Holly Thrasher, Chief Merchandising officer at anthropologie Women, this expansion was largely informed by underrated shoppers who demanded it. To "thoughtfully" turn feedback into a more comprehensive repertoire, the brand sought insights inside (URBN Adapt ERG, an in-house resource group that promotes accessibility and inclusivity) and outside (experts like Lucy Jones, founder and CEO of adaptive label FFORA). "The most common requirement was a line that seamlessly integrates style and functionality and prioritizes comfort and ease of wear," Thrasher says.

Richa Srivastava, Chief Creative Officer for Women's concept and design, explains that adaptive changes have improved the experience of turning each Anthro staple on and off or wearing it all day. For example, consider collette pants. Just like the standard design, the adaptive version has a high-rise waist and cropped flared hem. But to make the pants more comfortable for wheelchair users, Anthropologie took 3 approaches. "We adjusted the stand-up to fit the sitting person, eliminated the back pocket to reduce the bulkiness when sitting, and incorporated features such as magnetic snap closures, zip openings along the punt-in seam, and tabs and snaps for customizable length adjustment," explains Srivastava. It's a good idea. According to Srivastava, 1 of the design feedback from the disabled community became the team's Design North Star. Shoppers who use wheelchairs and prosthetics don't necessarily want their own style, but want to be included in the brand's versatile and cool lineup from the start.

"What often doesn't feel right about adaptive wear is that it's a different line of its own with a style that's not comparable to non-adaptive lines."I can't express just how much I love Anthropologie taking some of its best-selling works and adapting them."

Lockhart agrees that the design will strike a balance that has never been found in fashion before. They are "extra comfort and much easier to put on compared to other pieces I own, but [they] made me feel strong, put together."

Anthropologie also displays works with "adaptive features" right next to other size categories and does not hide them anywhere else on the site. "Being seen by everyone who is shopping for antro is very important to the disabled community," says Lockhart. "It does not exclude us to another collection page, it does not create new products that they think "disabled people may want" — this is really comprehensive."

What is not this release is a release that has been completed in 1 time. The 8 pieces alone cannot cover every need of any individual or fully compare with the hundreds of options available in standard sizing on the rest of the Anthropologie website. Still, it's the beginning. "[T] just a step to being here Hi," Lockhart says. "You don't have to be perfect to progress."

Thrasher, Anthropologie Executive, wants this line to be a "positive example" for other brands. Blueprints of inclusivity can appear both in the products made and in the people who wear them, Scalesse says. "I don't think every brand needs to create a 1-time adaptive line, but instead, we need to always include disabled people in front of and behind the camera.

"My dream is for other brands to take notes and simply start thinking about ways to make the clothes they're already making more universal," Lockhart says. "The disabled community loves fashion just like any other part of the fashion world," she says. They don't want a separate collection, they just want to buy the clothes they usually buy from the retailers they love."Fashion girls come in all shapes, sizes and abilities. They all deserve the same option when they are dressed.