Marks & Spencer has launched a new “easy dressing” range for children. The clothes are largely identical to the rest of the retailer’s children’s clothing (there’s a school uniform section too), but there are some crucial differences. Some have been tailored to make extra room for leg or arm casts, or have pockets with concealed bits for feeding tubes. They’re made using exceptionally soft materials, the care labels are hidden to avoid irritation and a great deal of thought has gone into each time. And crucially, they don’t cost extra.
Rebecca Garner is M&S’s kidswear designer.
“Parents passionately told us that disabilities don’t define their children, so the adaptations shouldn’t define their clothes, it’s why all the products are inclusively designed and modelled closely on our main collection.
“So whilst big sister might wear a dress with sequins, the little one who wants to match but has sensory needs will have a softer glitter.”
I’m an M&S shopper anyway – as much as I like to think there’s a punk rock edge to me, I’m actually at home in M&S and Sainsbury’s – but the brand has just rocketed in my estimation. The new range is a little bit of M&S’s clothing business, but it’s a very big deal to the kids (and their parents) who’ll benefit from it.