Inclusive Clothing for Kids

You don’t think about it unless you have to. Clothing to fit all instead of just some.  Inclusive clothing has been mentioned before when talking about gender-neutral clothing, but inclusive isn’t just about someone’s gender. It is also about embracing our differences so no one is excluded.

What is Inclusive Clothing?

Inclusive clothing, also known as adaptive clothing, is about making life easier for those who have medical conditions and sensitivities. A large number of people who need adaptive clothing are children who are neurodiverse and have trouble with certain fine motor skills. Clothing could include sensory-friendly fabrics, snap or magnetic closures, slanted buttons, or certain fits in pants that would make it easier to get on and off.

While finding adaptive clothing is becoming slightly easier, there isn’t a variety of items and most people who need this clothing only have one or two choices to choose from. There are a few companies that are beginning to create children’s clothing with these features in mind.

Great companies that offer inclusive clothing: 

MagnaReady– Offers magnetic closures for oxford shirts and is currently developing more options for children.

photo: MagnaReady

Sensory Smart Clothing Co. – The items featured from this company are soft fabric options with outside seams and pockets. They are also tagless! These minor details might not seem important to some, but they are a huge deal for those who have sensitivities.

photo: courtesy Sensory Smart Clothing Co.

Billy Footwear– Some truly stylish and innovative shoes that allow for children to unzip and zip instead of having to tie their shoes. Tieing shoes is almost impossible for some children who are neurodiverse and have fine motor issues.

photo: courtesy Billy Footwear

Charlies Project– (this is one of my favorites) Charlies Project offers sensory-friendly fabric and tagless dresses, leggings, and pajamas for kids. I am not in need of their items, but I wear their leggings all the time. Plus, a portion of their proceeds goes to the organization of your choice from a list upon check out.

photo courtesy of Southern Scarlett

Patty + Ricky– Honestly, this is probably the best website out there for adaptive clothing and accessories. The accessory offers here just have to be seen to appreciate how inclusive it really is.

photo: courtesy Patti Ricky

There are many more clothing companies that include some of the top brands such as Target, Kohls, Crocs, and Tommy Hilfiger.

Honestly, all of these options make a mother who has 2 neurodiverse children really smile. The only downfall to these offerings is the price. Adaptive clothing isn’t cheap and it can be a burden on those who are already paying a high price for many hours of therapy a week. More affordable adaptive clothing is needed!

 

How Chick-fil-A influenced Southern Scarlett

There have been many things surrounding Chick-fil-A since the opening of the first store in 1967. The 3 C’s involving this brand are chicken, controversy, and customer service.  No one has been able to break the Chick-fil-A factor.

As someone who just graduated high school, I had the choice of where to apply for a job. There are a ton of options and like many other kids I went towards the fast food industry, but not just any fast-food company. I began working for Chick-fil-A in the summer of 2005 and have used the tools taught to me at this establishment every day since. During the initial learning process, you cover things such as communication skills, manners, customer service skills, and even fun facts like what city eats the most chicken sandwiches. Out of all the things taught during your orientation, it doesn’t compare till you are putting those things into practice.

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Hard work

Fast food is NOT easy! Almost every single person who works in a fast-food restaurant can tell you this. What they can’t tell you are the extra steps it takes to work for Chick-fil-A.

Kindness and a positive attitude are two must-haves. No matter what happens before you walk into that restaurant you need to let it go and put a smile on your face. Going the extra mile is expected not just appreciated.

Selectivity

Have you ever eaten a nugget that wasn’t done? Have you ever had burnt fries? These things happen at a lot of fast food places but rarely does it happen at Chick-fil-A.

Selectivity goes towards who they choose to work at their establishments and which food they put in your white and red bag. Chick-fil-A has been the number 1 fast-food chain for the last 3 years and it comes down to being selective to continue the quality in product and employees.

Politeness and Customer Service

If you have ever been to a Chick-fil-A then you have heard the term “My Pleasure”. I have worked in many places and I still continue to say my pleasure which always ends with someone asking me if I worked for Chick-fil-A in the past. When I smile and say yes then they immediately know where I learned my customer service skills. Some employees love to say it and others don’t, but either way, you learn what is appropriate customer service and manners.

All in all, I loved working for Chick-fil-A, I still eat there at least once a week, and I continue to deny that there was ever a secret menu. The skills learned from Chick-fil-A are invaluable and will continue to be my set standard for customer service in my own business, Southern Scarlett.

Check out my favorite Customer Service article here

Social Media: A New Marketing Era

Social media has become the number 1 way for retailers to reach their customers. There are large social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but that might not be the best way to spend your time marketing. Having an effective strategy is a great start to ensure you are taking the correct steps to further your brand.

leveragenewagemedia.com
leveragenewagemedia.com

Know your audience

Who are your customers? What are their ages? What are their interests? If you don’t know any of these details then it will be very hard for you to reach the right crowd for your product.

Personally, I struggled to understand my exact audience at first. I knew that I would need to reach mothers in order to sell them clothing for their children. I figured my age range would be between 20 to 40 years of age and that was about as much as I knew about my audience.

It is important to realize that not every social media market will reach your target audience. A lot of the younger generation aren’t using Facebook as much according to  Forbes.

Forbes also suggests looking at new emerging social media platforms to reach different age groups. Just because someone who is 18 isn’t a customer right now doesn’t mean they won’t be eventually. If they know about your brand then they will think of it when the time comes which leads us to our next point.

Branding and Goals

No matter which platform you choose to market your business with, there should be a concise theme with all of your posts. Posting on social media is part of building your brand awareness and shows what kind of company you are.

Having a specific brand and goals in mind before you begin posting on social media will help prevent errors which might have negative effects on your business.

For ideas on creating a brand voice, check out Neil Patel’s website on how to build a brand strategy from scratch.

Cost-Effective

Posting on social media can be the most cost-effective way to gain new customers and followers. Check out this great chat by Lyfe Marketing.

https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/marketing-through-social-media/
https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/marketing-through-social-media/

Social media has a much lower cost per click than any other form of marketing. Social media also can include Google Adwords accounts and any form of online marketing.

I highly suggest that you take a look deeper into the world of using Facebook and Instagram ads, how to set up a target audience, and how to understand the bidding process to ensure you get the lowest cost per click for the ads that you decide to run.