Fashion with a Chronic Illness

Fashion with a Chronic Illness

Comfort is key when designing and dressing fashion with a chronic illness. Everyone has different needs and it depends on the illness. What we have learned through working with ladies suffering from a chronic illness is that comfort and functionality is essential.

Functional Fashion

Imagine the sizing issues we all face plus being in constant pain and the stress of perhaps having to accommodate your medical devices. At Zobi we have functionally engrained into the design process as we always design for comfort and wearability.

We have designed and made for women that are diabetic, not such an easy task to incorporate where their insulin pump or continuous glucose monitor will go, that isn’t restricted by the outfit design.

Cancer patients, Arthritis suffers and those with Dementia, to name but a few, all require different thought out designs to ensure they will be comfortable in an outfit and can independently dress with ease. The material used is important to determine the functionality of the outfit, it should work with the body and suit temperature preference, particularly important for ladies going through menopause.

Stressful Shopping

For some people going out shopping for the day just is not an option, the energy needed to search through clothing rails and queues to waiting rooms can be overwhelming. This pressure is unnecessary in an already stressful situation. This is where Zobi comes in to design for the body shape and illness requirements. I guess this is why I had never seen these people before or perhaps noticed them until I was diagnosed with Endometriosis and could empathise with them.

Meeting our customers and hearing their stories has educated Zobi on the need for rejuvenating the bespoke clothing model. The production line model does not suit everyone, cannot accommodate chronic illness and hardly fits anyone.

Bespoke Service 

Our bespoke 1 to 1 service allows us to meet each customer and discuss their needs and style preferences. Whether it is for everyday wear or a special occasion the design is made specific to the measurements and requirements and is as important as the final look.

I never considered when we set up Zobi that one of our customers would be chronically ill people. We are delighted that we can tailor our service to accommodate as much as possible. Fashion should be inclusive for everyone, every shape and every health condition.