******
SOFT CLOTHING: FINALLY a place that offers tag-free clothes made of fabrics well tolerated by our sensory sensitive children.
About Soft: Many children are extra-sensitive to the texture and feel of clothing. Soft® is the first line of inclusive clothing designed with the needs of all children in mind, including those with sensory sensitivity, a common symptom of Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD and many Developmental Disabilities. Soft® provides extra comfort with their use of flat seaming, 100% of the softest combed cotton, wide collars, encased elastic waistbands, printed labels (tagless) and more. Soft is based in Brooklyn, New York and designed by Jessica Ralli, a Special Educator, and Suzy Kogen Friedman, a mom and caring family member to a child with Autism, both of whom share a common goal to design clothing that can enhance a child’s social skills, sensory organization and concentration by addressing unique sensory needs but without sacrificing personal style and self expression. Soft® supports organizations that support Autism Research, Inclusive Education, and dis/Ability awareness such as the Autism Society Of America, SPD Foundation and Autism Speaks.
Website: http://www.softclothing.net/ SmartKnitKIDS: I am so pleased to have found a place that sells fabulous seamless socks from SmartKnitKids. When Jaimie was a baby and toddler, I longed for someone to create clothing that her little body felt safe in. Her body was, and still is, so sensitive that a tag, a seam, a button, a zipper, or certain fabrics can drive her into sensory overload faster than you can say, “Change my clothes!” We literally went through drawers full of clothes until Jaimie found an outfit that was ‘just right’. And, even then, she often ended up changing shortly after her decision because something about the clothes still wasn’t right. After awhile, I picked up on the fact that Jaimie liked cotton clothes that didn’t hug her body and mostly long-sleeved shirts, or sometimes tees, that were either tagless or with the tag cut out. At that time, it was difficult to find tagless clothing—Fruit of the Loom seemed to be the only company recognizing that tags irritated some people and that you could easily stamp the size and other information right onto the clothing. Then companies such as SOFT and SmartKnitKIDS picked up on this, creating clothing lines with sensory sensitivities in mind. And I was fortunate enough to have been sent samples of seamless socks from SmartKnitKIDS. We got to try the crew style, which lay above ankle high. There are no seams or ‘tuggy’ elastics and gently hug the feet and lower legs. The best part, as my Jaimie stated, was that the insides are fleecy soft. When Jaimie put them on, she said, “The insides of these socks feel like my sweatpants, Mama!” SmartKnitKIDS socks come in a white, black, pink, purple, and navy. Ankle, crew and knee-high styles are available up to a youth size 8. They were a dream come true.
Social Network: http://www.softsensoryworld.com/
Blog: http://www.softclothingblog.net/
About Soft: Many children are extra-sensitive to the texture and feel of clothing. Soft® is the first line of inclusive clothing designed with the needs of all children in mind, including those with sensory sensitivity, a common symptom of Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD and many Developmental Disabilities. Soft® provides extra comfort with their use of flat seaming, 100% of the softest combed cotton, wide collars, encased elastic waistbands, printed labels (tagless) and more. Soft is based in Brooklyn, New York and designed by Jessica Ralli, a Special Educator, and Suzy Kogen Friedman, a mom and caring family member to a child with Autism, both of whom share a common goal to design clothing that can enhance a child’s social skills, sensory organization and concentration by addressing unique sensory needs but without sacrificing personal style and self expression. Soft® supports organizations that support Autism Research, Inclusive Education, and dis/Ability awareness such as the Autism Society Of America, SPD Foundation and Autism Speaks.
Website: http://www.softclothing.net/ SmartKnitKIDS: I am so pleased to have found a place that sells fabulous seamless socks from SmartKnitKids. When Jaimie was a baby and toddler, I longed for someone to create clothing that her little body felt safe in. Her body was, and still is, so sensitive that a tag, a seam, a button, a zipper, or certain fabrics can drive her into sensory overload faster than you can say, “Change my clothes!” We literally went through drawers full of clothes until Jaimie found an outfit that was ‘just right’. And, even then, she often ended up changing shortly after her decision because something about the clothes still wasn’t right. After awhile, I picked up on the fact that Jaimie liked cotton clothes that didn’t hug her body and mostly long-sleeved shirts, or sometimes tees, that were either tagless or with the tag cut out. At that time, it was difficult to find tagless clothing—Fruit of the Loom seemed to be the only company recognizing that tags irritated some people and that you could easily stamp the size and other information right onto the clothing. Then companies such as SOFT and SmartKnitKIDS picked up on this, creating clothing lines with sensory sensitivities in mind. And I was fortunate enough to have been sent samples of seamless socks from SmartKnitKIDS. We got to try the crew style, which lay above ankle high. There are no seams or ‘tuggy’ elastics and gently hug the feet and lower legs. The best part, as my Jaimie stated, was that the insides are fleecy soft. When Jaimie put them on, she said, “The insides of these socks feel like my sweatpants, Mama!” SmartKnitKIDS socks come in a white, black, pink, purple, and navy. Ankle, crew and knee-high styles are available up to a youth size 8. They were a dream come true.
Social Network: http://www.softsensoryworld.com/
Blog: http://www.softclothingblog.net/
These socks became a reality by a mom who was tired of hearing her son scream, “…these sock seams keep bugging me!”. She too searched out seamless clothes for her sensitive little guy but never found truly ‘seamless’ clothing or socks because every kind she tried still has seams of some kind that irritated her son. After a great deal of frustration in her research, she was led to a company named Knit-Rite, a textile manufacturer, and requested they include a seamless kids sock in their line-up.
In 2003, after several similar requests from other parents, SmartKnitKIDS socks were created. Knit the same way a caterpillar spins its cocoon, SmartKnitKIDS socks are started at the toe and worked up toward the ankle. This process insures a 100% seamless sock. A form-fitting design also keeps those annoying lumps and bumps out of the socks.
They have all the attributes that ‘sensational’ likes look for when they try on one outfit after another and I am so grateful to have companies like SmartKnitKIDS who realized the need for such products and created them for our kids.
