The adaptive fashion movement aims to find clothing that suits the particular needs of the wheelchair bound and mobility limited. Traditional clothing presents particular challenges for people with disabilities, including the fact that long suit jackets can become caught in adaptive devices, and pull down pants can make toileting extra challenging. Equally, clothing that's designed to flatter a standing body often doesn't look as good on a seated body, cutting in to create muffins tops or gaping on the lower back.

Here are some options if you are mobility limited and need to attend a black tie event and want to look your best.

Get an off the rack suit tailored

You can often find larger suits on the sale rack, and you can look at getting one of these tailored to meet your body needs. It often helps to go to a tailor that's experienced with working in adaptive modifications, so you can talk openly about issues such as colostomy bag access, or side zips for toileting. Tailoring a pre-made suit can be a relatively pricey option, depending on the extent of the modifications you need.

Buy an adaptive off the rack suit

Another alternative can be to purchase an off the rack adaptive suit. These often come in a relatively limited choice of colours and fabrics, reflecting the relative newness of this field of fashion. Most adaptive clothing is still made in "comfortable casual" styles. You may still need to get an off the rack suit tailored, particularly if you have unique body proportions.

Get a bespoke suit made

Getting a bespoke suit made can often work out to be the most affordable option, as it should fit you perfectly. You can have any modifications you need built in from the start and have a suit that is made to your proportions. This also gives you the widest range of fabrics and styles to choose from, so you can have a more traditional suit or a modern cut. This is particularly great if you are looking to fit with someone else's outfit, for example if you are going to your formal with a date or as part of a wedding party.

Everyone has the right to look and feel good in their clothes, no matter what sort of mobility they enjoy. If you have a special occasion coming up don't suffer in a poorly fitting or bunched up suit when you could be wearing a suit that looks and feels fantastic.

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