We all know that it’s more important to be beautiful on the inside as a person, but did you know that children are happier when their clothing is “beautiful” on the inside, too?
As you may know, Peter has Sensory Integration Disorder and also Asperger Syndrome. As you can probably well imagine, scratchy tags and poorly fitting clothing bothered him as a baby more than it bothered me, and often was the source of irritation for “no reason” (Oh what I wish I’d have known!!) Sometimes he would be upset for “no reason” only to discover that when wrapped in a soft blanket after a diaper change, or put on fleecy pajamas, his disposition would almost instantly improve.
With his condition, he is able to focus intensely on a single subject or aspect of a subject. This is both a boon and a bane, for when he’s uncomfortable in his clothing, he is thoroughly distracted. He cannot concentrate on “important” things, because all of his attention is focused on solving the “problem”of his discomfort. As he grows older, he’s more self-aware of this, and will wear his undershirts inside out under sweaters, so he has no scratchy tags or seams, and requests “soft” clothing. He always prefers mommy-made garments for their consideration of his needs. When I ordered tags for my clothing lines, I was sure to ask for approval on texture from Peter before I placed the final order, because if he’s comfortable, any child will be comfortable!
I have discovered with Ella that I default toward consideration to the most sensitive and high-needs requirements as a matter of course. This means Ella gets very specific directions, and all her clothing is designed for the ultra-sensitive child. J is convinced that it’s for this reason (our Peter-parenting experience) that Ella is such an “easy” child.
Over the years I’ve learned that it’s not only high-needs children who are bothered and distracted by clothing, socks, “hard” seams in jeans, inflexible shoulder seams, exposed stitching, loose threads, etc. Even adults have these issues, and it’s for those people and infants and toddlers that my garments are especially suitable.
Please have a look through the following photo examples and you’ll see what I mean.
Enclosed (French) Seams and flat-stitched hem:
Bound inside hem, Jacket fully lined in fleece:
Bound hem and seams:
Bound seams, inside finish on cuff:
Turned-and-stitched shoulder seams inserted into yoke lining:
Fully lined tunic with smooth snaps:
Bound sleeve hem:
It’s for Peter and all sensitive children that the insides of my garments are designed to be as smooth and comfortable as possible. Sure, this takes extra time, effort, engineering, and materials, but I think all our little ones appreciate the extra effort. They may not notice….but that’s the point!
I hope my clothing will be your kids’ favorites. Hers or his because they are so comfortable, and their parents’ because they are so durable, washable, and stylish.
