Please forgive my ignorance, any of you who are in or know someone in a wheelchair, but until this afternoon I had no idea something called a “wheelchair poncho” existed.
But now that I’ve read up on it, it totally makes sense: an outerwear garment designed to be easily put on by someone who needs a wheelchair, and that also won’t get caught up in the wheels, ie it’s short in the back and long in the front to cover the legs.
I also noticed that the offerings in the market were not the most fashionable things around, which is why it also makes sense for a company to partner up with a designer like Built By Wendy’s Wendy Mullin (hence, how we learned of the wheelchair poncho in the first place.) Check it out here–it’s very classic trench-y.
Wendy’s one of our favorite groovy downtown ladies. And also one for myriad collaborations that strike her fancy–she started the company with guitar straps, has done jeans for Wrangler, and now this. (She’s also a fierce Dominoes competitor, but that’s another story.) I actually think it’s kinda cool, though yes, incredibly random. But really why should someone in a wheelchair have to wear something that looks like a Snuggie? No good reason as far as I can see. So good for you Wendy.
This now concludes our random fashion-related story of the day. Carry on.
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I help a quadriplegic woman once a week, and I wonder how something like this would go over with her. She does have her own style– lots of neon colors and converse in every color of the rainbow, but she always ends up getting a men’s coat from GAP in a super big size, because it’s so hard for her to get her arms into a coat that actually fits. I think something like this would be great for her, but she also prides herself on trying to be as “normal” as possible (her words, not mine), so I don’t know how she’d react to an item like this.
Also Abby- is there a site where you can buy this stuff? I checked the link, but I think it’s just the pictures. I’m interested to see the kind of price points they have. I know I can’t speak for most disabled people, but at least the lady i help and most of her friends that are similarly disabled (we’re talking quadriplegic, need help getting in and out of bed, going to the bathroom, limited motor skills) are living on fixed incomes (social security, etc), and I wonder if they would be able to afford something like this.
This is fabulous! Just because a person is in a wheelchair (or otherwise challenged) doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have great personal style or want to look good. I have always said jokingly, that as we get older, (with all the things that go with it like sickness and disability) we are going to see designers putting stylish stuff out there for this increasing demographic. Like canes and walkers. They already have casts in black for the fashionable person with broken bones. Bravo to Wendy Mullin for her design!
As a lover of fashion and a handicapped woman who uses a wheelchair I think this an awesome idea. It may not be the cutest poncho in the world, but I am glad that a designer (who I really like) took the time to design a garment with wheelchair users needs in mind.
@Reenie hey the poncho is $98.00 available at 1800wheelchair here: http://www.1800wheelchair.com/product/4190/built-by-wendy-poncho
Thank you! That’s pretty affordable…it might make a nice holiday present.
Thanks for linking me. :-)