From Soft's media kit:Soft is a new children's clothing brand, launching in Fall 2009, designed and constructed with extra comfort in mind for sensory sensitive or dressers (tactile defensive).
Soft wants to revolutionize children's apparel, by creating the first inclusive and universally designed line of clothing geared toward children with sensory sensitivity, a common symptom of Autism, Asperger's, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder. This large (more than 1 in 150 children) and growing (10-17% annually) population has unique sensory needs that are largely unmet by the children's apparel market today.
The first Soft collection will launch with a full line of children's clothing and accessories, in sizes 2-10 with styles ranging from casual sportswear to holiday and occasion wear.
Soft provides comfort and style for all children. After conducting over two years of in-depth market research, we learned a lot about what parents want and what children like. We have incorporated that feedback to create stylish and comfortable clothes for the people who need it most. We use:• Flat seaming and seamless construction for extra comfort
• Soft cotton combed, peached and pre-washed for extra soft and smoothness
• Wide collars for a roomy fit
• Encased elastic waistbands that don’t pinch
• Printed labels (tagless) that don’t itch
• Vegetable dyes, natural enzyme washes, and water-based prints to protect against allergies
Jessica Elsas is the Founder/Director/Designer at Soft. She is a Special Education teacher with an MA in Early Childhood Special Education, and a background in art and design. Jessica came up with the idea for Soft while teaching a child with sensory issues in early 2007. She has dedicated the last two years to researching the idea and market thoroughly, connecting with children, parents, and non-profits.
Suzy Kogen Friedman is the Partner/Director. She has been a life-long advocate for people with developmental disabilities. Both her brother and sister-in-law have developmentally delays. Timmy, their 9-year-old son, was diagnosed with Autism and global developmental delays at age 3. Timmy's daily dressing challenges were the inspiration behind Suzy's clothing idea. As the purchaser of all of Timmy's clothes, she saw the giant void in the market that needed to be filled.