Lilli Martin

Author: Lilli Martin | Major: Apparel Merchandising and Product Development | Semester: Spring 2023

During the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters, I worked alongside Dr. Laurie Apple in creating adaptive clothing for dialysis patients. With a cousin currently receiving dialysis treatment, I found a need for clothing that can be worn during treatment that met functional needs and aesthetical wants. It was also a goal of mine to have the clothing be able to be worn outside of treatment as well.

Through research, I found that in the current market for adaptive clothing there were several needs that weren’t being met. It became apparent that while many of the garments on the market met the functional needs, many of the garments were solid colors and aesthetically not pleasing. A goal of mine was for the garment I created to be something patients would also want to wear outside of treatment. A garment that they felt good in, and weren’t embarrassed by, as many had suggested the clothing they wore to treatment made them feel.

My research included conducting surveys to understand what patients needed in their garments, functionally and aesthetically. A hard part of this research was finding subjects. In the end, I had around 17 patients fill out the survey. The responses were then taken into account for the design created for the prototype hoodie. After the prototype was created, I conducted a wear test with two subjects. They then filled out a post-survey to indicate what they liked and disliked about the hoodie. After the wear test and post-survey were conducted, alterations were made to the prototype to create a final garment.

I was able to create a design for a hoodie that included vascular access for treatment, while also maintaining the design wants requested in surveys. The hoodie included a soft light blue material that I would consider a “trendy color” with a ribbed neck and sleeve collar to add some contrasting color to the garment. It also included both access in the sleeve for vascular access and in the chest for patients who need port access. The zippers are invisible zippers and cannot be seen in the design. Dr. Apple and I decided that a zipper was the best option for patients because it was something they could easily open and close by themselves.

The design is something that patients can wear outside of treatment and not have attention drawn to them because of it being adaptive. To the eye, it looks like a hoodie that anyone would wear.  I wanted it to be a garment that would be something I would wear myself.

The Honors College Research Grant allowed me to be able to afford all the supplies that went into the making of the prototypes and final garments. Through this research, I was able to create a real-life applicable solution. This garment can be used not only for those undergoing dialysis but also for those who are undergoing chemotherapy. Being able to research a topic that is something that affects someone close to me, and coming up with a solution to the problem at hand was something I am very proud of, and cannot wait to see what future research brings to the adaptive clothing market.