Autistic son inspires mum's inside-out clothing

A woman has launched her own clothing brand to help the shopping experience of neurodivergent children, having been inspired to create an "inside out" top after her son's discomfort from garments' labels and stitching.

Suzy, from Gnosall in Staffordshire, whose son was born with autism and was diagnosed with delayed language disorder, said he found it difficult to explain how he felt.

But it became apparent that clothes were a frustration due to the sensation of tags and seams touching his skin.

The idea for the business took hold when Suzy's mum, a seamstress, began working on the "inside out" solution.

Setting up a company had not been an easy process, however, she told BBC Radio Stoke.

"It is a struggle from the start," she said. "Getting the top right, the features right, the material right, the arms right - everything right - was very difficult."

She then considered how the neck lines on the firm's tops could be done in such a way as to make it easier for disabled children to get them over their heads.

She also thought about how the items might be layered with other clothing.

The hard work appears to have been worth it.

"Now the tops are going out, we're getting such a lovely response," she said, adding that some children had difficulty with bricks-and-mortar, physical stores due to their busy or noisy conditions.

For each item delivered, the children's own names are put on the package, so that they are involved in the process.

"It means they feel that they are a part of the shopping experience, opening their own parcel," Suzy said.

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