LINDA LARSEN NYC: A NEW ALZHEIMER’S FUNCTIONAL CLOTHING LINE

David German knows the heartache and challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's. His wife, Linda Larsen German, was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's in 2013; she was 62 years old. They faced it together for eight long years before Linda passed away in November 2021.

Their daughter, Emmy, who was 20 years old when her mother was diagnosed, suggested the idea first: create "functional, accessible clothing" that her mom would have been proud to wear, rather than the limited options of "sweatpants and pajamas." She knew her parents' impressive careers in the fashion industry. Linda had been a top executive with the Liz Claiborne company. David had owned a garment trim and apparel business.

German thought it was a "phenomenal idea."

"While there is some adaptive clothing in the marketplace, it's simply not adaptive enough for a person living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia," German said. "Linda despised having something pulled over her head. Dressing her, sometimes three to five times a day, was often a struggle and a fight."

A new, innovative clothing line of dementia-friendly clothes is now born: Linda Larsen NYC (lindalarsennyc.com) will soft launch this month.

"From a design perspective, this challenge required out-of-the-box thinking. We pulled solutions from other areas to make this work.

We wanted to create easy, comfortable, styled yet familiar clothing," German said.

 

Here's what distinguishes it from other lines:

Ease of use:

Garments are designed to reduce the time and stress of changing. This benefits the person with Alzheimer's and the caregiver.

Comfort and dignity:

All tops are made to be easily put on and taken off from either side, with snaps. Nothing goes over the head.

Functional design:

Pants slip on and close with two zippers.

Health monitoring:

Fabric is treated with a moisture-activated "invisible ink," revealing a pattern when wet.
This function allows the caregiver to be alerted to a wet brief or bathroom emergency, which reduces the chance of UTIs and other infections.

Safety features:

Every garment comes with an inside pocket to hold a removable tracking device that alerts the caregiver if the person starts wandering (device sold separately).

Personal touch:

Most garments have a pocket to hold a comforting memento, such as a photograph or a cherished keepsake, for redirection of the person's attention.

Initial Linda Larsen NYC offerings include pants, long- and short-sleeved shirts and a short-sleeved, simple dress. Each piece of clothing is designed not only with Alzheimer's in mind, but with Linda herself in mind.

"We hope these innovative changes in apparel make your day-to-day a bit easier," German said. A positive affirmation is on every garment that reads: "We are here for your journey."

Linda Larsen NYC welcomes caregiver feedback on the designs and your individual needs as the team works to continue to improve the line.

"You live and you learn. This is a dream come true for me, to be able to do something positive in Linda's memory," German said.

Check out LindaLarsenNYC.com to order.