When lymphedema sufferers at Princess Margaret Hospital's (PMH) Breast Cancer Survivorship Program reported the difficulties the swelling of their arms and increased risk of infection posed when donning clothing and accessories, the Hospital recruited Ryerson University researchers to engineer a solution.
Sandra Tullio-Pow and Sue Barnwell, Professors in Ryerson's School of Fashion, collaborated with Dr. Joyce Nyhof-Young at PMH in a multi-phase research project to address the special apparel needs of the 10 to 30 per cent of breast cancer survivors affected by this chronic condition. Largely conducted through focus groups drawn from the Survivorship Program, the research identified their specific needs and field-tested the resulting designs.
"We were surprised at how challenging basic apparel was for lymphedema patients-how limited their manual dexterity was," said Tullio-Pow, whose background is in functional apparel design. "They told us that they can't fasten a button, or easily detach Velcro and they worry about a metal zipper scratching their skin and causing infection. Once we knew what they needed, the solutions were fairly easy to generate."
Focusing on style, comfort and performance, the team designed an innovative purse for these women. A modular bag, with a hidden built-in sling for arm comfort, the purse features a wide adjustable strap for even weight distribution at the shoulder, long easy to grasp zipper tabs, and lobster claw hardware to attach the modules. Perfect for hands-free carrying, the modules also attach to a body-contoured belt. The design supports versatile styling flexibility, opening the door to various material fabrication and colour combinations.
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.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
