AN IRISH MOTHER who couldn’t find adaptive clothing for her child with additional needs has started a company to make her own.

Mother of two, Aoife Cotter, has just launched Born Zippy, a clothing company that specialises in making key clothing items that meet the specific needs of children like her son Ted.

Cotter was inspired to start the company after struggling to find suitable clothing for her 8-year-old son Ted, who has Down Syndrome and autism: “I found out the hard way about just how challenging night time can be for children with autism – and nobody warned me what was coming.”

In Ireland today, there are children sleeping in clothes that don’t meet their basic needs.

“Parents are lying awake at night managing preventable crises simply because adaptive sleepwear isn’t routinely available.”

Their first collection offers onesie pyjamas to help prevent night-time undressing and swimwear for boys and girls with matching, reusable swim nappies. 

Cotter makes no bones about the very real need she is addressing, and one with which she has first-hand experience. When it comes to dealing with night-time toileting and comfort, she said, “smearing is an issue so many families face”.

She continued,

When a child removes their nappy due to sensory curiosity, it can quickly become habitual. Wearing typical pyjamas offers no defence to this, and the outcome can be distressing for all involved.

The company launched this week, with today marking World Down Syndrome Day. Its mission is to support children like Ted and his peers in self-dressing, self-care, and independence. It offers clothing for children aged 4-10 and while the range is primarily the hero Zippy onesie, and funky swimsuits for boys and girls, with matching, reusable, swim nappies, other products will hopefully be in the pipeline.

Lucy Hayles in her Born Zippy swimsuit Born Zippy Born Zippy

Cotter said pyjamas like she has designed could not be found in Ireland.

“I found them overseas – but was horrified by how basic and bland they were. Not only did I have to wait ages to get it, he was left wearing pyjamas no child would want to wear.”

Even though inclusive design is a much-discussed and adopted concept, with pioneers like Ireland’s Sinead Burke leading the way in highlighting the gap for disabled people navigating a world not built for them, Cotter found adaptive clothing is still not something easily accessed by Irish consumers.

“My son is part of a huge community of kids with additional needs, and it quickly became very clear how so many of us are in a similar situation. The more I researched, the more I realised how lacking the supply is for children’s adaptive clothing. When I spoke to other parents, they were dealing with the same issues — whether it was pyjamas or other daily essentials. I’m determined to make clothing for children with additional needs a priority, not an afterthought.”

Ted in his Born Zippy nightwear Born Zippy Born Zippy

One of these parents is Naomi Britton, mum to Lily, 4. She said: “My daughter Lily has a very rare syndrome called Kabuki syndrome, meaning her whole life has been a series of challenges and intense learning for us as new parents.

“Everyday things and milestones that other parents may take for granted, take months or years for us to work on, such as putting on her coat, even getting through a night without her unzipping her pajamas or to the ongoing saga of potty training.

Recently, I had to buy a simple piece of adaptive clothing for my daughter from the UK, and the shipping and customs alone added over €30 to it.

“So it is amazing to see an Irish company provide high quality clothing, that not only includes all children but look great and fun.”

Diane Prendergast, whose daughter Lucy is modelling one of the Born Zippy swimsuits further up in this article, said the outfit is already giving her more reassurance bringing Lucy into the water; and more dignity and comfort to Lucy.

She said: “The swimwear makes a difference as it’s very hard to find swim nappies in bigger sizes in the supermarket. The colours of the swimsuits are fab and the material very comfortable. The matching swim pant is very absorbent; even after an hour in hydrotherapy, I barely have to wring it out when we’re getting dressed to go home.”

All Born Zippy products are made using chemical-free fabrics, and are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified, meaning they are ethically produced. The brand’s materials are soft, breathable, and comfortable, with thoughtful details such as external tags that can be removed easily for children with sensory sensitivities — or kept for those who enjoy them. The swimwear offers UPF50+ sun protection and chlorine and seawater resistance.

Born Zippy are working with Change Clothes in Dublin to help families access their products locally. They offer clothing swaps, workshops and talks to make clothing reuse, creative, social, and accessible.

Mary Fleming from Change Clothes said: “Supporting the development of this brand has been a powerful reminder that sustainability works best when it’s built in from the start.

“The process was dynamic and demanding, but it resulted in a childrenswear product that proves zero-waste design can be both attractive and achievable.”

• Born Zippy products can be purchased from the company’s website. You can follow Aoife and Born Zippy’s journey here.