CD: Hi Jade! Please introduce yourself…
JM: Hello my name is Jade McClelland and I’m from a town called Johnston not that far from Glasgow. I’m currently still in full time education. I have Achondroplasia, the most common form of Dwarfism.
Lovely to meet you! We’d love to know, what is your favourite piece of clothing and why?
My favourite piece of clothing is blazers, because you can dress them up or down and they also come in different styles and colours. My favourite colour would have to be fawn.
We had to google that colour but we now love it too! And what are your go-to shops?
I tend to shop in Zara because I like the quality of the clothing but I also like to shop online on pretty little thing because they have a wide range of clothing to choose from. Personally I just love to shop.
So you’re a true high-street girl! Great, and what do you look for when you’re shopping for new clothes?
I always look for something that is comfy, stylish and that fits well.
Great tip, we know that alterations can be pricey, often costing the same as the garment itself or more! Is there anything you’d love to wear but feel you can’t?
My top challenges with clothing are trousers, I would love to find a pair of trousers/jeans that fit like a glove (I even find it hard to get gloves to fit). I would love to wear a nice stylish dress, it’s difficult to find one because of their shape and length.
Jeans/trousers can be such a pain-point for so many women, especially in the LP community. We’re actually developing the perfect pair of stretch, skinny jeans for short stature women right now because we know that average-height jeans need so much altering to fit the LP body type. And what do you know about sustainable fashions and does that inform your buying decisions?
Its hard nowadays to find clothes that are sustainable due to the ever-changing fashion and keeping up with the latest trends. I always try to pass on or recycle my clothes.
Ah that’s fair enough, sustainability is such a broad topic and it can be hard to understand sometimes; that’s why at CDF we like to educate our customers about where clothing comes from and who makes it - we also believe in designing stylish, desirable pieces in natural fibres so you can be sure to purchase something you love without having to think of the ecological consequence on the earth.
If you could say one thing to today’s fashion designers, what would it be?
One thing I would like to see fashion designers show in the future is representation of more people with disabilities modelling for their brands.
Yes! We couldn’t agree more, designers need to have a wider lens when looking for their custom base or their ‘muse’ women are made in all different shapes and sizes so they need to learn to accommodate for that. And where do you look for style inspiration?
I look for inspiration on Instagram and from fashion influencers.
Instagram is so great for style inspiration! And lastly, what style tips do you have for other young women with a simile body type to you?
My styling tips would be to wear something that makes you feel good good and try not to be influenced by other peoples opinions.
