Clothes adapt to patients’ needs

When people are dealing with illness or injuries, the last thing they need is to struggle with their clothes.

Happy Cloud is a line of adaptive clothing, which can be changed and adjusted to fit medical needs. For example, shirts can unsnap to allow nurses access to IVs and casts.

The clothing line was created by Nicholas Lalueza, who has lived in Vernon for about 30 years.

“It’s for hospital patients, long-term care or post-surgery clothing that adapts to your medical needs. For example, it separates into two pieces with hidden plastic snaps, so that you can get dressed if you have a medical device attached to you,” he said.

“You can use the snap to ensure where you need to or unsnap into two pieces and place the person into it or gently around whatever part of the body that they had surgery or such on, and you can easily snap it back up.”

Products sold by Happy Cloud include T-shirts, IV covers and accessories.

Lalueza started making clothes as a teenager in Union City. “I’ve been into making clothing since I was 17 years old. I started selling clothes out of my high school locker.”

He later earned an associate degree in business administration from Sussex County Community College.

Lalueza has sold his clothing in stores, such as Jimmy Jazz and Dr. Jay’s. His clothing has been worn by notable music artists, including Bow Wow, Kendrick Lamar and YG.

Lalueza started the clothing line when he discovered a lack of options in the market. “Adaptive clothing was such an open market, and I was surprised that no one else really thought of it and the people that I did see start to dab their hands into it were missing the point.”

He also was inspired by the challenges his parents faced during a hospital stay. “I was trying to dress my dad with an IV one day. He had a hard time getting a T-shirt on because he had an IV on him.”

His experience as a volunteer and while working at a hospital helped him develop the clothing.

The lack of public knowledge is the biggest challenge for the brand.

“People know or look for this clothing based on their diagnosis or illness, so for example, if you just had shoulder surgery, you’re going to look for shoulder surgery T-shirts, and not adaptive clothing.

“That’s our biggest thing, just letting people know we exist because this is still new.”

Lalueza is working on new products for the line. “Right now, I’m working on as we speak, sweatpants, getting sweatpants samples in that are adaptive, that can separate into two pieces and make it easy for nurses to change adult diapers or people getting dressed with casts or leg braces.

“I’m also working on wheelchair gloves and hoodies and bags.”