For older adults experiencing changes in mobility, motor skills, or cognition, something as routine as getting dressed can become a daily challenge. However, clothing designed to make that process easier has traditionally prioritized function over fashion.
Joe & Bella is working to change that. Founded in 2020, the adaptive apparel company creates clothing that discreetly incorporates features such as magnetic closures and easier-access designs while still looking like something customers would choose to wear.
At the heart of the company’s approach is a simple idea: Adaptive clothing should accommodate changing abilities without defining the person wearing it. Thanks to this philosophy, Joe & Bella was recognized as the Top Honoree in The Disruptors category of the 2026 CO—100, an awards program for small businesses hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
[Read more: Meet the 2026 CO—100 Honorees]
Designing adaptive clothing people actually want to wear
Joe & Bella was inspired by co-founder Jimmy Zollo’s experiences with older adults and families navigating the realities of aging. From the beginning, the company saw an opportunity to approach adaptive apparel differently.
“Most adaptive clothing is designed like it is ashamed of itself: oversized Velcro, institutional colors, and products buried in the back of a medical catalog,” Zollo said. “Too often, the message to the person wearing it is clear: you are a patient now. We think that is both dehumanizing and bad business.”
Joe & Bella instead aims to make adaptive functionality virtually invisible. Magnetic fasteners can sit behind conventional-looking buttons, for instance, allowing someone with arthritis to put on a dress shirt one-handed without making the garment look noticeably different. Similarly, its flagship CareZips® pant uses an innovative three-zipper design to simplify dressing and toileting for both independent wearers and caregivers.
Achieving that balance is complicated because there is no single adaptive customer. Arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, surgery recovery, wheelchair use, and cognitive changes can each create different dressing needs—and solving one problem can introduce another.
“The belief underneath all of it is simple: older adults still have taste,” Zollo said. “They want to look like themselves, and they will pay for clothing that looks good and genuinely works.”
[Read more: 10 Clothing-Inspired Small Business Ideas]
Spotlight On
Joe & Bella
Joe & Bella, Inc., is an adaptive apparel company creating stylish, easy-to-wear clothing that helps older adults and individuals with changing mobility, motor, or cognitive abilities dress with greater comfort, confidence, and dignity. Inspired by the founder's experience watching his grandmother struggle to get dressed after moving into memory care, the company reimagined adaptive clothing to prioritize both function and style. Its innovative designs, including a patented three-zipper pant that simplifies dressing for both independent wearers and caregivers, address everyday challenges without sacrificing personal expression. Designed by a former Lululemon designer with input from fashion leaders behind brands such as Juicy Couture and Kenneth Cole, Joe & Bella combines premium fashion with practical innovation. The company serves families caring for aging loved ones as well as senior living and memory care communities, helping make one of life's most difficult transitions easier while proving that adaptive clothing can be both beautiful and empowering.
When the people closest to the problem stop accepting the status quo and decide to build with you instead, that is a powerful signal that the category is ready to change.Jimmy Zollo, Co-Founder of Joe & Bella
Bringing product development into the real world
Rather than assuming what customers need, Joe & Bella treats apparel development as an ongoing research process.
Zollo and his co-founder previously built a consumer insights business, and they brought that research background to Joe & Bella. The company partnered with AARP’s AgeTech Collaborative, conducted surveys and one-on-one interviews with older adults and caregivers, and, importantly, began testing prototypes in senior living and memory care communities.
“We brought prototypes into senior living and memory care communities and watched residents and care teams dress with them,” Zollo said. “That exposed problems we could never have caught in a focus group.”
That feedback loop has shaped products including magnetic button-down shirts, the redesigned CareZips® pant, and a zipper hoodie with a magnetic latch for people who struggle with conventional zippers. Customer feedback has also prompted the company to adjust garment sizing and rethink closures and accessibility features.
The process intentionally remains iterative. As Zollo put it, “The wearer and caregiver ultimately decide whether a design succeeds—not us.”
[Read more: 5 Steps to Identify New Products and Services]
Proving demand for a different approach
Joe & Bella’s unique approach has helped the company expand beyond direct-to-consumer sales into institutional partnerships. It now supplies organizations including Mayo Clinic, SpinLife, and Eugeria, while continuing to build relationships with senior living and memory care communities.
One such relationship is with Koelsch Communities, whose Innovation Lab works on challenges associated with aging. Residents and care teams at Koelsch’s Chicago-area memory care communities have tested Joe & Bella prototypes during everyday activities, helping the company redesign closures and rethink entire garments.
“When the people closest to the problem stop accepting the status quo and decide to build with you instead, that is a powerful signal that the category is ready to change,” Zollo said.
The commercial results offer another signal. Joe & Bella reported roughly 81% revenue growth from 2024 to 2025, with revenue through the first five months of 2026 running 86% ahead of the same period the previous year.
As a CO—100 Disruptors Top Honoree, Joe & Bella is demonstrating that innovation in adaptive apparel doesn't have to call attention to what someone can no longer do. Instead, it can start with what customers have always expected from their clothes: to feel comfortable, capable, and like themselves.
[View the full 2026 CO—100 list]
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