Innovative Attire for All

Posted on April 18th, 2024

Introducing befree, LLC

{A Business Success Story}

Nikki Puzzo and Joanne DiCamillo are the masterminds behind an innovative adaptable clothing company called befree. Their inclusive fashions have brought relief, dignity and smiles to thousands of people around the world who have difficulties getting dressed each day—making their creations the epitome of stress-free fashion.

befree’s zipOns consider usability and functionality for those who must go through surgery, wear braces, casts, or medical equipment, or have a disability. Whether it be the full zippers spanning waist to hem, or the ability for users to put the pants on in a sitting, standing, or laying down position, zipOns provide a classic and stylish look without compromising comfort and ease while dressing.

“befree’s zipons consider usability and functionality for those who must go through surgery, wear braces, casts, or medical equipment, or have a disability.”

These inclusive fashions have brought relief, dignity & smiles to people worldwide.

Meet the masterminds behind befree

Nikki is from Norwell, MA. She has a license in Social Work and worked at Genzyme for 10 years before starting a family. Nikki is married with two teenage girls, Chloe and Stella, and a dog Benji. Nikki founded a non-profit called Stepping Stones for Stella, which donates buggies to families of children with special needs to assist with getting on and off the beach and going over tough terrain.

The non-profit was inspired by their daughter who has spastic quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. Nikki is also co-owner of an adaptive clothing line called befree, LLC also inspired by Stella after undergoing double hip surgery at the age of 5. Nikki enjoys being active with running skiing but mostly loves spending time with family and friends.

Joanne is from Bloomfield, CT. She has a teenage daughter, Mia, and two crazy chihuahuas. She ran a family restaurant in Italy for two years and later worked as a project manager for both the financial and healthcare industries. She transitioned to a freelance production artist after Mia was born in 2007. In 2015, she became Co-Owner of befree, LLC.

Co-owners, Nikki Puzzo & Joanne DiCamillo

What’s your inspiring story?

Nikki: Having children is life altering; and having a child with a disability is world altering. Stella was born at 31 weeks and spent about two months in the NICU. At the age of 8 months old, Stella was given a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. We spent the first three years of Stella’s life in and out of doctor appointments and therapy sessions. Cerebral Palsy is lack of oxygen to the brain in utero, during delivery or even after a child is born. Cerebral effects so many different parts of someone’s body based on the brain damage. It can effect someone’s speech, vision, only one side of the body, behavior and learning abilities. Stella has spastic quadriplegia which means she has high muscle tone in all four of her limbs.

My challenges with Stella have been both big and small, but one in particular led to the creation of a product capable of helping Stella and many others in similar situations. Stella uses a wheelchair and a walker to move around her world. At the age of 5, Stella underwent double hip surgery leaving her in casts with a bar in between to set her hips in place. Stella’s hip surgery required a three-month recovery in a bilateral spica cast with a bar. Among the many questions I asked the doctors and nurses at Boston Children’s Hospital was one that seemed simple – where could I find pants that would fit over Stella’s casts for the next three months? Astoundingly, there was no answer. The hospital suggested blankets, dresses, and large t-shirts, but as a mother, I could not imagine Stella feeling so exposed and self-conscious along with all the other struggles already looming in her recovery.

So, I decided to make my own. I bought a pair of pajama pants, cut open the outer seam, and replaced the stitching with Velcro that could open and close on the outside of the pants over Stella’s casts. The results were amazing. Stella felt instantly more comfortable and at ease with the many visitors at their house and at her numerous medical appointments.

Joanne: I was at Nikki’s house one day visiting with her after Stella’s surgery when she showed me the pants she had made. I was shocked that there were no pants like them already on the market and even more so when I learned that there were hardly any adaptive clothing options available in general. I became very impassioned by this lack of adaptive clothing and the simplicity of the design that was so impactful for Stella.

My mom, Josephine, is an amazing sewer and I knew she could easily make a few more pairs for Stella. After seeing how these pants were able to transform Stella’s recovery, it became clear that we were on to something that could help so many others. Friends, family and medical staff were all amazed by the pants that were so novel. It is very inspiring to see something so simple make such a huge difference. And makes you want to share it with the world. So Nikki and I decided to do just that and formed befree, LLC.

Nikki & Joanne: The original vision was to create pants that could be opened from the sides instead of pulled up over the legs. We had limited financial resources, but knew we had to work on evolving the design of the pants and bring the idea to market.

We started with an athletic pant design, trying to capture the best combination of style and function while capitalizing on the popularity of athleisure wear. More product testing followed and led to several design changes, first from Velcro to snaps, then from snaps to snap tape and finally to zippers. We found that the Velcro did not hold up well in the wash and the snaps were too cumbersome, but that zippers were functional and stylish.

We figured out the functional aspect of zipOns and the next step was tackling how to make the pants look good. We tried multiple zipper weights and went through multiple redesign phases to finally nail down the aesthetics we were looking for. So, we applied for design and utility patents in the fall of 2018. The design patent was granted in February 2019, and the utility patent remains pending.

“Inclusion is at the core of all that we do, and we are excited to give back to the community.”

In 2018, befree was one of 400 companies chosen to join the MassChallenge Boston accelerator program out of 1,600 applicants. We were chosen again in the semi-final round of presentations and became one of 128 finalists. The program provided invaluable networking opportunities and mentoring to help us develop our brand and business strategy and further demonstrated our huge potential for success.

To further develop the design, we consulted with a nursing director at Mass General Hospital, who provided some crucial insight into the concerns of her patients with paralysis and limited sensation. She explained that it was vital that the zipper did not irritate the skin in any way that could potentially lead to infection. Based on the new information, we continued to make design adaptations, adding a flange of fabric in the interior that covered the zipper completely from waist to hem and a tab at the top of the waist similar to those used in jackets and coats to protect the neck.

And, like many small businesses, befree was stalled and production halted for much of 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Manufacturing resources and supplies were very limited at the time due to nationwide shutdowns, but we knew we couldn’t give up. We made sure the company stayed on track and were able to resume production. The current versions of zipOns for both children and adults launched in the beginning of 2022.

What else should readers know?

Nikki & Joanne: are stylish and versatile pants that make dressing easier for those living with disabilities or short-term mobility challenges due to injuries, surgery, or other medical conditions. Our patented design makes dressing and undressing safer, easier and more comfortable. zipOns open and unzip completely on both sides of the legs with zippers spanning waist to hem. They can be put on and taken off easily while standing, lying down, or from a sitting position without pulling up through the legs like traditional pants. zipOns open from the bottom as needed to accommodate casts, braces and other medical equipment, making them ideal for post-surgery and injury recovery.

zipOns youth and adult pants are made with a soft, moisture-wicking polyester fabric, and available in a Lightweight and Heavyweight version. They have an elastic waist and the zippers are covered in the interior with a full-length flange and a zipper garage at the waist, preventing contact and ensuring maximum comfort. Youth pants have a drawcord at the waist to ensure a good fit and the adult pants also have deep front pockets.

We just added Adult Shorts in January with the same full length zippers on the sides and we are in the development stage of zippered leggings that will function just like our current zipOns. Next up are joggers, jeans and dress pants.