Hugging shows emotion and is a basic animal instinct. We are a social tribe and we need each other. It has been established that hugging releases Oxytocin which is a hormone that was discovered in 1906. It plays a role in social bonding and is associated with happiness. Hugging makes us feel wanted and it enhances the trust between one another. When physical contact between people is reduced or taken away it has physical, mental and emotional consequences. Even lack of a platonic physical touch eg. shaking a colleague's hand, can lead to a sense of loneliness and social isolation. Lack of physical contact compounded with the fear of contamination is a rapidly growing health concern amongst friends, families and communities around the world.

Thinking how I could achieve this for my mother and indeed thousands of people like her was the inspiration behind creating this design. Having studied Dress & Design at school I combined both aspects of my medical background and my creativity to produce a versatile and multifunctional coat that would provide an additional barrier and reduce the chance of infections without restricting her freedom. This was the core objective of the design and hence the slogan too. ' HUGSIE - Protect The Ones You Care For '  And so ...this is for you mum ❤️

It is a wonderful feeling being able to give my mum a hug again as I always have done when I see her. It just did not seem right and I felt very distant and sad when I couldn’t hug her the first time when I saw her during the restrictions. So now there is no barrier against hugging because I have created my own barrier that actually allows me to hug my mum without directly touching her. as well as keeping her as safe as possible from picking anything up on her clothes while she is out and about... Happy Days