Until recently, fashion and disability was pretty much an oxymoron. The clothing available for people with physical challenges called “health wear” was found in home medical supply stores next to other functional items like incontinence supplies and shower seats. The adapted clothing of yesteryear was the antithesis of fashionable; It lacked color, style, and the ability to express one’s individual personality. And is a big reason for DIY adaptive clothing today.
Despite the fact that 40 million people in the U.S have a disability, and more than 14 million of them have difficulty with dressing, adapting clothing didn’t become a newsworthy thing until 2014, when a few regular people (Mindy Scheier of Runway of Dreams & Maura Horton of Magna Ready) inspired by their loved one’s struggles with dressing themselves, collaborated with mainstream designer Tommy Hilfiger on a line of adaptive clothing for people with disabilities.
Like many of you, I have been adapting my own fashion for years. In my post, Skinny Jeans & Leg Braces, I talk about the progression of my inherited neuromuscular disorder, Charcot-Marie-Tooth-Disease, and the traumatic day I received my first set of leg braces (called afos).
I’ll never forget the blank stare and shoulder shrug response I received when I inquired about where I could find fashionable shoes and clothing to fit over the bulky plastic monstrosities I’d been handed. The orthotist didn’t have a clue and shewed me out the door with a two season’s old orthotic shoe catalog in hand.
That was my introductory lesson on how the world valued fashion for people with disabilities; It was seen as unimportant and frivolous. I learned that day that if I wanted to prevent my disabilities from dictating my personal style, it was up to me to find my own shoe and fashion adaptations.
This is a big part of why I created Trend-Able.com.
Although there are now a growing number of brands designing for people with disabilities, (see my complete list of places to buy adaptive fashion) most of what’s out there is geared for children, wheelchair users, and the elderly. Not for me, Lainie Ishbia, an active, young in spirit, 48-year-old blogger mom & wife who happens to wear leg braces and has sucky hands.
And besides, I want to wear what I want to wear.
Until the unlikely day that every single brand offers adaptive fashion options on all their designs, I’ll continue to make my own adaptations. Ok, I know what you’re thinking…Of course, I’m not actually sewing or gluing this stuff myself. I mean, if I could do that, I could probably button a shirt right?
Of course, I outsource the actual sewing and hacking of my clothing to a local seamstress. In exchange for a few dollars (and a ton of referrals), she happily adds velcro, sews up buttons, and tells me I still look 30 … Admittedly, I do pay a tad extra for the ladder part.
Do you want to know some easy fashion hacks and modifications you can outsource too? If yes, welcome to my mini-course called, Adaptive Fashion 101:
If you have difficulty getting pants up and down, one easy solution is to have fabric loops sewn onto each side of the waistband. This discreet adaptation allows a person with hand weakness the leverage to pull them up by sliding his/her hands inside the loops.
Elastic waist pants are easier to pull up and down as they can stretch over hard to pull up areas (like my hips and thighs). One tip for finding fashionable styles of elastic waist pants that don’t look matronly or scream high school gym class is to shop at stores that specialize in athleisure-wear, like Athleta or Lululemon. There, I got my favorite pair of elastic waist pants (I have 5 pairs in every color) that fit over my leg braces. By cutting off the drawstring, they look dressier and can be worn outside of a gym.
Anyone with hand weakness knows that All Zippers Are Not Created Equal. One easy modification to a hard to grasp zipper is to attach a zipper extender. Zipper extenders are easy to make yourself or find.
If you choose to go the DIY route, you can simply attach a piece of nylon cording to the end of a zipper pull and make a small loop that’s easier to grab. For denim zippers, another DIY option is to attach a metal key ring to the zipper. You can also purchase pre-made decorative zipper pulls like a tassel one that look trendy and purposeful. For hard to reach areas like zippers found on the back shirts and jumpsuits, you can always remove the zipper completely and have it replaced with velcro.
When getting dressed independently is difficult, one of the first things people with disabilities tend to give up wearing are accessories. Putting on a necklace or bracelet is viewed as an extra and unnecessary frustration. But, it is the addition of a colorful necklace or fabulous heirloom piece that allows a person to show their personality and express who they are outside of having a disability. As discussed in a recent post on how to hack jewelry for people with hand problems, A simple modification for jewelry clasps found on necklaces and bracelet are magnetic attachments.
When you have poor fine motor skills and the lack of a pincher grip, earrings are nearly impossible to put on. But here too, there are a few options. If you’re a diamond stud kinda woman, you could just leave them in semi-permanently. I have a tiny nose ring (done on a whim in Vegas years ago) and have literally NEVER removed it. I use my go-to extra long cotton swabs to clean around it occasionally and honestly forget it’s there. But, if you’re a big hoop kinda girl like myself and like to change it up, I have found that lever back hoops are way easier to put on and don’t fall off.
For someone wanting the look of a button-down shirt but who has difficulty with buttoning, there are a couple of easy solutions. You could just sew the buttons shut and slip the shirt on overhead, or you can have velcro sewn along the button line. Both of these options leave the illusion of a button down shirt without the frustration. Of course, they do make buttoning tools that work well when you just have a few buttons to do. Velcro is also a great replacement for clothing pieces with snaps. Again you can leave the original hardware and simply add the velcro to the underside of the item.
I know that putting on socks is a big frustration for many people with disabilities. They do sell sock assist tools that might be helpful for people who have difficulty with bending and/or lifting their legs. Unfortunately, these tools do not look that helpful for people with a weak hand grasp.
In a recent post, I talked about how to make it easier to pull up socks using socks with loops or by going the DIY route and attaching loops to your socks of choice.
A huge frustration for women with disabilities is putting on brassieres. The adaptive bra options available are unattractive (look like nursing bras) and lack the lift and support most of us want. One option is to buy a great over the head no seam bra with support, or you modify a front closure bra by simply cutting off the closure and attaching either strong velcro or magnetic bra attachments.
In our Afo Fashion Guide download, there are several shoes and life hacks for people who wear afos/leg braces. Just because someone wears afos or orthotics does not necessarily mean they have to sneakers 24/7.
In posts like, Not Your Grandma’s Orthotic Shoes Post and Boots Are A Bitch, we give tips for what to look for when shopping for fashionable shoes to fit afos and orthotics and examples of shoes that are likely to work.
Here are a few of the highlights:
- Buy extra wide-width shoes at plus size stores
- Remove insoles
- Look for shoes with velcro, laces, or other adjustable type openings
- Glue foam insoles to braces in order to wear sandals without socks
- Buy boots in a size larger than regular shoe size.
- You can conceal afos (if desired) with many styles of denim and even adapt your old jeans to make them trendy.
Congratulations! You have completed the class and get the idea of thinking outside of the box when you have a disability. You are ready for the next level and would be an awesome addition to our Perfectly Imperfect Tribe. Please enjoy our “look good = feel good” calendar and join us in making this the year you are living your best life.
Do you have any great fashion hacks? What do you think of this post? I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments below.
LOVE THIS!!!! thank you!!! Keep it up!!!
Thanks Christina! ?
I am so excited about this site!! I’m dealing with hand weakness with spasms.I will look for the bra magnets. I have CMT as well,use a walker,and cane. You will be an insperation to me to me and other family members.
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment ! Welcome to the site and to our perfectly imperfect community. I am so happy to meet (virtually) another CMTer and I hope to get to know you via our FB page http://www.facebook.com/Lainieish
Please reach out anytime . ??
My husband has CP and he is having more of a struggle with dressing himself. I am thinking of altering his dress shirts so that he does not have to tuck them in. How does hemming the tails up so that they do not hang down sound? A couple of years ago, we went to elastic waitbands for his pants (no zippers or belts). But, now we need to work on the dress shirts. We cannot afford the outrageous prices of accessible clothing, so I need to alter them myself. I like the idea of Velcro or magnets replacing buttons. But I also need to make the shirts not have to be tucked in. Any advice or ideas? He is 48 years old and is having to use a power wheelchair more now.
Hi Randi,
Thank you so much for your message! I understand about the cost of accessible clothing. Below are some links to buttons that are actually magnets that you can add to his shirts. Obviously you couldpurchase shirts by Untuck it, or less expensive versions (link below) and use one as a template for the shirts he owns. I hope this helps! Lainie
https://shopstyle.it/l/bMpGk
https://shopstyle.it/l/bMpHh
Hi Linda,
I usually leave the drawstring completely tied and pull them up and down with elastic. If pants don’t already have elastic you can have a seamstress add elastic to any pants. I hope this helps
As modern women no longer have maids to dress them, the standard for bras should be front-closing. Strange they never adapted this from the old corset days, when well-to-do ladies had maids for lacing them up from the back, while poor women had corsets and waist cinchers that laced up in front.
Why do most bras come with the opening in the back? I don’t know any woman (and certainly not a young new bra-wearer) who thinks that the back closing is easy and comfortable. Many have to do it like a 10 yr old, clasping it and then spinning it around and pulling it up. It’s crazy that manufacturers can’t see that making a garment that requires a contortionist to put it on, is a design that can be improved upon.
Many women develop one or more frozen shoulders in their middle years. No way can you do up a rear closing bra when you can’t even move your hand further up your back than the back side of your hip.
ALL bras should come in front closing models, and some could include back closing if there were ever a need for that, based on clothing styles.
When are manufacturers going to stop this nonsense and give us bras we can take on and off, without having to reach over our heads (and those bras provide NO support), or reach up our backs to our shoulder blades?
I so agree with this! I have frozen shoulders and arthritis in my hands and putting on a bra is the most frustrating experience. A clasp on the front wold be so much easier than having to spin my bra around.
Hi,
I get it. I found the best new bra with a magnet in front. Please email me if interested info@box2387.temp.domains
Lainie,
Thank you for your continued great ideas and motivation. I have all but giving up on those accessories. lol Even my medical alert bracelet is a challenge – you’d think they would be more aware. Please keep the info coming.
This is so helpful, thank you! I don’t think clothing companies realize how many people with disabilities are looking for other options.
Thank you so much for reading. I agree & don’t think they realize how large the potential buying pool is
You don’t need to buy new bras with hooks in front. For years I have hooked my bras in front, then twisted them around so the cups are in front where I keep my boobs.
Lesley, thanks so much for reading. I do the same thing as you, but have learned that many people find that difficult and/or have little to no use of one hand. ?
The elastic tears at my skin as I try to spin my bra around. Elastic likes to stick to my skin, especially in that sensitive “under the breast” area. The area used to stay moist and I’d end up with sores because the skin was tender and the material moving wanted to take the skin with it.
Hack told to me from my gynecologist: get an UNSCENTED ANTI-PERSPIRANT to use only in the “crease areas”. I use it under my breasts, under my extra belly, and along the bikini line. I used the 48 hour Arm & Hammer Ultra Max. If I’m stuck in bed with severe pain the next day, that anti-perspirant is still working for day 2! While it tends to leave marks on the bottom front section of my bras, I haven’t had a fungal infection since using this stuff!! And if my skin starts to get sensitive, I pour a little apple cider vinegar on those areas while in the tub. No more infections!!
Laurie,
This is a fantastic hack that I will definitely share with others! Thanks so much !
Great ideas! A literal sore spot for me so this is quite helpful!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I’m really happy you found the post helpful. ?
I use a wheelchair 110%, Have ALS and cannot wear pants because I cannot lift my butt. Two hacks-
1. My seamstress friend used my own pants and cut off the section from upper thigh/crotch to waist. She sewed a seam at the top of the pant legs.
2. She used my dresses and cut a U shaped hole in the back.
I use a towel on my wheelchair seat which I change daily – just like underwear. Going to the bathroom and using the bidet are now effortless while using the Hoyer lift. Nobody would ever guess I’m going commando.
These are awesome hacks! Thanks so much for sharing,
Thank you so much for this. I have the use of only one hand and avoid wearing many items I love because they are too hard for me to put on myself. I had no idea they make those magnets for jewlery. This literally changed my life. Bless you.