#accessible clothes

[m-e-isannoying]

I've bought some new clothes now and I hope they're easier to put on than my current ones.

Finding accessible clothes was really hard though...

[m-e-isannoying]

Prepare for a long post on accessible clothing!

A while back I asked about everyone that could have ideas about this about what could be accessible clothing for me. I got some really good answers and a few own ideas, so here you go:

What I need from my clothes:

Possible to be dressed/ undressed in my bed, preferably while lying on my back and with not much turning or moving around

Has to be comfortable. I'm gonna sleep in this cause I can't change clothes multiple times a day. So also nice fabric.

Easy access for washing if not that easy to dress and undress

Comfortable while lying on my back and side

I need to be able to transfer to my wheelchair or the toilet in these clothes so just a blanket won't do

Should look nice, too

Jersey trousers.

Light and wide trousers in jersey fabric. Should consist of cotton or viscose.

Pros: Mostly easy to put on. You can get it in normal clothes stores/ websites. To me, they are very comfortable and usually don't trigger my touch sensitivity. Any movement is easy and won't expose anything you don't want exposed. Looks like basic clothes cause that's what it is.

Cons: You have to be turned around in bed up to two times to get the upper part in place. You have to basically completely undress for washing.

Wrapping skirts

Skirts that can be completely opened (usually with buttons) so that it turns into just a long fabric.

Pros: More or less easy to put on, if you do it correctly you only need to turn once. Easiest possible access for washing. Looks really nice (I think) and there are many individual designs. Can be bought on regular clothing websites and some stores.

Cons: Turning around in bed and transfers are more complicated cause the skirt can move up. Might especially be a problem with transfer boards (haven't tried). This gets better with a longer skirt, but gravity doesn't work with you like it does for a standing person. Pretty comfortable, but for some people the buttons and decorations might be too much.

Open back shirt

Shirt that is basically cut open in the back so it looks like a bib with arms. It's held together by a button in the neck or a band. This is very similar to your usual hospital shirt, but looks better (some of them at least).

Pros: So so easy to be dressed and undressed with this. I can just stay on my back.

Neutral: Back is exposed, so I lie directly on my bed or my wheelchair. There are some shirts with open back that cover that hole though

Cons: Transfers might get awkward, cause if you bow down, a lot of skin is exposed. Same for when you lie on the side.

You can make this from many normal shirts by just cutting open the back vertically.

If you want to, please add your own experiences with accessible clothing. I will try to update this post as I try new stuff.

[inclusiveknits-blog]

The Open Style Lab provides individual clothing solution for people with disability. They also manage to create new products that serve a niche market with the integration of technology, functional and accessible elements. Key is to reach a contemporary design inspired by the end users.