“For God’s sake, dress your age!” – this is a statement often meted out to seniors. But must fashion cease to exist if you advance in age? Can’t elders dress in style and make their own fashion statement? Of course, they can! If age is just a number and if it depends on the state of mind, most elders are younger than we are. So let us a take a look at some fashionable clothing for senior citizens and some elderly fashion designs that help them age gracefully.
How should the clothing for senior citizens be?
Senior clothing has to be selected with care to offer the elder the maximum comfort and convenience, using the following guidelines.
- Clothing for senior citizens must be soft, comfortable and gentle on the skin.
- They should be slightly loose so as to give them a convenience in wearing them. Loose fitting clothes are also easy to dress and undress.
- Elastic should be provided at the waist for men’s pants and for women’s skirts.
- Too many buttons, zips and fasteners should be avoided.
- Deep necks and open collars can be avoided to keep out the cold during winter.
- Winter clothing should be woollen supplemented by shawls, cardigans or pullovers.
- Summer clothing should be light and preferably in cotton.
Apart from normal clothing for seniors, special adaptive clothing for an assisted living lifestyle is also available.
Clothes for seniors in an assisted living lifestyle
Seniors who follow an assisted living lifestyle are usually aged citizens with physical disabilities or infirmity. Elders living in senior living communities must wear clothing that is easily washable, durable and easily maintained. A unique type of designing and stitching is required to cater to elders with special needs.
- Aged citizens with decreased mobility like arthritis patients need special clothing to help them move their limbs freely without restriction.
- Elders with urinary incontinence need open back pants and Velcro fastening to facilitate quick removal.
- Seniors confined to wheelchairs require easy-wear paints with elastic at the waist.
- Elderly women with senior health issues may need open back nightgowns and dresses.
- All elders may need slip-resistant footwear.
- Seniors with foot problems may need extra-wide shoes with Velcro.
- Elders suffering from paralysis may need 2-way zipper pants with provision to insert catheters.
- Elderly patients with muscular dystrophy need pen back vests and shirts, easy access pants and even adult bibs used for feeding.
- Parkinson’s patients can use magnetic shirts that just latch on when you wear them without using hands.
- Seniors with Alzheimer’s and Dementia may need single-piece apparel like anti-strip jumpsuits and undergarments that prevent them from getting disrobed easily.
All elderly clothing must be designed to maintain the dignity and comfort of the seniors at all times. Such clothes may not be available in all elderly fashion catalogues and might need special designing. But all senior living communities do provide comfortable and easily wearable clothing for elders to maximize their convenience.
How to select clothes for seniors?
While selecting clothes for seniors, comfort and care are given the first preference. But dignity and fashion too, need to be taken into account as all along, elders have been dressing in style to grace their offices and homes. They must continue to do so even if they adopt an assisted living lifestyle. So keep in mind these simple pointers while selecting clothes for seniors.
- Choose clothes for seniors keeping their dress preferences in mind.
- Select clothing that goes well with their physique and complexion.
- Clothes must fit snugly and make elders feel cosy and comfortable.
- Select clothes in a style that elevates the spirits of elders and make them feel better about themselves.
Dressing up for seniors can become an arduous task with age. Help them find some interest in it by supporting them and selecting fashion outfits that complement their age. Be it at home or in senior living communities, let elders dress up in style and live with dignity.
