Fashion, looking good, and feeling good is more important than ever. YouTube influencers and budget fashion labels help you express yourself no matter your income or experience level. But if you were born with a condition, injured in an accident, or were the victim of a crime, you may not be in a position to make the most of dressing tips if you are disabled or with limited dexterity.
Dressing Stick
Being in a wheelchair, experiencing back issues, or missing a limb, dressing is a challenge. Dressing requires the full use of your body in some cases, and you may not be able to reach it. A dressing stick features hooks so you can grab your pants, shirt, arms, and underwear. Dressing sticks are robust and take some getting used to. But once you learn how to use it correctly, you will keep your dignity and reduce your dependency on others while putting on your favorite dress suit. There are numerous brands available at pretty low prices.
Shoe Horn
The shoe horn is nothing new and has been around since 1852. It is also a straightforward device. Shoe Horns helps you slide your foot into your shoes. However, the simplicity of the shoehorn belies its usefulness. A smooth and curved design makes it easy to slip inside your pairs and aids your feet in getting in and out of tight-fitting shoes. Initially, the shoe horn was a small device and only usable by those who could reach down. Modern designs consider disabilities, and long-handled shoe horns are available. You can also buy shoe horn attachments for your dressing stick.
Bra Holder
Dandy in the Bronx is a menswear site, yet it would be unfair to exclude women when it comes to writing about disabled dressing aids. But then, there’s the possibility that you are transgender and disabled. Either way, fitting a bra can be a nightmare if you are limited in how you can move or only use one hand. Bra holders like Bra Angel are excellent for helping with this. Like the shoe horn, bra holders are very simple yet genius. You place the device around your neck while a joke holds one strap so you can fit the other. You can also remove bras the same way.
Zipper Pull
Many trousers come with too small zips, and these can be tricky for those with full use of their body. For people with limited dexterity and mobility, this is highly frustrating. Fortunately, you can attach zipper pulls to your zips which makes them easier to grab. You might find it easier to grasp with your hands, and the larger reduces the pulling power of maneuvering a zip. Additionally, the larger holes of a zip pull accommodate common disability aids like your dressing stick so that you can reduce your dependence on others in vulnerable situations.
Exclusive Disabled Fashion
The past few years have seen a significant social shift in the way people are portrayed and viewed. While we still have a long way to go, the change towards inclusivity has been rapid. Today you will see people with skin conditions on cosmetic TV ads, disabled supermodels, and an increased number of those from ethnic or minority backgrounds in popular media. As part of this, some fashion labels design ranges focus on the disabled. Some of the best include Able2Wear, Adaptawear, The Able Label, Rackety’s, and M&S clothing.
Thanks for reading and y’all stay dandy.
-Diego
Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more menswear inspiration.
(Some of these links may contain affiliate links, so that means if you click and buy something, I get a cut. It helps keep the site going! Full Disclosure)