Energy Economy - Wardrobe Considerations For The Chronically Ill Part 1

The subject of clothing might seem frivolous but spending some time on it can make a difference in your energy expenditure.  It can cut down on pain, discomfort, energy used dressing, energy used fretting about your appearance, sorting time, emotional energy, and the list goes on.

I am a girl who likes working on/ thinking about her wardrobe.  But this has less to do with fashion and style and more to do with dressing practically for your illness.  It can still be fun and you can still be into fashion even with these practical suggestions.

The Issue of Clothes and Chronic Illness

1.   Seriously consider your wardrobe in the light of your illnesses.  Ask yourself:

•    Where do I spend the most time – bed, home, outside of the home, work? 

•    What constraints does my illness put on me?  Do I need comfortable clothes for being in bed most of the time?  Do I sweat a lot, have difficulty doing up buttons or bending over, do my legs swell, does my whole body swell, have I gained or lost weight, do I have pain anywhere that is exacerbated by pressure (bra, waistband, socks, tight pants, etc…)?  Do I get very cold or hot?

•    How often can I do laundry?  Not at all?  Every four weeks?  Every week?  Can I (or will I) iron?  Can I (or will I) dry clean?  Can I (or will I) sew?

The answers to these questions should help you understand what sort of clothes you need.   Once you understand what you need you can look through your wardrobe to see what you have.  Then search for what you need to acquire. 

As an example:  I need a plenty of cute and comfortable PJ's and lounge clothes because I am mostly at home in bed.  I can't do laundry every week, which is why I need more PJ's than others might.  I need my clothes to accommodate sweating (due to illness) and my inability to wear bra’s at home (due to heart issues).  I need them to be comfortable, easy to put on, easy to launder, and for the most part require no ironing.

 Of course I also need, and have, going out clothes.  But I don’t need as many and they last a lot longer.  Despite that, I need most of them to match the above specifications.  

Due to your personal set of specifications you may be able to shop in department store, or order standard clothing online.  Or you might need special clothing designed for specific limitations.

Here are some interesting sites discussing various symptoms we may need our clothes to accommodate.  

Vintage Clothing for Chronically Ill and Special Needs Individuals.This site helps you keep in mind what to consider when thinking about clothes.  The writer is a lover of vintage clothes, but the suggestions and observations work with modern clothes too.  Great article.

I'm Not a Slob, I have an Invisible Illness.
How to Dress Less for Pain.  Specifically written for Fibromyalgia, but again, useful for many individuals.  Check out the hundreds of comments as well.
Excessive Underarm Sweat - What to Wear.

Also check out this pinterest page.

And, these are some websites with access to specialty clothing.


Kleinerts - clothing designed for heavy sweaters.  For men and women.
Fashionable Adaptive Clothing.  Designed for individuals in wheelchairs.  It has links to 10 different sites.  For men, women, and children.
Healing Threads.  "The lovely and comfortable alternative to a hospital gown."  For women.

Golden Violin.  Helpful Products for Independent Living.


2.   All of your clothes should be presentable and look good on you.

This really just cuts down on stress and energy expenditure.  If someone drops by you are presentable (even in PJ's or sweat pants) and look good enough so there is no reason to be embarrassed.  If you get rid of all clothes that are ratty or which you don’t look good in everything left will be a presentable option.  And, because you have given attention to point one, they fit your illness and are all comfortable to wear.  It is the best of both worlds, comfort and beauty.

Keep in mind that you do not need to spend lots of money in order to have clothes that suit your illness and are presentable.  You likely already have most, or a lot, of what you need.  Coping with illness can put a serious strain on your income.  I completely get that.   Presentable does not mean expensive.

Giving attention to these two points might require a lot of time and thought and work and trying on at first.  You may not be up to it right away.  But in the long run it cuts down on anxiety and the energy required to get dressed (then change 5 times, or worse, feel uncomfortable all day).  Ultimately it results in a more peaceful ‘clothing your body’ experience.  And that must be good for our health.

Coming up: Energy Economy- Wardrobe Considerations Part 2.  We will have at least 6 more practical suggestion for saving energy on your wardrobe.

In the meantime, do you have any suggestions to share or thoughts on the above?  Won’t you tell us?

You might also enjoy:
Our other Energy Economy posts - observations on how to deal with food, shopping, people, cleaning, leaving the house, etc... while dealing with a chronic illness.
Coping with Chronic Illness - It's OK to Grieve Your Losses
Coping with Chronic Illness - Knowledge is power
Coping with Chronic Illness - Cultivate Other Interests
And Coping with Chronic Illness - the friendship series - especially Part 3 - How To Be A Good Friend While Chronically Ill.