How to Show Your Personal Style in a Wheelchair
If you use a wheelchair, other mobility aid, or medical equipment, you may find that people are looking at your equipment and not at you. Elsie Tellier has two fantastic videos on how to dress up yourself and your outfit, whether for reorienting people’s views or just for fun.
In the video above, she gives tips on wheelchair fashion. You will learn a few things:
- In a wheelchair, your legs are often more visible than when walking, so you have a great opportunity to wear fashionable shoes, including heels, which would be impractical if you had to walk all day.
- Skirts and shorts rise up when you sit, so plan your hem accordingly.
- If you push the wheels by hand, leather gloves can save your hands, and rubber bands (Livestrong style) can provide extra grip.
Her follow-up video expands on the idea of fashion for people with disabilities and chronic conditions and gives advice on all other equipment, whether you use a chair or not. (Tellier herself suffers from cystic fibrosis and uses stools part-time.)
Some things you will learn from this video:
- Where to find cute walking sticks and crutches and how to decorate the ones you have
- How to decorate an oxygen cylinder and cannula (by the way, she has awhole video with DIY cannula ideas )
- Where can I find pretty underwear that keeps the bag for the stoma (she recommends Jasmine Stacy )
- How to dress when you have bloating and don’t want people to ask if you are pregnant (high-waisted pants and skirts can help)
- How to cover your breast catheter while maintaining easy access – wear a scoop or v-neck shirt with a scarf or shawl over the top
There’s more, so go through all for more tips and her links to buy some of the hard-to-find items she recommends.