by Leah Feldon
1) Watch the proportion of tops. Any tops that you wear out—which is ultimately more comfortable and easy to manage than tucking them in—should be shorter than you may think. Ideally, tops should hang gracefully and end just at your lap. If they’re too much longer than that, they’ll just bunch up, leaving you looking messy and wrinkled. Don’t worry if you can’t find
tops just the right length. You can always have them hemmed, just like pants or a skirt.
2) Take advantage of color! While I generally recommend darkish or muted tones to
elongate and slenderize the figure, you don’t have to worry about that when you’re sitting. So wear as many bright, fun colors as you want—they’re wonderfully cheery. The trick? Either wear the bright splashy colors (or color) on top and bottom, or just on top, not just on the bottom. If you wear a neutral color on top and a bright color on the bottom, all the attention will be directed downward, and we want the opposite effect.
3) Stay away from stiff fabrics that don’t sit well. You’ll look uncomfortable even if you aren’t. Go for wonderful knits, soft fine gabardines, rayons, cottons, silks, and the like that move with you, not against you, and drape like a dream.
4) Keep it simple. Look for clothes with good, simple lines and a flattering cut. Big appliqués, big buttons, complicated patterns, or extraneous details tend to overpower when you’re seated.
5) Spark up simple but stunning basic pieces with great jewelry or scarves that will bring the attention up to your beautiful face. Earrings are a natural.
6) Take advantage of shawls. Buy a bunch! There are some beautiful ones on the market— embroidered silk or rayon for summer, wool or cashmere for the winter. These are not your grandmother’s shawls! They add texture and dimension to any outfit, and here you have an advantage. Shawls are much easier to wear and manage when you’re seated.
7) Try skirts sometimes instead of pants. They can be wonderfully comfortable if you get the right ones. Look for styles that are calf-length or a little longer, in soft, easy-draping fabrics. They can add a nice graceful sweep to your figure.
Fit-wise, avoid anything too tight or too loose. Look for clothes that skim your body or float gracefully around it.
9) Think about easy layering. A simple summer or winter cardigan in a smashing color worn over a tank top or sweater instantaneously adds life to your outfit. If you get too warm, it makes a nice casual statement tied around your shoulders.
10) Finally, keep in touch with style-thumb through fashion magazines now and again and stay on top of things. While you don’t want to necessarily be trendy, you do want to look current looking good makes you feel good-wheelchair or no wheelchair.
Leah Feldon is an author and fashion consultant who has appeared on NBC TV’s The Today Show, Home Shopping Network, and the Learning Channel. This article appears courtesy of www.mobilewomen. org.
