Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion Women Only Message Board Fashion Wise

Hi Ladies,
Some of us have fashion problems ie not being able to wear heels, particular kinds of dresses, pants ect. How have you dressed for instance when you go to a fancy office party, church, work ect. Also when you go out to the grocery, do you say fashion be hanged give me my sweats or do you as I usually do,wear a pair of elastic waist jeans a nice Tshirt and sneakers. Its getting to be the season for partys and I would like a few ideas.
Thanks
Carole

I don't wear jeans much, but nice looking elastic waist khakis that are not as casual.

I have "go anywhere" black pants. For parties I wear a beaded sweater or even dressier top. For church a nice lightweight and colorful shirt jacket works (a blazer looks terrible). I can usually manage nice flats for a couple of hours and sometimes I wear low heels. Once I had three places to go the same day without going home (including a party), so I wore black pants and shell top, and only had to change my shoes and the outer sweater or shirt (in the car).

One of my volunteer jobs I consider professional and I don't like to dress too casually. I have pants in the neutral colors, more shirt jackets, and lightweight short sleeve sweaters and T's.

I don't know your problems, but some of mine are figure and posture, hurting feet, and being easily overheated.

I can't wear heels at all, and rather than going just for very plain ordinary flat shoes, I tend to go for coloured ones with interesting stitching or trim detail. I wear trousers just about all the time now, and they are somewhere between casual comfort and dressy - good quality, stretch fabric, plain colours. Tops tend to be tunic length - for dressy evening stuff I'd wear flimsy fabrics over a close fitting stretch top and for day wear either layer up tops or heavier jersey knit type. I have a nice lightweight and very slightly padded jacket that is cut really well that works fine as a kind of blazer or dress jacket alternative, and I can get away with it for quite smart occasions.

For office parties I just wear work clothes as they are usually during or immediately after work hours. For social events with friends/family I wear my "nice jeans" either with Danskos (if I expect to be standing a lot) or my Frye boots if I will be able to walk around, alternate sitting & standing, etc. One of my favorite tops to wear at Christmastime is basically a 3/4 sleeve "t shirt" style but it has a boat neck and is a polyester blend - it is gold, very festive when dressed up with the right necklace & earrings! But still very comfy If I want to dress a little nicer than jeans I have a comfy/flowy long black skirt - from Old Navy of all places! - it is cut on the bias so has a nice swing to it, and is a nice drapy fabric. I would wear that with flats since the Danskos are so clunky. I have cushioned arch support insoles I use with my flats which makes a ton of difference. I also wear a lot of cashmere to work so I have various options there for a "top" - esp. if someplace cold such as the Nutcracker ballet! (Hint: shop women's consignment shops if you can, to find great deals on dressier clothes for parties or other dress-up occasions!!)

I try not to ever dress slouchy - I don't own sweats. If I dress that way I start to feel that way, plus if I wear loose clothes I develop the illusion that I am thin and can eat all I want So my comfy casual pants are yoga pants - stretchy but fitted. They are also my "heating pad friendly" pants as opposed to jeans which I normally live in when I'm not at work and it's not shorts weather.

Thanks for the ideas. My bicep tendon was cut loose when I had arthoscopy on my left shoulder, it was shredded. So my bicep muscle there has "fallen" causing the shorter sleeves in womens clothing to bunch up and cause the neck to pull to the left. So a lot of times (read mostly) I try to layer my shirts, so I don't look so wompsided.ie a Tshirt with a camp shirt over. We do what we have to do I guess.
Carole

I have scoliosis, among other things. Some tops just won't hang right. Sometimes I add a small shoulder pad on the lower side. I try pinning it different ways until I get the best look.

I agree with Jen about dressing slouchy.

I like shirt jackets in suedelike fabric that have a streight bottom and are semifitted, and I think they look best with the shell or T that matches. I like them a bit longer than most that are sold now, but I have found some great ones at thrift stores. Some are unfitted but a good more casual look.

You probably know if you wear dresses that the two-piece, or matching pieces from the separates dept. work better than the one-piece.

I occasionally dress a little sloppy on the weekends or on school days, but more often than not, I try to look presentable or, better yet, cute/attractive. There's more than enough that's trying to make me feel unattractive and far older than my young age, so I try not to help it along by dressing the part.

My biggest fashion challenge is for my role as a wedding photographer. I'm on my feet and moving fast for 8+ hours at most weddings, and comfortable shoes are a must. I also have to look dressy, so my beloved Merrell hiking boots and more casual Clarks are out. I have some nicer looking Clarks that I wore throughout this year's wedding season, but I wish I had something equally comfortable and less granny-ish. Clarks has a lot of cute shoes these days, but none of those have sufficient arch support. I'm always scouring Nordstrom Rack for supportive, well made, cute shoes. My high arches definitely complicate matters. I have some cute, dressy flats that work alright for a day at the office, but not for a day on location.

I'm also restricted in fashion choices by my rib pain and abdominal pain. I can't wear fashion belts around my midsection like I used to, because any constriction on my ribs hurts. Similarly, pants & skirts either need to be low across my hips, or pretty loose. Elastic and my tummy don't get along.

Reminds me of something a former boss used to say - "Dress for the job you WANT, not for the job you HAVE."

Mary, I love my Clarks too (and Danskos and Keens...) - go to a running store that sells Superfeet insoles. They have a huge line of products but one that I have that is great is a rigid 3/4 length insert for arch support. It is 3/4 length specifically for use in dressier shoes without a lot of space, esp. in the toe box (not that I wear Blahniks, on my size 10/10.5's I'd look like a cross-dresser, lol!!) I wear mine in some work shoes, Softspots, which works very well - though none of my work days keep me on my feet as much as yours do

Don't let the heel fool you, these are UBER comfy!


Superfeet (the ones I have):

ah, a topic near and dear to my heart! this summer i went a little mad and got rid of the majority of my shoes (mostly cute heels, cheap flats, and flip flops)... leaving me with keen sandals, chacos, and running shoes-- which didn't match my summer dresses or work clothes.

since then, i've acquired several pairs of danskos (kenzie being my least cute but most comfy pair, but also some strappy sandals and mary janes). some of the outdoor shoe companies are now making cute fall/winter boots that have good support. i have a pair of merrell equestrian-style boots that always get compliments and work well with skirts and leggings, or jeans.

are my outfits are nice as they would be if i could wear any old pair of oh-so-perfectly matched pumps from target? no. but it sure beats trying to match my chacos with evening attire!

aside from shoes, my AS fortunately doesn't really impact the clothing I can wear (except for the mornings when my SI won't let me lift a leg.. but that isn't really a fashion issue..and if i'm that bad, i usually don't care about my outfit)