so i am newly in a wheelchair which has been a Massive gain in my ability to go out and about. but i realized that i have aprox 0 clothes that look Good while seated. its a completely different silhouette and i am at a loss as to what to do for it. do you have any suggestions for what could look good seated? preferably no skirts or dresses.
Edit: Check the notes for more people's input, including actual wheelchair users who know much more about what works than I could!
Congrats on chair acquisition!!
Since you're sending this to me specifically I am working under the assumption that you mean to do some amount of sewing.
A high waisted silhouette definitely works best for sitting. I make all my pants with the waistband at my natural waist, and a bit of pleating or gathering at the back just like they did on 18th century breeches, and I've never noticed any particular discomfort from sitting in them. (I think high waisted pants are more comfortable in general, and that low rise jeans are evil.)
It's something I've never really thought about before, but sitting is a very legs-forward position, so perhaps a colourful or fancy stripe down the side would work well.
(I made this pair 10 years ago and they didn't fit well and are long gone, but I should do a better version someday...)
Or some other form of side seam decoration, like these fabulous button tabs.
(I don't know what the source for this mid 19th century fashion plate is.)
Cropped jackets would also be good. The first thing that comes to mind for me is the Carmagnole, which was a style worn by French revolutionaries. It's got a pretty similar cut to a regular 1790's coat, just shorter.
(Source)
(Source)
And there are other styles of short jacket, like this one from a few decades later.
I think it might be possible to get a similar effect from cutting down a thrifted corduroy jacket, depending on the pocket placement? It's not something I've done myself though.
A fancy little bolero could be a lot of fun too! I quite like these ones made by Marlowe Lune. Super easy to sew, and could be patterned by cutting down a bigger pattern that fits the torso.
They'd be a good thing to try if you have a smallish piece of fancy fabric, or a small bit trim to use, or want to try a small amount of embroidery.
There are lots of historical styles with sleeves too, and all sorts of decorations.
(Dunno the source for this one either, unfortunately, but the pin says 1880s reception dress. I think a little jacket like that would look good with a puffy shirt and pants.)
Short capes might be practical too, and the late 19th and early 20th century have tons of fancy capelets for inspiration, like this one.
Or this one.
I hope this is somehow helpful! I don't know if you're looking to sew things from scratch or to buy and alter stuff or what, and I have no personal experience using a wheelchair, but these are the best things I can think of for a suitable silhouette.
Dramatic sleeve/shoulder puffs would also be shown off to great effect, if that's something you'd like to wear.
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"hey why are all the barrier garments like linen shirts or chemises or combinations going away?"
"oh we have more washable fabrics now! you don't need to worry about sweat reaching your outer clothing when you can just chuck it in the washing machine!"
"cool!"
[100 years later]
"so uh all of those new washable fabrics are leaching microplastics into our water, and the constant machine-washing wears garments out faster. they're also not really sturdy enough to be mended, so we keep having to throw them out and now the planet is covered in plastic fabric waste that will never break down. also it turns out that the new washable fabrics hold odor-causing bacteria VERY well. so could we get those barrier garments back please?"
"sorry babe linen now costs $100000/yard and since it's been so long without them, nobody knows how to adapt barrier garments to the current styles anyway"
"..."
"maybe try this new $50 undershirt made of Special Sweat-Wicking Plastic Fabric! :) :) :)"
Hi! Sending this for the wheelchair user who contacted you: a couple of years ago I listened to a panel at an ADH conference from the founders of izadaptive.com - a brand of clothing made for wheelchair use. It's a bit pricey, but it could be worth looking into!
Listen I'm a little drunk but... yarn crafts are so important. Textile arts are the backbone of society. All of us take our clothing and accessories and upholstery for granted and it's honestly shocking
I used to buy affordable t-shirts and they were comfy and nice, now I buy them in the same price range and they're sandpaper. They don't wick away moisture and the print comes undone after two washes. I buy denim and the crotch falls apart in months. I read about how modern Singer sewing machines are disappointing and then look at the delicate machining and the beautiful finishes on my 1857 machine and wonder if this is progress?!
Reblog if you're desperate for clothing that doesn't feel like sandpaper or if you like machines that go thunk instead of going obsolete in two years
I know a lot is going on in the world right now but this kind of loss of art is breaking my heart in two.
The Valentino’s Costume Group in Hollywood has lost everything after the death of their co-founder, the pandemic, strikes, etc. and is now being forced to do a very quick liquidation sale before having to send all of their years of hard work to be turned into rags. (Yes this is a real thing)
These people have crafted thousands of costumes over 20 years to rent to everyone and anyone who needed one. They’re sex worker and queer friendly. They’re also being accused of being “fast fashion” while being one of the few places in this world actively working against fast fashion with their work. They don’t want to have to turn their hard work into rags. It’s the only option for them with the enormous amount of costumes/fabrics they have to remove from the building very quickly.
So, Californians and anyone willing to travel to Hollywood: YOU can save a costume! (or two?) YOU can save someone’s art from being destroyed! YOU can own pieces of Hollywood! YOU can save so much sewing supplies and fabrics!
Where: 5535 CAHUENGA BLVD, N. HOLLYWOOD
Phone: 818-427-5248
Special hours for Influencers: May 20-30th 9:30am-4:30pm MON-SUN
Important note: Please be kind and patient with the folks managing this sale. There’s maybe 2-3 people working at the most, and they all just suffered the death of someone close to them and the loss of their dream.
Please, please signal boost this. Their hard work should not go to waste and this terrible loss is already hard enough on them.