We know the importance of being able to dress on your own. It gives independence, a self-esteem boost and a feeling of being in more control which is hugely important in the recovery process after a stroke.
Besides re-learning how to dress, adaptive clothing can help on that journey. We've also designed clothing with stroke survivors in mind, with adaptations and simple to use fastenings to enable independent dressing and ease with assisted dressing.
In this Stroke Shop By Need Guide you'll find dressing tips, resources, clothing collections and more to help you grow in dressing confidence.
Our Clothing & Dressing Tips
Life after a stroke can come with a long recovery journey to regain strength and movement. In the process, you should still be able to enjoy fashion and it's possible to re-learn how to dress independently. Here are few tips to get started:
Plan ahead and create a dressing routine -
Plan your outfits ahead of time and lay each item of clothing including underwear out in the order you will put them on.
Taking time to plan your outfits can help create that love for fashion as you style yourself. Plus it avoids rifling through wardrobes and opening drawers ahead of getting ready to keep necessary movement focused on getting dressed.
Prioritise your affected arm or leg while dressing and undressing -
When you are getting ready, always dress your affected side first, using your stronger limbs for more stability. The opposite goes for undressing, remove your stronger arm or leg first so there’s greater ability to manoeuvre clothing to undress your affected limbs.
Sit down while dressing -
We'd always recommend dressing as much as you can while sat down to eliminate any chances of a fall. Choose a chair with firm support and avoid sitting on the edge of the bed as that can lead to loss of balance.
Discover more about our clothing for thost that have had a stroke and our top tips for easier dressing in the blog post below:
Our collections of curated clothing and items, designed to make self-dressing and assisted-dressing easier and safer
Meet Su
Su is an incredible London-based NHS doctor who loves theatre, fine food, wine and exploring London's history and culture.
She's 30 years post-stroke which affected her left side resulting in a fixed flexion in her elbow, limiting use of her left arm and having to dress with one hand. Su loves our "pretty yet practical" clothes, especially the wrap dress which has become a staple piece in our line named after her!
Read our interview with Su on all things travel, style and adaptive clothing.
"I must say the skirt is of a beautiful quality! One of my mother's carers commented how easy it was to put on so thanks to you for providing such clothes."
"I would recommend The Able Label clothing to my patients as the clothing is stylish, comfortable, high quality, good value for money and enable independence."
"I was very surprised by the range, it is easier to dress but looks stylish as well. They are pretty yet practical and there is nothing else like this around."
Additional Resources & Support
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