Fashion and Wheels

by Marie Pontini

Fashion and Wheels

As someone who has always enjoyed fashion, I never really had an expensive budget, so I learned to make cheap outfits look good with great and versatile accessories. I also learned how to adjust my clothes, so they have the perfect fit with my Quantum Rehab Wheelchair.

As a wheelchair user these tricks have served me well and I’d love to share them with fellow wheelchair users because I believe fashion should be accessible for everyone.

Here are some of my favourite ones:

First, heels!
I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user, which means like 70% of wheelchair users, I can walk a little bit. When I sit in my Quantum Rehab Edge3 Stretto Power Wheelchair, I use this as an opportunity to finally wear heels, and as high as I want! I put them on once I’m ready to leave, after sitting in my wheelchair. Once I get home, I just take them off in order to stand. Here’s a fun tip: If I go somewhere that I may need to walk, I just bring flat slippers with me to change into.

Dresses and skirts!
If you like them long, you can simply fold them under yourself and behind your legs, so this way, it doesn’t fly away, get dirty or risk touching your wheels (although this has never happened to me in my Power Wheelchair). I find it’s more likely for longer clothing to get jammed in the wheels of a manual wheelchair (but I use the same trick for that!).

If you like them short, the good part of being seated is that you can go really short and make it seem like it’s at knee length, by simply folding the front under your thighs. The back may be much shorter but because it’s under you, no one will know! .

If you have a stain, simply turn the skirt around with the back to the front, and again, no one will know!

If a skirt is slightly too tight at the waist, I simply open the zipper and let my top cover it. Same when the pattern allows it; I put the zipper in the front instead of the back so I can access it more easily in the bathroom and open it if it’s too tight.

Pantyhose and stockings!
Using stockings instead of pantyhose can make it easier to use the bathroom. It also doesn’t bruise the skin between the legs while sitting for a while.

Pantyhose are useful to hide the shape of incontinence underwear under clothing. It also gives shape to my loose skin while wearing a dress.

Some pantyhose are made with a hole in the middle and are available in specialized stores. They are useful for quick access in the bathroom.

Vests!
I like to have short vests and jackets because there’s no extra fabric on the sides and they won’t look awkward. I purchase them a little bit above the waist or shorter. If you have sewing skills, you may shorten yours yourself, or even use pins to do it (make sure they are safely closed).

I also like to have a vest with buttons or a zipper to keep it closed or halfway closed while I ride in my Quantum Wheelchair. When they don’t have buttons or a zipper, I use a chain with clips on both sides to hold it closed. I make them myself, but you can also purchase them. It also acts as jewelry on my clothes. Win-win for double duty!

There are tons of tricks that make using a wheelchair a great way to show our fashionable side and express ourselves!

I appreciate how my white Stretto Quantum Power Wheelchair is perfect to be accessorized with any outfit!