Energy Economy - Wardrobe Considerations For The Chronically Ill Part 2.

My Personal Hat and Glove Collection.

Well, in my last post we discussed 2 ways to conserve energy when it comes to your wardrobe – figuring out what kind of clothes work with your illness, and only having clothes that look presentable and are flattering on your body.  Today we have six more suggestions to help us work smarter and not harder.

3.    Keep a few pairs of gloves.  Wear them when you leave the house if you have weakened immunity.  You can buy pretty, vintage gloves on eBay.  Or look at department stores.   Or wear the five dollar winter gloves from Wal Mart.  Whatever floats your boat.  I have gloves in a variety of weights.  In the summer I wear my lightest, coolest gloves because I get hot, and I get sick when I get hot.

4.    Wear flat shoes, especially with balance and energy issues.  Or at least buy a lower heal.  I like the Comfort Plus shoes at payless.  With a lower heal they are easier to walk in but still good for 

skirts and dresses.  I have nude and red (see the picture).  They also carry comfortable flat shoes.  You can also look here for some ideas on comfortable shoes for arthritis sufferers. 

5.    Wear aprons.  I know we talked about this in the food section, but it bears repeating.  They save
your clothes and your energy.  And they aren’t just good for the kitchen.

6.    Invest in a couple of cute hats or scarves for when you have to leave the house but do not have the energy to wash your hair.  These are also good if your hair is thinning or if you have excessive sweating issues.  (You can see my personal collection of hats in the top picture.)  See How To Tie A Turban and 10 Ways To Tie A Head Scarf.

7.    Downsize your purse.  I bought a small wristlet bag/wallet on eBay for $5.00 which is big enough to carry my phone, most important medicines, money, credit cards, driver’s license,  a pen, etc…  I often leave the big bag at home and just take the little one. Others, like those with arthritis,  might do well to get a cross-body bag. 

Small wardrobe = less stress & better dressed

8.    Downsize your wardrobe.  (I saved the best for last.)  As people with physical limitations it is especially important that we not go overboard in either direction, having either too much or too little.  Having fewer, but not too few, clothes is freeing, as long as you have followed suggestions one and two in my last post.  It can reduce anxiety, stress, and the amount of time you spend getting dressed.  You will wear more of your clothes, get more use out of them, and it will take less energy sorting and finding clothes. 

I personally have a small wardrobe which I rotate every 3 to 6 months.  I love having space between my hangers.  And for me, opening the closet and having fewer options is priceless.   As a result I almost always feel good in what I am wearing and look decent too.  (And I still only do laundry once every few weeks, albeit several loads.)

Bearing in mind that you will have to adjust their ideas to fit your lifestyle, you might check out these posts about the benefits of a smaller wardrobe and how to create one.

11 Excellent reasons to get rid of your clothes.  This is a good place to start.
How to build a functional wardrobe - strategies.  
How to build your wardrobe in small groups.  This link has so many ideas.
My skeleton wardrobe.  I just like it, even though I don't dress like this.
Daily connoissseur. This woman's take on having a smaller wardrobe has really inspired me.  I can't follow it to the letter, but I try to apply the principles.
Whittling down your wardrobe.  A very balanced approach.

And check out this post for 21 more ideas on dressing to help your illness.   It is specifically geared toward people with RA but has great suggestions for almost any illness.

Whew, Ok, were done with my top 8 practical suggestions on wardrobe issues for the chronically ill.  Do you have any suggestions or techniques that help you cope with this aspect of your life and illness?

You might also be interested in:
Our other Energy Economy posts - observations on how to deal with food, shopping, people, cleaning, leaving the house, etc... while dealing with a chronic illness.
And Coping with Chronic Illness - the friendship series - especially Part 3 - How To Be A Good Friend While Chronically Ill.