Wheelchair Fashion Manifesto

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When I was injured at the age of 14, I automatically assumed I’d be destined to wear patterned muumuus and slippers in public, condemned to look frumpy before my time. But I was wrong. After three years of depression following my accident, I met a stylish paraplegic who worked at the rehab I went to. She proved all of my assumptions wrong. 

She was beautiful, successful, a wife, a mom, and she knew how to work a sexy office suit! Meeting her knocked me out of my depression and put me on the path to becoming a die-hard fashion addict.

Since then, I’ve become a wheelchair fashion guru, so-to-speak, and I run a site, www.beautyability.com, with one mission: to enlighten and teach the basics on adapting fashion to your wheelchair. Below is a handy basic overview of my tips that all wheelchair-users, male or female, should keep handy and refer to often.

Pants
Pants are without a doubt the most important thing to adapt if you’re going to be sitting down 24/7. First, avoid “high-waters” at all costs (you know, high cuffs). You want your pants to touch the tops of your shoes and if they don’t, you’re going to have to go out and buy some long inseam pants. For women out there, Hollister sells great long inseam jeans (as does The Gap), and New York & Co. sells beautiful long inseam trousers at reasonable prices. Tall Girl, www.tallgirlshop.com, and other specialty shops for tall women will have what you’re looking for, too.