I am going crazy trying to find my mother slacks that fit. She is very fashion conscious, and particular. She is 94 and her body has changed, with tiny thin legs and thighs, but larger hips and waistline everything she tries on is baggy in the thigh. I don't think that can even be tailored because of her build. And she refused to wear knit pull on pants, which would probably work. Does anyone have any suggestion? I'm at my wits end after taking her shopping and trying on 20 pairs!!!
Creates quite a challenge in buying clothes !!
I looked at the Mason site. They had 136 styles in her size. Sadly, most she could not or would not wear, and the ones she would like, she's already tried.. Again...smh. She was at the doctor yesterday, and was so happy she lost 5 lbs. must have been all in her legs cause her tummy is still just as big.
Good tip Liz cuting the tags off. Tho most of our loved ones probably can't read the sizes anymore.
And check into maternity pants (also at thrift stores) - the legs are usually nicely tapered for those girl-ish legs but the belly is soft and roomy, either with a knit band or panel or they also make them with adjustable buttons on the sides. I cut the tags off most everything, especially if it's maternity wear.
I got her some pants (some new from Blair and some from Goodwill) that were a better fit, but she complained every time I put them on her. "They're too tight!" She wouldn't know a decent fit if it bit her in her keister! So I went back to Goodwill on many occasions and finally found her a pair of her beloved polyester pants (that would withstand a neutron bomb with no wrinkles) that are just baggy enough (that is SUPER baggy). She's happy, so I'm finally able to let it go, LOL.
The hump on the back needs long sleeves because the hump takes up some of the length. Nothing too tight at the neck or waist.. Tops that button or zip in the front. A sweater with a zipper at the neck gives a neat appearance but with the zip open it slips easily over the head. If you go to the BA Mason shoe catalog you will find all widths and shoes sizes in national brands. As far as skirts are concerned has anyone considerd a wrap skirt. cardigans are easier to wear in cold weather than heavy sweaters that have to be pulled over the head. There are several catalogs that feature clothes for the disabled and elderly. Nice styles too.
I have that issue myself. If I wear something a bit snug around the waist and bend down to pick something up, then there is a mad dash for the bottle of Tums or a glass of water to cool it down.
Makes me now wonder if that could be a problem with some elders who don't want to eat... that acid in the throat makes food taste blah.
Sizing is always a huge issue, nothing is *standard* any more. For tops with one vendor I buy size Small, but with another vendor I have to buy size large.
The other place we have found slacks are Lands End, they have the traditional "sits at waist " style.
The reason all slacks look "baggy" around their hips /thighs is because their belly area is rounded and fuller.in front, so.the required larger girth in front of pants, is also going to continue down the hip/ thigh areas, so the pants will be bigger there too. Even if you hire a seamstress to draft a custom pattern for this shape, they will still have trouble tapering down from the waist area, down to legs. Nobody wants darts at the knees to eliminate the excess waist fabric. Wish I could insert a schematic here! I used to work in a tailor shop so know more than most people about fit issues. Knits could help a lot, but the main hurdle is the difference between waist & hip/thigh, coupled with a softer texture of their abdomen (no strong angle as in a man's shoulders, where a shirt yoke could fit nicely and then a slim taper to waist, all looks very trim, not "baggy").