Well, I think we are entering the wonderful world that so many Moms with older girls know better than I do – the world of the hair/fashion/jewelry/makeup obsessed tweenager. Until now, dressing with a brace has not been much of an issue – my daughter would wear her bodysuit, brace, and a dress or skirt to hide the bulges of the plastic. But, now (at almost 10), she has begun to care…. She cared before, don’t get me wrong, but the pinks that she got so excited about are now “little girl pinks” and she’s much more interested in what is fashionable than in what is comfortable (or easy). *double sigh* She still just looks longingly at the jeans, though, but knows she would be so uncomfortable in them that it would not be worth the purchase. She doesn’t seem to necessarily MIND, she just thinks they are cute and thinks she would have fun wearing them. Much in the same way I look at skinny jeans and think the same thing (while knowing it would not be WISE for me to wear them). But, I have a feeling we have just reached the tip of the iceberg, and I have a bigger feeling that she is going to care WAY more about fashion than I ever did. So, I guess I can just sit by, lend my practical, motherly advice, and continue to go with the flow.
I have been pleasantly surprised this season at all the brace-friendly fashion choices out there, though – maybe I’ll put together a better article next week with some examples. I’ve noticed a lot of stretch knits, leggings, layers, long tunic tops, long tops with flowing vests over them….these are all very brace-friendly. The fabrics can be a bit thin (showing off her brace underneath), but we avoid those and move on. I’ve also noticed a lot of sequins – great for distracting the eye from the bumps and bulges of a brace underneath. So, the good news is that girls can follow the fashion trends this season and still dress brace-friendly. The bad news for me is that I guess this is something I have to care about now…because my daughter does.
Scoliosis Family Adventures 