Tell Me What You Want!

Hey!

I want this blog to be as useful and helpful as possible. If you can help me by commenting what topics you would like me to write about, it will really help me help you! Just comment as many topics as you want.

:)

~Scoliosis Fashionista~

Wearing the Body Brace to School

Hey!

At first when you find out that you have to wear a body brace to school, you think it is the end of the world. You think, "Oh, my, gosh, everyone will notice the body brace. They will think I look so weird. I won't be able to wear anything good looking." And the adults are all like, "Oh honey, don't worry, no body cares about that stuff" or "Nobody will notice it." Sure sometimes that stuff is true. But being an actual teenage I know what actually goes on. I am going to be pretty blunt.

So, my body brace actually isn't all the noticeable. Most of the time when people find out that I wear a body brace they are very, very surprised. This I credit to 2 things.
1) Having a non-noticeable body brace
2) Dressing to hide the body brace, not to flaunt my body (since I'm wearing the brace)

So, generally most teens won't tease someone with a medical condition, so if they notice the body brace they probably won't say anything. But everybody knows that there is that one person that decides it's funny to make fun of you.

Also, since I have a pretty bad case of scoliosis, I am not allowed to put weight on my back. So, I have to use a stupid roller backpack. I am in high school, so since most people don't know I wear a body brace, they make fun of my backpack. The all time favorite saying is, "Hey, where you going, the airport?"

If this happens to you, just ignore them seriously. I know adults are always saying "Ignoring the bullies is the answer." And usually you are like, "Haha ya right." But seriously it is a lot better then trying to explain your whole life story to them. Just ignore the bullies, and walk away quickly. The only reason they tease you is to get a reaction out of you.

At first, going to school in your body brace is going to be very uncomfortable and awkward. You are going to think everyone will notice, but it's like having a pimple. You're very uncomfortable and awkward, thinking everyone can see it from a mile away. But in reality, only a few people can barely see it.

So use my fashion tips to help you hide your brace, and go to school. Don't worry it will be ok.

~Scoliosis Fashionista~

Skirts Shopping Tips (with a body brace)

Hey,
Here is the shirt addition of the shopping guide. Enjoy!

SKIRTS:

STAY AWAY FROM
-Skirts: I don't really tend to stay away from anything, except for super tight skirts.

LOOK FOR

-Skirts: I really like the body con skirts, the skirts with the thick black elastic waistband, the really flowy skirts, and skater skirts. In my experience, the only skirts that don't work well with the body brace are ridiculously tight ones. The body con skirts, just get a size bigger than you would normally get. This is to ensure that the skirt is tight enough that it is still cute, but not so tight that you can see every single detail of your body brace. The skirts with the thick black waistbands are great because the elastic covers the part of the body brace that shows, and then the poofiness of the skirt hides the rest. The really flowy skirts are great because their flowiness covers the body brace. Skater skirts are also great because they provide movement without hitting the body brace hips at awkward angles.

~Scoliosis Fashionista~

Shirts Shopping Tips (with a body brace)

Hey,

STAY AWAY FROM
-Shirts: I tend to stay away from tops that have low backs, really tight tops, tank tops, or cut-off shirts. I know that having your back showing is in right now, but when your wearing the body brace all your going to see is your "super attractive" body brace. Also, even if you aren't wearing your body brace, you're back is crooked (obviously because you have scoliosis) so seeing your crooked back is not that attractive in my opinion. Tight tops tend to show all the details of your body brace. You can wear those types of tops if you want, but if you don't want people to know about/see the body brace, I wouldn't recommend it. Tank tops, tend to either be cut to low in the back or on the sides, or are too tight. Sometimes, I am able to find tank tops that cover all of the body brace, and are relatively loose, but most tank tops are not. Cut-off shirts, are very unattractive when worn with a body brace. Normally, they would show your midriff, however with a body brace, all it would show is your body brace.

LOOK FOR
-Shirts: I really enjoy the peplum trend, t-shirts with scarves over them, and over-sized sweaters. The peplum trend is great for people with body braces. Those types of shirts typically don't tend to be very tights, and they flare out at the really noticeable part of the body brace. T-shirts with scarves are great because you don't have to worry about the body brace showing. This is due to the fact that the scarf covers most of your torso. Over-sized sweaters are also great. This is because they're bulkiness covers/hides the body brace.

~Scoliosis Fashionista~

Pants Shopping Tips (with a body brace)

Hey you guys,
Scoliosis Fashionista here.

I decided I would write a series of posts about how to shop for clothes that will fit your body brace, and help you hide your body brace. Whenever people find out I wear a body brace, they are so surprised. This is due to the fact that over the years I have learned how to shop for things that are both in style and that hide the body brace. Sadly, sometimes this means you cannot participate in all of the ongoing trends.

First, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear you body brace when you go shopping. You may think, oh I can just guestimate if it will fit or not....but trust me it will never work. Anyways....there are a couple tips I have when shopping for clothes.

STAY AWAY FROM
-Pants: I tend to stay away from low rise jeans as they always seem to slip of my body brace, and cause me to be uncomfortable.

LOOK FOR
-Pants: I typically I tend to buy either elastic waist pants or ones that have a little stretch. This allows me to still wear the pants comfortably, even after I've grown a little bit and I've had to loosen the body brace. I know some people say not to wear jeggings, because they will show your body brace or something. However, I do not have this problem. In fact, I own a pair of jeggings and I find them really comfortable, and I don't think they show my body brace.

Stay tuned for the skirts addition....soon!
~Scoliosis Fashionista~

Undershirt Tip

Hey! Sorry I have not posted in a long time. I kept meaning to, but then something would pop up. Anyways, I thought I would start out with a helpful tip about undershirts and how to get them to not show, while it still being comfortable.

I like to order those undershirts that have the underarm flaps. I then ask my orthopedist to adhere velcro on my body brace under my armpits. Then, I stick the flaps on the velcro, and pull my arms out of the arm holes of the undershirt and fold the undershirt over the top of the body brace. This allows me to wear lower cut tops without the undershirt showing and the undershirt doesn't fall down because it's attached at the flaps. I just find it to be more comfortable wearing it like this.


         

Photo credit to Knitrite

The exact link is: http://www.knitrite.com/orthotics/bodysocks/bilateralflaps.html

~Scoliosis Fashionista~

Hello and Introduction

Hey!

So I decided to start a blog on fashion ideas for people with scoliosis, and who wear body braces as part of their treatment. Due to the fact that I am a freshman in high school, I know first hand how hard it is to wear items in style that also cover up the body brace since I have been wearing a body brace for about 9 years. I hope you enjoy this blog, and you should expect posts probably at a maximum once a week...but it will fluctuate depending on my schedule. Well talk to you soon!

~Scoliosis Fashionista~

P.S. comments are welcome