THE ABLE LABEL

Arthritis Shop By Need Guide

Our Shop By Need guides are here to help you grow in confidence and overcome dressing difficulties.

Clothes can make us feel good, boost our confidence and improve our mood.

Everyone deserves to have a wardrobe filled with clothes that reflect their personal style that they love. We know that living with arthritis, it can sometimes be tricky to find those clothes you love to wear and are easy to put on and take off.

For that reason, The Able Label has created a range of stylish clothing with adaptations to make them more accessible. In this Arthritis Shop By Need Guide you'll find dressing tips, resources, blog posts, clothing collections and more to help you grow in dressing confidence.

Our Clothing & Dressing Tips

From easier clothes maintenance to a dressing routine that works for you, here are a few tips to start with:

Take your time

Rushing can make dressing feel more stressful and uncomfortable, particularly if you experience stiffness or joint pain. Allow yourself extra time in the morning and evening so you can move at your own pace.

Make maintaining your clothes as simple as possible

Choose easy-care fabrics that don’t require frequent ironing or special washing. Hanging clothes to dry helps reduce creasing and saves time and effort. The goal is to make maintaining your wardrobe as effortless as wearing it, so you can focus on comfort, not chores.

Layer for comfort and warmth

Temperature changes can affect joint comfort, so layering is key. Opt for lightweight, breathable fabrics that can be easily added or removed throughout the day. Use our adaptive fastenings such as front openings, VELCRO® closures, or soft pull-on styles that slip on and off with ease, keeping dressing simple while helping you stay comfortable whatever the weather.

Create a new dressing routine & sit down when dressing

With practice, you'll learn what works best for you to make dressing easier. We'd always recommend dressing as much as you can while sat down. Choose a chair with firm support and arms. Avoid sitting on the edge of the bed as that can lead to loss of balance.

Discover more about our clothing for Arthritis and our top tips for easier dressing in the blog post below:

REAL CUSTOMERS WHO WEAR THE ABLE LABEL

Meet Debbie

As an arts and crafts enthusiast, Debbie has lived with Rheumatoid Arthritis since the age of 12, yet she has not let the condition get in her way.

When it comes to clothing, arthritis can make overhead dressing and bending down into clothes uncomfortable. From the original Able Label collection, Debbie was particularly drawn to the fully opening Linda jersey velcro wrap tops as “they are easily velcro’d open and closed and are easy to wear” with no overhead dressing.

Read our interview with Debbie on all things hobbies, fashion and adaptive clothing.

LATEST BLOG POST

Tips for dressing in the winter months

During the winter and wet weather months, arthritis symptoms can sometimes worsen. The severity varies from person to person, and even from day to day. However there are ways to ease symptoms and in our blog, we share a few tips to help make these colder months more comfortable.

Our collections of curated clothing and items, designed to make self-dressing and assisted-dressing easier and safer

REVIEWS ON THE ABLE LABEL
"Beautifully made clothes in the softest feeling material and all well made. I am wearing the Claudia Jersey top today. The Lilly knitted cape is so pretty."
— Irene, has arthritis and a retired trained nurse (SRN), from Stoke-on-Trent
"I received my coat this morning and am delighted with it. It’s a perfect fit and the Velcro is firm without being too fierce- thank you so much!"
— Janet, has rheumatoid arthritis, from Hitchin
"Because the shirt doesn't have cuffs and is slightly stretchy, I can wear them with ease over my splints even with the sleeves down. No more having to roll them up, or discomfort from them being too tight!"
— Helen, has rheumatoid arthritis, from Devon

Additional Resources & Support