Clothing options for dowagers hump

The past year or two finding tops to fit over my mom's severe dowagers hump is impossible so I alter off-the-rack tops to fit her.   I use an old method that my grandma taught me when she made or altered clothes. She used patterns that she knew were too big to make the garment then she'd have the "wearer" put it on inside out and pinch darts or seams where needed to get a better fit specific to "that" body. 

So - now I buy tops for Mom that are too large, put them on her inside out and just start pinching fabric to make darts around the neck and upper body until the garment appears to fit better.  Then I take it off and stitch up the darts.    Often the altered top ends up being much shorter in back and longer in front so start with long garments to end up with something that has enough fabric to cover the back and still be long enough to come down beyond the waist.

Here are some tips that help ensure each is a success:

1. practice with really cheap or used clothes, just TRY IT and you'll get the hang of it.
2. try knit fabrics first, zig-zag the end of fabric before hemming, 
3. when hemming, it's likely you'll have to sew across the bias (across the weave) since the fabric will fall at an angle from the back due to the rounded hump.  This takes some practice so give yourself a couple of inches of fabric BELOW where the hem will be to help with "smoothing" the hemline. 
4. try some additional seems along the sides  - think princess seams - to help remove extra "bulk" around the middle.  don't be afraid to stitch it up and cut off the fabric after a few fittings to ensure it's a good fit. , if you get something large enough to fit over the back area, it's likely to be too big around the middle which will cause extra folds and unwanted bulk, the seams will help remove the bulk.
5. don't use tops with "shirt-type" collars, they are too hard to alter. 
6. be prepared to re-hem the garment and cut off a lot in the front. 
7. be sure to measure and pin the hem when the top is ON your elder, this ensures it's long enough and even.  
8. use safety pins to keep the darts instead of straight pins; this prevents getting poked.

Good luck!

Here are links to other sources for information on sewing or fashions for clothing with dowagers hump:
Louisiana arthritis clinic
Rusty Bobbin blog
Threads magazine article on dowagers hump  (one of my fave magazines by the way)
Silverts for special needs or "adaptive" clothing

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Great site for special needs clothes!

Find clothes is so hard for mom now that she's weakened due to arthritis.   I just came across this site when I searched for clothes for a "dowagers hump"...  Though some of the things are spendy, I think there are some good options here - especially for easy-on slippers.   I will also look at the clothes in depth to see if I can modify any of mom's existing cloths for easier dressing (think off and on) or just to look better in general.

The name of the online store is Silverts, found here:  http://www.silverts.com/default.cfm?adv=AAA


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Shoes and clothes actually MADE for mom!!

Finding clothes and shoes - especially SHOES!! - for Mom has become really difficult.   Often I have to run to several different places getting one item at each store.  I finally found a catalog called National, that has all kinds of comfy and practical shoes for Mom as well as clothes she finds attractive.  She has arthritis in both feet but one is worse and  made wider by bunions. To fit her well, I'd have to buy two different size shoes.  National has shoes with velcro closures that also open really wide to get off and on easily.   This enables her to get her own shoes off and on - THAT makes her feel more capable -  anything that makes her feel capable is terrific!

I find their clothing rather conservative but they have a variety of suits, house coats and easy-dressing tops and pants. National also has stuff that I might consider "old lady" products - old fashioned girdles, plain white garter belts, large size bras that close in front, sleeping caps and shawls with pockets!  While I wouldn't wear these (not yet), I can see where these would be helpful to my mom or to women with her limitations.
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