Clothing for People with Dwarfism
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Making Your Own Clothes
Find Patterns That Fit
- http://www.petitepluspatterns.com/. Lots of great patterns for short adults of all sizes. This friendly web site has some handy tips for sewing and great links.
- http://www.thepetitewardrobe.com/. Sophisticated clothes for short adults.
- For more hints, check out the clothing section in the Short Person's Support Group web page: http://www.shortsupport.org/index.html. This site is more for people who are shorter than average, rather than with a skeletal dysplasia.
- "Distinctive t-shirts for Little People (and those who love them!)." http://www.dwarfoutfitters.com/
- Visit KSG's list of Stores for People with Dwarfism or the General Disabilities page.
Specialty Clothes for People with Disabilities
- http://www.infinitec.org/live/health/dress.htm lists many options for clothes for people with limited mobility. This is a great page to start if you would need custom made clothes that are easy to put on and take off.
- http://www.buckandbuck.com/ - company that makes clothes for seniors and people with disabilities. Offers velcro, inseams and hems and many creative solutions.
- http://www.fashionmagic.bc.ca/ - fashionable clothes for people with disabilities. Also list disability clothing resources.
- http://www.landsend.com is creative about adapting clothes. They take clothes back if they do not fit.
Shoes
People with Kniest/SED/SMD often have unusually shaped feet. Some are very wide, other extremely narrow, some flat, others very thick. Some people have small feet but very long toes.
Good shoes are very important. They will help your feet, and also your knees and back. Please contact us if you find a brand that works for you and is not listed below, or if you need help finding good shoes.
- Very small adult sizes and hand crafted
- Standard adult shoes that come in wide and narrow sizes.
- Tips on taking care of shoes
Tips on buying and taking care of shoes
- A good shoe repair person can put any sole on any shoe. For example, you could put hiking soles on your worn out shoes and end up with long-lasting, non-skid shoes for much less than a new pair of shoes.
- If your shoes is less than an adult size 6, it can be hard to find new soles. If this happens, have the shoe repair person CUT OUT THE MIDDLE of a sole and glue it on in two pieces. It lasts just as long, fits, and looks fine. Click here to see some shoes redone using this trick.
- Check out vintage (older, antique) clothing sites Some of the shoes are the wider or narrower sizes and are well made. For example, www.fashiondig.com .
- Shoes last longer if you rotate them. Wear shoes no longer than two days in a row, then wear another pair.
- Get custom orthotics for your shoes. They will be more comfortable and wear better. A podiatrist (foot doctor) will take a mold of your feet to make a pair for you.
- Get your shoes stretched by a professional shoemaker if they are too tight. You can also apply rubbing alcohol to your shoes and purchase a device to gently stretch your shoes.
Hand-made custom shoes. Adults shoes in small sizes.
- www.cinderellaofboston.com/ specializes in shoes for adults with small feet. They have petite sizes from United States size 1 1/2 to 5.
- Hand crafted, custom orthopedic shoes, any foot size, leg length difference: www.noonanshoe.com
- www.sarasshoes.com/catalog.html. You can design the shoe you want. Company is very flexible and will work with you until you get a shoe that works.
- www.fernandfootwear.com/ for made to order shoes and sandals. Any size and width.
- www.bigandbeautifulshoes.com. 4A (SS), 3A (Slim), 2A (Narrow) widths in sizes 4 - 15 call customer care. No Extra Fee for Special Order.
- www.wideshoes.com/. Men's shoes in EEE through EEEEEE widths.
- http://www.marylandsquare.com. Sizes 4 to 14 and widths AAAAA to EE! You can quickly search by size.
- http://pipersandals.com/ - High quality sandals which provide a non-orthopedic appearance, feel great immediately and are great for heavy-duty use. Start at women's US size 2.5/Europe 32
- http://www.zappos.com/. Goes to size US 3 women's. 5 US men's.
http://www.elmshoes.com/. Goes to size women's US 4 women's.
- www.storesonline.com/site/tootsiesstriderite Quality children's shoes.
- http://www.stravers-shoes.com. Goes down to size 31 European.
- http://www.smallshoe.co.uk/. Goes down to size 33 European.
- http://www.thelittleshoeshop.com
- A wide range of shoes designed for all occasions, size-conversion tables, help menus, and a clearance page: http://www.womens-small-shoes.com/welcome.html . Goes dow to size 32 European (size 3 American)
Solid, well built shoes. Come in wide or very narrow sizes.
Women's US 6/European 36 and bigger.
- Also see the check the very small adult and custom shoe section.
- Custom sandals which fit shoe inserts/orthodics. US Sizes 35-47.: http://www.orthopedicsandals.com/
- www.nordstrom.com - Shoes for adults and children and a comprehensive size range.
- www.shoedini.com - Many brands and sizes.
- http://www.nbwebexpress.com/. Come in very narrow and very wide.
- www.birkenstock.com - These shoes tend to run very wide. They can be adapted to include shoe inserts. Birkenstock also makes arch supports
- www.drmartens.com. Comfortable shoes, start at adult US size 5/European 35.
- www.cabelas.com/. Shoes run very wide.
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Clothing Hints and Suggestions From Families with Kniest, SED, and SMD
Infants/Toddlers
- Your child may have a different size for shirts than for pants.
- Even if your child has not outgrown his/her clothes, consider buying new clothes at least every year or so out of consideration for the child. Growing more slowly should not mean that you are stuck with the same clothes for years and years!
- www.childrensplace.com sells children's clothing on-line.
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Young Adults/Adults
- We can not say enough good things about http://www.landsend.com. They will hem your clothes for free, spend as much time as you need on the phone getting the right size, and they will TAKE BACK CLOTHES WHICH DO NOT FIT, regardless of how unusual the hem length is! You will still have to pay postage on items you return, though you get free postage on the replacement item.
You can have the each leg hemmed to a different length. This is helpful if you have scoliosis and one hip is higher than the other. Many sears stores stock Landsend merchandise, so you can try them on if you are shy about ordering on line.
- Capris!
Capris length jeans and leggings are a GREAT FIND. Stock up when you see them. Many people with Kniest or SED or SMD report that they feel "custom made!"
- If you buy pants that are too long and intend to hem them later, make sure they fit well in the seat. Otherwise, after you hem them there may be a problem when you sit: the pants come 2/3 up your calf! This is because the cut was not right in the seat. The inseam needs to start at the right place.
- For hemming plan legs it is vital that you leave extra room otherwise it can be too short!!! Be sure to leave enough room for the hem PLUS enough fabric to fold under. A tragic and far too common error is to not leave enough room at the end for both the hem and fabric to tuck under. With shorter legs, this is less room for error. Remind your tailor of this important tip for sewing for people with short legs!!!
So if you need a 22 inch inseam, make sure that the tailor cuts at least 24 inches.
- Crop Tops
Look for crop tops in stores. These are often big enough around and not too long.
- 3/4 length sweaters
2/3 length sleeves can fit perfectly right off the shelves.
- http://www.short-stature.com/apparel.html sells women's, men's and youth clothing. They also sell tools for living, footrests, and adaptive equipment for kitchen and bath such as faucet extensions.
- Visit this page, http://www.shortstuff.org.uk/advicepage.htm, written by a petite woman. Her advice page http://www.shortstuff.org.uk/advicepage.htm has 10 great wardrobe tips.
Jewelry Tips
If you have a short neck, some necklace work better than others.
- A jeweler can shorten necklaces. you can also do this with patience and a very small pair of pliers. If you want to share pieces with a larger torsoed person, insert a loop to close the chain in TWO places.
If you hands swell up and your fingers are much bigger at the end that at the beginning of the day, there are some rings which can accommodate changing sizes:
- Braided rings have more "wiggle room" than solid rings.
- "Puzzle rings" also work well if your ring size changes throughout the day. There have interlocking pieces that click together.
