Nights it is...

Dancer Girl really wanted to try and go without the brace at night when her hours were reduced.  We tried for a number of weeks to make it work but we both quickly realized that we were juggling her busy schedule and brace-free activities so much she was in it most nights anyway to get her hours in.

So she wears it only at night now.  It seems to be working alright most nights. And, she even got a weekend free of the brace at a youth retreat up in New Hampshire recently.

Now that she is in it mostly at night her need for clothes that fit over the brace has been reduced.  The ones she has still fit fine though so if she needs to she can wear it during the day and still have it be nicely concealed. (The line at her waist on the photo is from a belt, not from the brace. The sweater was found at TJ Max).

Maybe our next post though will be what she chooses to wear over it at night... haven't done the pajama post yet!

Cute tops over the brace

Fall is here and so different clothes are in order.  Most of what Dancer Girl wore last year still fits although she has outgrown some of it so needed a couple of replacements. The trick with this time of year is that the temperatures can change a lot from morning to afternoon to evening so lightweight long sleeves, or 3/4 length, and layers are alway good.

This first top we found at T J Max and is a fun, casual hoodie style that is not too heavy.  The pattern really hides the brace lines in the front and back but the style still retains some figure to it's form.  It hangs down past the hips and the shirt underneath and the patterns on the back pockets help hide any brace lines on the pants.

The second one is also lightweight and we found this at Nordstrom's Rack.  It is a looser fit and a little shorter but not quite a crop top. Dancer Girl can get a casual sort of style with a tank over the brace without revealing any of the brace. Because of the loose fit it hangs in the back in such as way as to hide the brace lines.

She is wearing a Sugar Lips seamless tank under her brace with both tops.  She is also wearing Everyday camisole from Kohl's over the brace to protect her clothing from the velcro straps and give the layered look.  That exact style is no longer available but this is similar, Women's Apt. 9 Essential Seamless Camisole, and is seamless so might work under the brace for some.

She actually fits the top of the brace in between the camisole and the shelf bra which ends up hiding the part of the brace that fits under her arm as well as providing a bit of protection for her underarm - very clever, I thought. These come in all sorts of colors and are often on sale so stock up when you have the chance!

Also, check out the latest fashion posts on "c-ing curves differently"

- she's got some great ideas for clothes to wear over a brace!

Summer Clothes for the Boston Brace

Summer is on it's way!  Today it is near 80 for the 3rd day in a row!  Not entirely typical for New England in May but we are certainly enjoying it!

We bought a few sleeveless summer items for Dancer Girl recently, from Kohl's and H & M.  More are likely on their way as we figure out just what will work best for the warmer weather.



The first is a summer dress from H & M.  It is black with tiny white flecks.  The waist is a thin elastic which provides some fullness as well as a waistline.  It hides the brace lines beautifully because it is dark, has a pattern, and it isn't tight fitting.  It would also look cute with a white or black cropped sweater, or even a denim jacket.  Dancer Girl is wearing a black Sugar Lips seamless tank under the brace.






The second is also from H & M.  it is a flowing tank top, black with small white zigzag stripes.  The pattern hides brace lines amazingly well and the fabric is nice and light. She is wearing the same black tank under her brace for this one.  It looks good with jeans, shorts, or a skirt.  (The jeans in this photo are from Kohl's).








The next three outfits are all from Kohl's.  We found a pretty, flouncy sort of tank top but the back is too revealing for the brace (it has lace and almost a racer back style). BUT, by putting this fun white denim vest jacket over top she found she can wear it with the brace. She was very happy.



This vest is likely going to be a popular item to cover up brace strap lines on days where another layer won't cause her to wilt.






This next one is a very pretty, almost sheer fabric. Dancer Girl is wearing a Sugar Lips seamless white tank under it in this photo but you could also go for one that is more off-white to match the lace.  Because of the delicate fabric she is also wearing another tank/cami over the brace.

The fabric flows so it hides the brace even though it is almost sheer and a light color.  It isn't as concealing as darker colors might be but she is happy enough with it.  The top did come in darker colors (orange and navy blue I think) but this was her favorite.





This last one looks like two tops but it is just one - the layers are attached along the shoulder seam. It is a lightweight fabric and the colors & design do a great job of hiding brace lines.


We know the hot summer days could prove to be rough, but we are on our way to being ready.  Dancer Girl still needs more shorts - she only has one pair right now that fit over her brace!!

Scoliosis Clothing: Part 3

We have found our local Kohl's to be a great place to find a variety of items that fit over our daughter's Boston brace for scoliosis.

Here are a few items we have found for cooler/cold weather;




This is a fairly light fabric but in a dark color to hide brace and velcro strap lines.  It looks nice over a tank top.  The belt adds a waistline that is otherwise hidden by the brace. The shirt can be worn without the belt for a looser fit.









A denim jacket is a great layer over shirts, tanks, long-sleeved tops, etc. and hides the velcro straps well, allowing you to wear a shirt underneath that might not otherwise be a good fit over the brace.  Styles come in a variety of lengths.  We found this one hid all the back straps well.  Shorter ones may not do to the same job so make sure it is long enough.








This pairs a nice, thick, warm sweater with a long-sleeved top.  The sweater has some texture to it with different woven patterns and can be worn open or closed.  The length hides any trace of the brace in the back of the pants.  The shirt has a wavy design on it, front and back, that do hide the brace lines well even without the sweater overtop.








Button-down casual shirts are a terrific layer over t-shirts and tank tops.  They can be worn either open or closed and many have the option of rolling the sleeves up and fastening them in place for a shorter-sleeved look.  These ones have some subtle lines and shape to them which can be seen best from the back.





For more clothing suggestions, check out some of our other posts:
In Scoliosis Clothing: Part 1 we posted about pants we found at Kohl's that work well with her brace.
In addition, Scoliosis Clothing: Part 2 talks about tops we found at H & M, another store where we have had success shopping for brace-appropriate clothing.