The Basics: Shorts and Pants

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a mid-rise, skinny jeans wearer. And then, recently, I had a revelation. I discovered high-rise mom jeans, and I must say, we were meant for each other.

I’ll admit that the hardest clothing item for the brace, are bottoms. Not to mention that they aren’t nearly as fun to shop for as tops or dresses (you can only look at denim so many times before you get sick of it). Between a change in size, slipping off the plastic, and concealing the brace, finding jeans and shorts can be time consuming and very frustrating (I’ve had more than enough yelling-into-my-pillow sessions about my clothes).

In regards to pants, I’ve found that the stretchier, the better, especially when it comes to denim. The one restriction is an elastic waist - something elastic that comes without a drawstring or button easily slips off the brace. Waist wise, I recommend high waisted jeans (insert heart-eye emoji) because they stay on the brace and do not slip under the bottom strap, unlike mid-rise and low-rise jeans. I love the Topshop jeans - they are just stretchy enough and are SO comfortable. I especially enjoy the Jamie cut. Aside from skinny jeans, I have found that mom jeans and boyfriend jeans can help conceal the brace a little bit more when you are wearing shirts that don’t quite cover the brace. Topshop and Urban Outfitters have great mom and boyfriend jeans.

I am a slave to denim...the addiction has begun to reach an unhealthy stage, and lately, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to cover up my obsession. Enter high waisted leggings: they are literally pajamas, but can still make you look put together if need be. Lulu Lemon and Old Navy both have great leggings that work relatively well when it comes to staying on the brace. However, because leggings are a thinner material than denim, the brace can show through more in the hip area. Hence, I try to look for thicker-material leggings when doing my shopping.

As we are approaching summer, i’m afraid that I have to address the elephant in the room: shorts. My downfall. Shorts, for me, are my most hated clothing item of all time. I understand that they can be practical, but I just don’t like them. However, if, like me, you live in sunny, hot weather (this SoCal sun never retires), and shorts are a necessity, they just follow the same rules as the jeans - generally material that is a little bit stretchier works well and a high waist is always a bonus.

All clothes aside, I try not to worry too much about my brace showing, because I consider it to be a part of me (yatta yatta yatta...yes, we get it Kate, positivity is key). I have never been too bothered about my brace showing...most of my classmates already know that I wear a brace, and I think that it is important not to focus too much on covering the brace up. But I also know that there are days where you just feel like you need to conceal it, and hopefully these tips will help. And when you are scrolling through websites online or trying on dozens of pairs of shorts in a sweaty dressing room, knowing in the back of your mind that they probably won’t work, just remember, we’re bent, not broken! :)

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