Front opening beats pulling over your head
Button-front pyjamas, shirts, cardigans and zip hoodies are useful because they can go on around a cannulated arm without threading half your body through them.
They are also easier if lifting your arms is uncomfortable.
If you already know one arm or shoulder is going to be awkward, this tiny bit of clothing logic can save an astonishing amount of faff.
Loose waistbands are your friend
Anything tight around the waist can become deeply offensive when you are sore, swollen or simply spending most of the day sitting in bed.
Soft joggers, loose pyjama bottoms and anything with a forgiving waistband usually beat jeans. Loose dresses can also be brilliant for some people after abdominal surgery because there is very little pressing around the waist — as long as they work with any dressings, lines or mobility advice you have been given.
Hospital is one of the few places where “but these trousers look nicer” is an argument nobody needs to win.
Layers work better than one huge warm thing
Ward temperatures swing.
You can be freezing, add a jumper, then five minutes later feel as though you have been sealed in a greenhouse.
A vest or T-shirt with a cardigan or zip layer is easier to adjust and easier to get on and off around lines.
It also means somebody can help with one layer rather than trying to remove an entire knitted fortress.
Pyjamas are not failure
There is sometimes a weird pressure to “get dressed properly” as though that proves something.
If getting into day clothes helps you feel more human, brilliant.
If pyjamas are the easiest, most comfortable thing that day, wear the pyjamas.
The useful question is not “does this look normal?” It is “can I get into it, move in it and stay comfortable?”
Feet matter more than fashion
Backless slippers look cosy and are absolutely everywhere.
They can also be rubbish when you are tired, unsteady or trying to walk with equipment nearby.
We prefer slippers with a back and a grippy sole, plus grip socks as an extra option.
If staff or physiotherapists have given you specific advice about what to wear on your feet or how to move around, follow that rather than us.
The goal is not to win Best Slipper on the Ward. It is to keep the things attached to your feet actually attached to your feet.
Many wards want you in secure, non-slip footwear before you are up and walking, and some provide grip socks where needed. Local practice varies, so follow the ward or physiotherapy team. Our own preference is still a proper slipper with a back and grippy sole, plus decent grip socks rather than anything loose and backless.
Pockets are underrated
If you are moving around the ward, pockets are brilliant.
Phone, tissues, glasses — the small things otherwise end up balanced on the bed and then disappear exactly when you need them.
Do not overload yourself, obviously. We are talking useful pockets, not converting your pyjama bottoms into a mobile filing cabinet. If you have a comfortable cardigan with pockets, that is the one we would bring.
Think about fastenings before you need them
Tiny buttons, complicated bras, belts, tight cuffs and anything that needs two good hands may be annoying depending on what treatment, lines or injuries you are dealing with.
Pack the version that is easiest to manage.
This is particularly useful for the person at home who has been sent to “bring some clothes”. Give them a photograph if there is any chance they will interpret “my comfortable cardigan” as the coat you wear to walk the dog.
Clothes also need a way home
For longer stays, use a simple clean-in / worn-out system.
Fresh clothes arrive. Worn clothes leave with whoever is visiting.
A spare waterproof bag for dirty washing is worth having because occasionally “dirty washing” is a polite description of what has happened to it.
You do not need to dwell on this. You do want a bag that will not quietly leak unpleasantness through the rest of the holdall. A proper waterproof laundry bag is perfect for the job, and we have one in our recommendations.
When moving is hard
If you need help getting dressed, standing or walking, ask the staff rather than pushing through because you do not want to bother anyone.
Your ability can change from one day to the next.
Say what you can manage today, not what you could manage yesterday.
And if you can safely do something yourself and want to, say that too. Independence is not all-or-nothing.
This is practical guidance, not medical advice. What is safe and suitable depends on your condition, procedure and mobility. Follow any specific instructions from your nurses, doctors, physiotherapists or other healthcare team.
Printed from thesicklist.co.uk/guides/what-to-wear-in-hospital