Dressing Professionally with a Cast
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Reader E has a question that should take us into an interesting discussion of how low the bar can go in terms of professional dressing if circumstances require it…
I broke my leg — in 11 places– over the weekend. I have been on bed rest for almost a week, and probably have another week of it. When I return to work, I will have a hard cast for 8-10 weeks. It goes from toe to knee, and is thicker than average because of all the metal inside from the severity of the fracture.
None of my pants will fit over the cast, and because it is so thick and heavy, it is really affecting my balance, so I have to be careful to not have anything that will hang in my crutches. I also have to sit at my desk with my leg elevated on a chair once I go to work. That eliminates many of my skirt suits, since the skirts are straight.
I am going to have to break some rules but want to know your thoughts on what is reasonable. I have a number of wrap style dresses, and figure I will wear them with a cardi. I have nude, gold and black patent ballet flats that are good quality and supportive, so those will be my shoe options.
I looked at Old Navy online and picked up some yoga pants and a knit a-line skirt. The pants are cropped and will stretch over the cast. As long as they don't fade, can I wear them to work with a nice T and a drapey cardigan? What about the knit skirt? It is at the knee, and is soft enough to not worry about showing my business with my leg up, but not so soft that it is overly revealing. I am thinking it with the same– nice T and cardi.
Yeooouch. Feel better, Reader E! I just talked to a reporter about how yoga pants are not appropriate for the office, but there are some caveats to that — when I polled the Corporette Facebook page people thought they were fine if you're in the final stages of pregnancy and can't find anything else to fit. I think your question is kind of along those lines, but even more poignant because what, exactly, are you going to do? It isn't a matter of cost — they simply don't make many outfits intended for a half-leg cast.
Pants are problematic because of the cast, and skirts are problematic because of the “elevated leg.” Honestly, my gut reaction would be to pick up 1-2 pairs of cheap pants (that you know will fit at the waist and hips) and cut one leg off at the knee to accommodate the cast. Any tailor should be able to finish the hem for you for $10; if you have some time on bedrest you can do it yourself.
For the dresses, I would suggest wearing shorts underneath them like reader favorite Jockey slipshorts — they may look tight but they're stretchy enough to get over your cast.
I would avoid cropped yoga pants at the office, but that's me — it depends on your office culture, and whether your personal bank of credibility is great enough that you can deviate heavily from office culture.
For my $.02, though, I would suggest you wear blazers whenever possible instead of cardigans. It shows that you still mean business, and it also keeps your outfits at a certain level. For example, yoga capris and blazer = comical. Wrap dress and blazer = great for the office. While usually blazers from suits look best with their matching bottoms, here you may want to experiment — particularly if the jacket is a solid color it may be a great addition to the outfits.
Readers, what are your tips for dressing with a cast? Particularly for those of you who've done it yourself, or worked with someone who had to wear a cast, chime in!!
Update: Do note that the readers have come up with much better suggestions than either a cut-off leg or yoga pants — check them out in the comments! My favorite suggestion: buy long pants and slit them up the calf. Perfect!
2021 updated images via Deposit Photos / ginasanders. Originally pictured: IMG_0866, originally uploaded to Flickr by soccerkrys.)
With all due respect to many of these suggestions, as someone who has been through this (in a cast 8 months), you have to understand that you will be continually exhausted just getting out of bed, bathing yourself, doing makeup/hair, etc. If you don’t have a partner, as I didn’t, it is difficult to do something as simple as make yourself a plate of food when you are on crutches. I had to buy a plastic chair to put in my tub, and install a long shower-head thingy just to take a shower. Everything is going to be more physically challenging, take three times as long and the constant fatigue from dragging that thing around will be hard on your mood.
Please make this easy on yourself. I would not have had the energy, especially in the early days, to buy a bunch of new clothes and take them to a tailor.
I went with a friend to Target, and bought five pair of the Merona fold-over wide-leg black pants. Not really yoga pants, more like leisure pants. The wide leg fits easily over a cast, you don’t have to struggle with buttons, zippers, belts, etc., and you don’t have to wear pantyhose, slips or worry about people seeing up your skirt. (A long skirt would work, too.) Then I was able to wear a bunch of tops with them. With a nice top, cardigan, some jewelry, you will look just fine. For the weekends, t-shirts, hoodies, knit tops, etc. I had mine in winter so also bought several black turtlenecks I wore everywhere. I also bought a pair of fancier-fabric wide black fold-over pants (J. Jill maybe? Eileen Fisher?) and used those for more dressy occasions like a board meeting or going out.
Try not to fret over this. We are much more aware of how we look than others are. Remember, most people couldn’t remember what you wore yesterday to save their lives. They can’t even remember what *they* wore. We all walk around pretty much thinking about ourselves! Be kind to yourself, stay comfortable, and I hope you heal fast! :-)
Thanks for your support, EMJ!
I had no idea how tired I would be from the crutches, the schlepping, yada yada.
I have a messenger bag with my firm logo I have started using. It works better for me than the backpack — I can get keys and such out of the end pocket without having to take it off, and it is small — just a few files and the IPad and my wallet, so I am not overburdening myself.
None of my capris fit over, but i do have two pairs of bermuda shorts that are nice, black and a trouser denim. I am wearing them with a white button down and a jacket and belt. My top looks totally professional, bottom is practical. I am too tired to worry about what anyone thinks now that I am actually moving around!
I had such a case after the ACL surgery (although it was when I was a student, I worked already for NGO, had meetings, etc.).
I worked with ballet flats, no bags, but stylish rucksack (I know it’s terrible, but otherwise you’re going to fall from stairs. The other solution is to have someone to carry your bag). Dress as formal as possible on the upper part – always wear either shirt with buttons or conservative blazer – and even better both of them. My solution was to wear these terribly office inapropriate dressy shorts. I mean the ones which look like ordinary suit trousers, but are short (so end just above your cast). Joga pants in natural colour (black) would make a great job as well, I guess.
Don’t try with skirts or dresses, when you sit with the leg on the chair they would be revealing your underwear and the ankle lenght skirts are both office inappropriate and terrible uncomfortable if you walk with injured leg.
I feel your pain. I was 9 months pregnant, fell and broke my ankle in 3 places; I have a plate and lots of pins. It’s not a time I care to repeat. I had to elevate that leg or the swelling was excruciating. I tried one day at the office and after an hour or so I worked from home with my foot in the air a bit like the princess and the pea. I had some very understanding partners. A dress is my vote if you can move around, but you have some serious healing to do. Don’t rush it.
As someone who also works in a state capitol building and has been dealing with a broken bone in my foot for the past few months, I would second the recommendation of a knee scooter. Mine has a basket, so I can carry paperwork around the building. (I tried carrying it with crutches, but if it was more than a few pages, it was hard to grip). Also, the crutches tended to slip occasionally on the marble floor.
I don’t know that I ever really figured out how to dress fashionably with the cast on. I couldn’t drive with the cast on, and the unknown amount of the medical bills made me nervous to buy much new clothes.
Now that I’m out of the cast, and going through physical therapy to walk again, my question is, what should I do about my wardrobe that has mainly been based on wearing heels? I’m required to wear suits most days of the week. The pantsuits are all too long without heels on, but I’m not eager to spend money on tailoring when I hope to be back to heels in a few months. My legs look sort of weird in skirt suits without heels on. Any suggestions?
I have had 3 ACL replacements and a 4th knee procedure done in the past 5 years, so you know I’m speaking from experience here. At the time of the first one, gaucho pants were in style anyway. I bought a couple pairs at Ann Taylor and pretty much wore them every day for the first few weeks after each surgery. I was stuck in bulky ankle – to – upper thigh braces, and I was also on crutches. The gauchos look professional in the right fabrics, are wide legged enough to fit over anything, will preserve your modesty when you prop your leg up, and are generally extremely comfortable.
I did some quick googling -they are available still online, and Target actually sells them for $12! http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/178-6755659-8758122?asin=B004QF7OC2&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B004QF7OC2&CPNG=&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B004QF7OC2&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001
Oh no, I’m so sorry. I quite literally feel your pain — I broke my leg last January and went through the whole cast and crutches debacle. Some advice:
Get a temp handicapped parking permit, NOW. Your doctor will sign for it, you WILL need it. It was a lifesaver once I started driving but could not hop very far.
I did not wear skirts or dresses with my cast/crutches. Is was too much of a PITA; too much risk of flashing, too many times I wiped out in my crutches and landed on my butt. Yoga pants or any kind of stretchy pants are the way to go. If you’re on the shorter side, capris are better. Anything that fits more like a flood pant is better. Wide-legged is NOT your friend, and neither are long skirts. You cannot risk landing your crutch on fabric, or some fabric catching on your crutch. You will wipe out.
Shoes: wear a tennis shoe and forget about it. You need every bit of support and safety you can get. Again, you slip — you wipe out. Once I got an air cast, I needed extra-wide sneakers to be able to fit the cast into it. Easy Spirit’s sling-back sneakers were basically the only thing that fit since they had enough stretch to go around the air cast.
A backpack was a lifesaver; I could not carry files around the office without it. At home, I spent my days on our main level in a rolling office chair since our mail level has hardwood floors. This didn’t work as well on the carpeted office floors, but was a handy trick here and there.
Not to be too obvious about my 70s roots, but has anyone suggested coulottes? and I don’t mean the tacky ones we did actually wear in the 70s lol. But I remember my mom (a teacher) wanted to dress nice but still be able to sit on the floor with her kids and had several pair made of nice material – when she was standing it looked like she had a full skirt on. I don’t even know if anyone makes these anymore but they would be pretty simple for a seamstress to whip up if you know anyone with sewing skills.
Due to so many comments someone may have mentioned availability of nice quality ponte knits, especially wide leg pants. Also, was just recently at a wedding with father of the bride in a cast. Tux pants sliced up the outside leg seam as needed with edges finished so not sloppy or frayed but also not flapping as he walked so must have been connected in a few places. Best wishes for an easy as possible recovery.
just wanted to suggest padded bicycle gloves for using the crutches (they are not expensive, and, conveniently, come in black) — this is from my own experience with forearm crutches and trying to get across the street in time for the traffic lights, catching trains etc. All the best for an excellent recovery!
I just broke my leg two weeks ago and have found that my walking shorts (to the knee) that look just like suit pants, with that same professional material, from The Limited and Target are a great option with my cardigans. Dressy cotton cardigans with dress tees have been easier to manuever with my crutches also. I also found a small messenger bag that crosses across body easy to use since I have access to it in the front. Good Luck and make up for your temporary casual dress when you get out of your cast by dressing ultra professional!
When I broke my foot I had a similar set of imperatives. Most short solutions I tried tended to ride up with my leg elevated. Thongs were the only under-garment that worked for me. The only comment I got about my corporate dress was a request that I trim back my private hedge. I eventually tried laser hair removal and that made it all more convenient.
Shater skirt
I went to high school in Colorado. In three years there, four kids broke their legs skiing. The standard thing to do was slit your jeans at the side seam so they fit over the cast. This would work for dress slacks also. The pants can be sewn up when the cast is removed.