Knee Brace saga continued. Chapter on fashion vanity.

[HeronNS]

I've been sent home with a knee brace on trial for a week. It does help, although I'll be breaking it in for a few days before heading out for what I consider a proper walk. However already I've noticed a problem no one warned me about. What the heck do you wear over these things? The jeans I put on today rode up handily, sort of climbed up the brace for the whole four or so hours I wore it. They are not, of course, particularly skinny, skinny jeans wouldn't fit over the brace, more's the pity, but not baggy either. In between. I cannot wear this brace over clothing, it won't do its job properly. I hope when the weather gets cold my long underwear will fit over the brace. If it doesn't, there's another problem, one for another day, though.

Wear a skirt, you say. I can't wear skirts and dresses because my feet hurt in pretty shoes, and sneakers look horrible with skirts and dresses. I haven't worn skirts or dresses for years, except for coolness when on holiday in the heat and could wear sandals.

[DorsetLady]

Apparently it’s all the fashion to wear sneakers with dresses/skirts nowadays. But it think the length has to be right - mid calf to maxi for me. Or how about ankle boots?

[HeronNS in reply to DorsetLady]

Through sad experience and a lot of wasted money I've found I can only wear very supportive running shoes and don't like the look of a skirt with them. This is not a look destined to last! Plus skirts very impractical at this time of year in our climate. Mid-calf is an unflattering look on anyone, no matter what the fashion mavens say. It does seem wide-leg trousers are quite "in" at the moment, if I can find some I actually like. Lord, I am picky aren't I? But there is something about having to wear an appliance in order to walk which is a bit of a blow to one's self-image and I'm in a period of adjustment. I'd like to be able to go out looking like a million bucks, which is terribly vain I know but I have so few pleasures in life these days!

[DorsetLady in reply to HeronNS]

Nothing wrong in wanting to look your best!.....I’m rather guilty of that myself. 😉

[Bcol]

Hi Heron, fantastic that you have managed to find a brace that seems to a) work and b) fits, being nothing but being a mere male though the fashion debate I'm not qualified to comment on! However you solve that one, and you will, I hope you can enjoy getting out and about again.

[HeronNS in reply to Bcol]

I "think" it's going to be all right. It was literally the only one we could find which might work for me. At present I have one week to try it out to find out if it's the one or if I need to get one custom made - my pocketbook would not like that!

[Chaika]

I had a knee brace which I wore for two or three years. It did help and I managed quite well with it. It was clunky to wear, though, and I always had the problem with trousers catching on it. The legs had to be quite wide to go over it so I ended up buying clothes which I could wear with it. Even skirts didn’t fully work because they had to be really quite long to cover all of it. In the end I just put up with occasional comments and my (adult) daughter coming up to me and pulling the bottom of my trouser leg down from time to time.

[HeronNS in reply to Chaika]

I think this will have to be my future too. I"m annoyed mostly because it's not that long since I bought a number of new pairs of trousers because I've become so thin and needed a smaller size, and maybe if I'd kept the old ones they'd actually have been better! My new brace looks so sleek in the pictures but it isn't really

[Batty1]

Just wear the brace over your pants thats the simplest way or you will spend so much time fussing with your pants.

[HeronNS in reply to Batty1]

Can't. Specifically told to wear next to the skin or only over a kind of leg sleeve (undergarment).

[Batty1 in reply to HeronNS]

What about wearing leggings those are skin tight and wear long fancy top

[HeronNS in reply to Batty1]

I believe the device has to be exactly positioned and if it slips it does more harm than good. Good suggestion, though, wish I could use it! I think it will have to be loose trousers of some fabric which doesn't catch on the brace. These things are not designed by users. A slippery exterior would probably eliminate my problem! Maybe I can find an "over sleeve" to create that slippery surface. Hmmmm....

[Batty1 in reply to HeronNS]

What type of brace did you finally settle on? A sleeve or hinge type?

[HeronNS in reply to Batty1]

It's a hinge. If you want to look it up, DonJoy Nano. It's only because nothing else in the store would work for me, really no choice. I tried on a different hinge, one which the orthotist thought wasn't right for me, and a sleeve type, which I found terribly uncomfortable. Everything else wasn't eligible although there are cool looking sporty ones which I wouldn't mind displaying!🤣😎

[Batty1 in reply to HeronNS]

It looks like a nice brace actually and YES I can see where wearing pants would definitely be a problems and some reviewers commented about this too. One person (lady) bought this one for wearing under slacks OA Fullforce, per her review comment and the one you have I guess for everything else?

I hope this brace gives you the pain free freedom we all deserve!

[HeronNS in reply to Batty1]

Would you be able to send the link to that review?

[Batty1 in reply to HeronNS]

Just copy the name of your brace and hit search it will pull it right up ... for life of me I can not get links to work here.

[HeronNS in reply to Batty1]

Oh, actually I just looked it up. The Fullforce offloads weight from the affected compartment, and ALL of my compartments are affected, so it's one of the ones which won't work for me, unfortunately. Given my condition I must have done really well up to a few months ago. My muscles had been doing the job the brace is designed to do, and it was letting them get weak, although inadvertent, which has likely led to this whole annoying and painful business. Just off for my second (!) short walk af the day, so things are looking up already. Todays jeans working better (baggier), but they are lighterweight summer ones and have embroidered flowers on them!

[Batty1 in reply to HeronNS]

I was just saying what another reviewer said about the second brace.

I hope you have fun walking around !

[Fruitandnutcase]

This year and last I decided I didn’t care what I liked like and wore either my running shoes or Ecco lace ups all summer. I was really comfortable in them and got used to how it looked. Saying that though by the end of both summers I had lovely brown legs and totally white feet. Definitely an unusual look.

Can you wear tights under your knee brace? If you can I’d go for that and any kind of skirt, if not long socks and long skirts

[HeronNS in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

No, brace has to be against skin or only over a special leg sleeve. Winter is the problem, but I'll live. It's not like we get out much these days anyway! I just wanted to make up for this crappy situation by getting some new clothes which made me feel, if not look, like a million bucks. Self-esteem pretty low at moment.... Also a pity I gave away trousers that were too big for me, because they would have fitted over brace much better, and that was only a few months ago. Always the way, isn't it? 🙄🤣

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to HeronNS]

I’m no expert in fashion - well I wore lace up shoes all summer and with everything - but what about treating yourself to a pair of palazzo pants - I think they have real wide legs. Sorry you are feeling so low, hopefully things will improve soon.

[HeronNS in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I have to wear lace up shoes all the time anyway. I think I've always had feet which hurt, from a very early age. Luckily flat shoes came in style around the age I would have been wearing heels so I only wore them for special occasions. Can't remember last time. Forty years ago? I was actually surprised that heels came back into fashion again later, and now it's worse than ever. But many things about the modern world surprise me because we've known better for so long....

[HeronNS in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Palazzos look cool. Never heard of them before. See, that's why I throw out questions like this! Btw this thread has been much more helpful than the one I started on FB.