Sunday, 20 February 2011

Do Retailers Ignore Elderly Female Customers

Do Retailers Ignore Elderly Female Customers?

Have you ever noticed a senior sitting quietly in a wheelchair, tucked away in the corner of a retail store and trying to get some help?  This occurs more often than you think.  Retailers seem to believe that anyone over 35 is not worth bothering about.  What could they possibly be interested in other than a nightgown or a scarf or such?  A lot, and shop owners had better start to pay attention to this segment of our population.

Online, senior women as well as elderly men needn't face any such challenges, other than trying to find clothing that they consider stylish and comfortable and sometimes adaptive to their mobility needs.  If they take a look at a wonderful site which caters to seniors, at www.classicclothingshop.co.uk they'll be able to browse as long as they want to amongst terrific clothes for over 70, and even classic ladies clothing that will be timeless, yet in tune with where they are at now in their lives.

Seniors do pretty much everything they used to do when they were a few years younger.  They still like to go dancing, or be at a dance.  They love to read, go to a nice museum or art gallery, and with reasonable health, enjoy outdoor activities such as boating or hiking.   Physically challenged athletes have shown us that anyone who wants to, no matter what challenges they face, can do pretty much what they set their minds to.

When anyone shops online the advantage is that no one can see you and you can shop at any hour of the day or night and wherever you want to -- it could be halfway across the world!  A lot of elderly knitwear and elderly dresses and more are purchased by seniors, and the number of shoppers online for this type of market is growing.   Seniors may already be online or need assistance from a relative or friend to surf the Internet.  They should always be involved in clothing purchases so that the results are pleasing and enable a person to feel good that they can help themselves pick out wonderful clothes for the elderly.

One word of caution -- where you can help a senior family member when they shop online -- if they are not aware of secure sites and how to keep personal information safe when shopping, sit down at the computer with them and visit that great clothing site -- www.classicclothingshop.co.com and show them how easy and secure purchasing mature womens clothes can be!  Never talk down to a senior, but talk up to and respect them and enjoy the shopping session together! 

After they get the new clothing in, talk them out for a cup of coffee and a chat. They may enjoy that more than anything else.

Senior Clothing Needs in Retirement Homes

                                                          
Sometimes, clothing needs for seniors or others in retirement or assisted living facilities, is different than their regular wardrobes.  As we age, our fashion preferences change and we may be doing different things than we used to.  A comfortable robe or simple dress may be all that's needed while inside the facility, and when visitors come, something fancier can be put on.  Of course, a senior may not be as nimble as they used to be and staff can be busy at other things, so elderly dresses or elderly knitwear for seniors has to be easy to put on and take off!

Take  a look at  a great site for senior clothing -- it's at www.classicclothingshop.co.uk.  You'll find designs that seniors will like and this company actually cares about style and comfort for an older person, and you can see how it reflects in the variety of designs and types offered. Most seniors seek comfort over fashion, but some people retain all of the design and fashion preferences they've had during their lifetime.  It may be from decades previous, but it's their preferences and should be respected.

Even though someone is in a senior care facility, several types of clothing are needed.  There's private-stay-in-your-room-and-read-a-good-book-clothing, which can be a robe or bed jacket or other piece by Michael Gold Clothes, for instance.  For lunch with other residents, something a little fancier in mature ladies clothes could be a lovely dress that's in the resident's favorite color.  For outings, the choice in clothes for elderly people can be wide and if you take a look through the online catalog at www.classicclothingshop.co.uk (perhaps with the resident) some excellent choices may be made.

Looking great is very important for seniors.  They may not express that, and of course shopping in a regular, crowded retail store can be impossible if the resident used a walker or wheelchair or scooter.  If they do use something with wheels, by the way, make certain that anything you choose for them, or that you choose together, is safe to wear or use in the wheelchair or scooter.  Clothing or blankets should not hang down.  If they get caught in a wheel an accident could happen or the senior may be unable to get out of the chair and start to panic.

Adaptive clothing is a boon for the elderly.  They can get in and out of it easily and even while still in their wheelchair.  Most human beings take pride in their appearance and the look they present.  You can help your relative or your neighbor or friend take pride and look good with some beautiful, comfortable and stylish new clothing.  Honestly -- it will really lift their spirits!

Dementia in Seniors

Dementia in Seniors

While Alzheimer's is one form of dementia, there are many others.  Anyone who has a relative in a nursing or care home knows what having this condition is like.  Some seniors have mild symptoms but a few have severe ones.  The majority lie somewhere in the middle.  Dementia is a broad term used to describe a person's brain when the intellectual capacity becomes diminished.  This doesn’t mean that the person in front of you who has dementia is any less of a person, but  you may become increasingly responsible for their entertainment, senior fashion needs, healthcare, and mental stimulation.

Dementia patients may suffer from loss of language skills, memory, complex motor skills, lack of judgment, and a deteriorating ability to feed or dress themselves.  Dementia can be caused by other than having Alzheimer's.  The latter is a definite disease which can be seen on a brain scan.  Dementia cannot, because it's not a disease, it's a condition.  If you are responsible for the care of a senior with dementia, you may think that certain things like clothing for elderly women would be the least thing on their mind, or yours.

During their lifetime some people are meticulous about their appearance.  Being unable to keep up that appearance or not even knowing that they've let things slide, can be devastating -- not only to the person, but to those in the family.  When you're thinking about what new and pretty items of clothing you can get for your dementia patient, check out www.classicclothingshop.co.uk.   You may be surprised at the reaction you get when you dress your relative, such as mom or your aunt, in a beautiful new (and very soft) bed jacket, or slip a robe onto their tired shoulders.

Minds and bodies have to be stimulated in order to help a person keep treasured memories and function for as long as they can.  Certain things in the senior's life can trigger happy memories and it can be as simple as the touch and feel of a fleece robe, all pretty in light green with spring flowers sprinkled around the collar, or the touch of a soft pair of slippers when you help them take a walk.  Some clothes for over 70 are specially adapted for seniors.  Motor functions can be impaired, especially with dementia, but certain clothing is very forgiving, yet can remain beautiful and quite inspiring.

Dementia can be  a way of life for a senior, but not all seniors get it.  Look around on www.classicclothingshop.co.uk and find a lovely present for the senior in your life with dementia.  It can make them smile and when they have this serious condition, any smile means a great deal.  Any elderly ladies clothing has to suit the person, but it definitely should not be dowdy or plain.  Young or old, we all want to look great most of the time.  Looking good can truly make us feel better, and that is another bonus to getting your senior loved one a lovely article of clothing.

Senior Clothing For Your Relatives


Most families have several seniors in them, especially if the family is multi-generational.  From cultures around the world we give respect to seniors -- often our grandparents, parents, great aunts and uncles.  One key factor in the aging of seniors is dignity.  Everyone deserves dignity and perhaps none more so than our elders.  Some families care for a senior in their home, or members may go and take care of an older relative in their own home.  Perhaps the caretaker is an assisted living helper, or even the spouse -- as half of a married couple.

Purchasing most types of clothing for a senior can be tricky.  All elderly clothing must be stylish yet comfortable.  If the clothing will be given as a gift then it must be easy to get in and out of, and yet look terrific.  Your grandparent will surely want to try that article of classic clothing on in front of all of the relatives!  If you've been looking for pinafore dresses for the elderly, because your grandmother was born and has lived in the country and loves remembering the good old days, then have a go at a wonderful site that caters to elderly clothing -- www.classicclothingshop.co.uk.

A lot of seniors cannot even leave the house to shop for clothes and some of the time, if no one else is able to shop for them, they end up almost in rags.  Anything that you get for your senior in clothes for elderly women or men, should be easy to wash.  If it's hard for a senior to buy clothes then it would be even harder for them to take anything to the dry cleaners.  And besides, some of those chemicals may make a senior sick.

Always keep comfort in mind when purchasing any older womens fashion clothing or accessories.  Skirts may be preferred but can be impractical if your senior uses a wheelchair.  On the other hand, their mobility is often impaired and a skirt can get really bunched up and become uncomfortable.  You can't force someone to wear a piece of clothing, either.    

Layering pieces is a good idea for elderly clothing.  You could shop online at www.clasicclothingshop.co.uk and purchase some basic pieces in neutral colors and these can be both layered, and interchanged.  A senior's metabolism often swings up and down, and especially if they are diabetic.  Try and avid clothing that's got lots of buttons on it.  Perhaps a simple frog closure or even a jacket without any fasteners will work the best.

Every now and then you can help your senior clean out their closets and organize their clothing.  Never do this without the input of the relative because there can be nothing worse than someone throwing away a favorite piece of their mature ladies clothes by mistake, and then making that person feel sad.  Also, consider buying or even making a handy pocket organizer for the relative's wheelchair.  This can hold the TV remote, a puzzle book, and a pair of eyeglasses!

Where to Buy Senior Clothing


When an older person gets dressed it may appear to them that the piece of clothing they are trying to put on, is trying to attack them!  It gets frustrating when fingers and minds don't work as they used to and trying to get dressed may just add to that frustration.  Good senior clothes should be great to wear, look at, and get on and off.  They should be safe and non-binding if the senior is bed ridden or uses a wheelchair or scooter.  You can take your laptop computer to the senior center or use the one in a common room if they have it, and along with the senior, cruise through a website which showcases senior clothing to a T -- http://www.classicclothingshop.co.uk/elderly-clothing.

You can show them a variety of different types of clothing and always let them choose what they want to wear.  There can be precious little dignity or free choice given to some seniors, so help in that area where you can.  Gone from a senior's wardrobe should be any underwear that fastens in the back (impossible to get to if you have arthritis), small buttons on blouses or shirts (even regular-aged people have trouble with those), stiff jeans and pants with zippers that often get stickier every time you wash them,  and lace-up shoes.  If a senior has difficulty with something they may abandon it and with clothing, that can lead to dressing in the same worn clothing every day, and being unable to express their frustration.

Adaptive and easy to use clothing is the answer and many companies now offer a wide selection.  Take a look at the variety on www.classicclothingshop.co.uk and you'll see plenty of styles that certainly don't look like any hospital wear you may have seen.  They have classic womens clothes and a line from Michael Gold Clothes, as well as pinafore dresses for elderly (they are so easy to get on and off), and many other quality clothing items.

A senior lady would enjoy underwear such as a bra that fastens up the front or a top with Velcro or magnetic fastenings.  These shirts and blouses have non-functioning buttons so the article looks exactly like a regular one and therefore preserves the dignity of the elderly lady.   Pants open by means of a front panel which lets the senior get in and out of them easily, as well as making it easy to use the bathroom!  Slippers and shoes should have Velcro fastenings and non-slip soles.   Make a special shopping date and sit down with the senior and have fun buying a few pieces of new clothing.  They will remember the time spent fondly, and the clothing you purchased together will make for some great memories!

Elderly Men and Womens Fashion Tips


As we get a bit older our fashion sense changes, as do our needs.  We are the same inside of course, but what we want to wear each day can change according to our age and situation.  Clothing for elderly women may have to serve several functions when we get older, such as ease of movement and fastening, and comfort level and washability.  If you are tired of looking at all of that high fashion, short skirts, uncomfortable fabrics and garish colors, then take a look at a website specifically for  mature customers who want to look great – Classic Clothing hop http://www.classicclothingshop.co.uk/.

Each decade brings choices in fashion.  All women like fun things, and articles of clothing which serve no practical purpose other than we like them, but we may also need extra cushioning and warmth and softness more often.  Senior fashion can include elderly knitwear that's attractive or one of those lusciously soft and pretty fleece bed jackets for sitting up and reading the latest spy novel at night!

Our bodies do change as we mature.  What once was often left uncovered, may need to be covered up -- or vice versa!  There's nothing wrong with dressing up every now and then, no matter what our age.  Being able to throw clothes into the washer and not worry about them at all is another feature which elderly ladies clothing has to have.  Who wants to bother with detailed care when there's too much to enjoy and watch and experience?

Clothes should fit you and suit your body shape, no matter what it looks like.  Every person is different and we all have bits and pieces we may want to uncover, or hide.  Tops with short sleeves are great because you won't get sunburned shoulders that way.  Collared jackets and a loose turtleneck will camouflage a neck that needs to be kept warm.  Darker shades may compliment your skin tones more than very light ones but an accent scarf or two will really work as an outfit and mood brightener. 

A brooch or favorite watch or necklace that's easy to slip on or off, or unsnap, would be wonderful at the next party or movie night.  Keep it simple with anything you wear so that it doesn't overshadow your own unique personality.  Take a few pleasant minutes and look at a great website for elderly dresses and many other items -- www.classicclothingshop.co.uk -- and enjoy browsing to your heart's content.  After you get that pretty new spring blouse, take your daughter out for a cappuccino and catch up on the latest family news!