Under the Brace
The first thing that one needs to think about when dressing with a back brace is - what on earth goes under it? Yes, the brace is padded somewhat, but there are still elements of metal and plastic that aggravate the skin and can potentially cause sores or even bruising if there is no additional protection. With that in mind, I have found that a vest underneath the brace is a must. However, what has been more difficult is figuring out which vest works best!
I decided from the start that I needed to wear something cotton. The main benefit of cotton is that it will allow for better air circulation, which helps remove and absorb body moisture, drawing heat away from the skin and keep the body cool and dry. This is essential under a plastic and metal brace! Cotton is also hypoallergenic, so it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction or irritation to the skin.
My brace has a high neck plate, so initially, I searched for women's crew neck vests. These have been practically impossible to find for women though - most have a scoop neck, or even if they are classed as 'crew', they haven't been high enough. Therefore, I changed my plan and researched men's cotton vests and found the following from Amazon:
I decided from the start that I needed to wear something cotton. The main benefit of cotton is that it will allow for better air circulation, which helps remove and absorb body moisture, drawing heat away from the skin and keep the body cool and dry. This is essential under a plastic and metal brace! Cotton is also hypoallergenic, so it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction or irritation to the skin.
My brace has a high neck plate, so initially, I searched for women's crew neck vests. These have been practically impossible to find for women though - most have a scoop neck, or even if they are classed as 'crew', they haven't been high enough. Therefore, I changed my plan and researched men's cotton vests and found the following from Amazon:
It is a 100% cotton, Fruit of the Loom sleeveless athletic vest top for men, but it works perfectly for me with my brace. In terms of sizing, obviously the main issue is one's bust. There is some stretch in this vest top, but not enough to buy one's 'normal' size, so I went for the EU chest size that is 4" larger than my bra chest size. It works really well and I am very pleased with the results.
However, the vests are made from quite thick cotton and some days I prefer to have less underneath, despite the fact that the neck part is on my skin. So I have been experimenting with seamless, strappy vest tops. I think also, if one doesn't have the high chest/neck plate on the front of the brace, strappy vest tops would be far better generally. Marks and Spencer have a great range of these sorts of vests and I am most impressed with these Fairtrade cotton and elastane ones. They are great value, come in a fantastic range of colours and, of course - Fairtrade!
However, the vests are made from quite thick cotton and some days I prefer to have less underneath, despite the fact that the neck part is on my skin. So I have been experimenting with seamless, strappy vest tops. I think also, if one doesn't have the high chest/neck plate on the front of the brace, strappy vest tops would be far better generally. Marks and Spencer have a great range of these sorts of vests and I am most impressed with these Fairtrade cotton and elastane ones. They are great value, come in a fantastic range of colours and, of course - Fairtrade!
As the weather has got worse, I have taken to wearing crew neck t-shirts with sleeves. Again, I've gone for cotton on the whole and these can be bought almost anywhere - just check the height on the crew neck - and Marks and Spencer have a good selection in both short and longer sleeves. As ever, I would go for a larger size than normal - I tend to go one size up from my normal size on these, but have gone two sizes up on the long sleeved ones, just to get them on more easily. A bonus of these is that I can throw over a tunic or a pinafore dress which can hide the brace (or not, depending on the style of the outfit) and don't have to worry about anything else.