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I am trying to buy some new clothes for a nursing home resident. She has lost weight and the clothes she has there are now two or three sizes too big!


I am having trouble with pants. I need pants with a 25.5 inch (or 26 at most) inseam. They need to be pull on and washable, of course. Unfortunately, she doesn't like capris. She keeps trying to tug them down.


I found a pair at Macy's but when I went back to reorder they said they were backordered in her size to JULY! UGH! I used to buy petite (28 inch inseam) and have them hemmed but I don't sew and the tailors are all closed. Even petite short sometimes needs to be hemmed.


Does anyone have a good place to shop for online clothes that are soft, washable, easy to put on and for the very short? Thank you!

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Try looking at Amazon for women's elastic waist pants.
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For my own Mom, she loved items from www.ShopNational.com
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Alfred Dunner pull on polyester pants from J.C. Penneys.
They come in a variety of short sizes and are easy to wash.
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JoAnn29 May 2020
Yes, bought these for Mom. They hold up very well.
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What about sweatpants or leggings? They're soft, cosy, easy to wash and best of all cheap, plus they come in lots of colours.
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Try Amazon and QVC, and Walmart.com. I myself am about her pants length, and she might be willing to try “ankle length”, or “ankle length” petite. Also, if she’ll wear them, something with a soft ankle cuff will help a little with the length too.

I’ve gotten pants for my LOs and myself at all three of these places. See what they have online!

Good luck!
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Alicew234 Apr 2020
Thank you! I'll search for ankle length. That's a great suggestion.

I hope I find something. Plan B is I learn to hem pants! I should probably do that anyway. I hand sewed a mask a couple weeks ago (or was it last week? Who can tell?) and I'm really proud of it. (even though my sister says it looks like I'm wearing underpants on my face. haha)
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My mom bought lots of stuff at Blair. They usually have petite available and have knit pants with matching tops.
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Alicew234 May 2020
Thank you! Very cute clothes!
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JCP has short and petite short pants in some of their brands. Also, "ankle length" pants might work for her.
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All good suggestions. I would not get rid of what she has. My Mom went up and down in her weight. She had size 16 and 14s and I had to buy 12s at one point. Boscov's sells Alfred Dunner. You may want to try them online. I would wonder why this person has lost so much weight. My Mom had Thyroid problems, reason for weight loss. When her numbers went back to normal she gained the weight back. I had stored her larger sizes in totes at my house.
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Alicew234 May 2020
Her usual size was Medium or 12/14. She put on a bunch of weight before she entered the nursing home so the clothes she has there are XL (16/18). She is probably reverting to her normal weight now that she isn't allowed to eat anything she wants all day and night. Her caregiver was in denial.

She had tons of clothes in the right size but we needed clothes with no zippers, buttons, no "dry clean only"....her old life wasn't as "loungey" as her current life. She was a sharp dresser.

All the suggestions were very helpful! Thank you to the forum!
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I've had good experiences on eBay. I have found that the sellers will readily provide measurements when asked and sometimes item's inseam, etc is already part of the item description and I don't even have to request it. I've also asked for the "unstretched" elastic waistband measurement - which helps give a more accurate idea on the fit. They are generally more than happy to provide info because they thrive on positive feedback and repeat business.
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Hi! It's trial and error with brands online for sure. I think Land's End is a good value and has a wide range of sizes and cheery colors and styles that are machine washable.
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Alicew234 May 2020
Lands End had exactly what I was looking for- only the pants in her size were on backorder. Good to know for the future when the supply system is back up and running!
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There is a company called Buck and Buck that has all kinds of options for disabled and infirm. They hem men’s pants to whatever waist size and inseam you specify, so I imagine women’s too. They are pretty expensive but worth it to be able to get what is needed. The clothes are well made. Take a look at their website. Hope this helps.
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Kohl’s. Some in petite short. Plus lots if sales and coupons!! Agree about trying crop pants. Often in 25” length. I am short and it works for me.
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I agree with cwillie. Our biggest challenge is soft. As people age their skin thins and thus with some people their nerve endings signal pain unless material is extremely soft and clothing loose. We have struggles with this for my Mom. She began insisting on wearing her clothes inside out because the seams irritate her skin. We found Walmart sweat pants great. I looked for sensory clothes used for autistic people but didn’t find anything suitable for her age (she’s 92) and style (she may be memory impaired but she knows what silly looks like). She also uses pants and shirt liners (turned inside out of course) to help. Labels irritate as well. People occasionally remark to me she has her clothes inside out and I receive that info with kindness and explain she knows and intends it so. She is with it enough to ask me if I am embarrassed to go out with her like that and I always reassure her I am not. And that’s the truth. My Mom’’s a trooper and remains the epitome of kindness of heart and self giving, even with no short term memory.
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Land’s End are great and I’ve bought them for my mom, but they run big, so order smaller size. I’ve read their reviews and many people say the same thing. She loves the elastic waisted jeans, they’re not too thick, and very durable through washings.
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carolwright'sgifts.com  I bought items were good prices and fit mom well.  My mother was very stiff and hard to dress so  I went a larger size . look for discount codes and order the mail catalog
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Polar Fleece type pull on pants are great and they can be cut off if they are to long. The cut edge will not fray like other material so you don't even have to sew the hem.
The nice thing about fabric like this is it is easy to wash and dry, does not stain easily.
You can find them in Men's, Woman's or Children's departments so if you get solid colors they are pretty much "uni-sex" as well as gender neutral.
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Check Land's End. My mom is also short, and their catalog listings have measurements. I found a style that I didn't have to hem. (Forgot the name.)
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juanitaloo May 2020
Land's End does hemming for free (slacks, jeans, etc.)
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I second Kohl's. They have a good selection of petites (and short and ankle length) online. They almost always have sales going on (and percentage off with kohls card) and have a good return policy if the items don't work out.

I believe they list the inseam on the item if you expand the details on the product page. I live in their petite and ankle length leggings! Soft, washable, and cute with a tunic top.
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You might try CareZips found online at its own site (CareZips.net) or many other caregiving sites. This a pair of pants for day or night wear which are easy on and off with 3 large zippers. Invented for help in incontinence, but they sure are helpful for all kinds of reasons.
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I'm delighted to see that they still make this and you can buy it on Amazon -

Wonderweb Wundaweb Extra Strong Hem Tape Iron On Fusible Fabric Tape No Sewing - 3 Meters x 20mm (Pack Of 1)

I assume you know one end of an iron from the other? If not you can still go to heaven :) - just ask a neighbour or pay a teenager or something...
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Alicew234 May 2020
Haha. Yes, you have nailed my skill level vis a vis sewing. haha

I can learn to hem. I don't think anyone will notice if the hem is crooked. As long as she isn't tripping on her pants, I think I'll be forgiven for sending pants with crooked hems.

But while I have the opportunity, WHY do women's clothing makers have such wide variations in size? I sent up one brand's large and it fits great but another maker's large is sliding off of her. SO frustrating.

Rant over. haha
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I have used Blai (only online here). Reasonably priced. Good selection.
I hope that helps.
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Try BonWorth.com for some pants. They have all pull on, they have xsp which means extra small petite. I buy online with them and my mom loves the clothes. She said she is comfortable and it's easy for her to get them on. She is wheelchair bound so has to have a helper dress her. I buy her LP which is Large Petite. All pull on. She loves their denim pants but equally happy with all the others I've bought for her. And a lot of times their $30 tops are on sale for $5.99.
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My mother is in a nursing home and i buy all her clothes online.
I buy from Bonworth a lot but wait for the sales. Regular prices can be expensive, but the sales are good. They carry petite and petite short.
https://www.bonworth.com/

I also buy from Blair. They some petite and petite short knit pants, not much petite tops.
https://www.blair.com/



I have had good luck with both online retailers. they are very good with returns. They offer sales at times and free shipping. Sign up for emails and they will send emails on their sales and offers.
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louisetravels May 2020
I agree with shopping from Blair; it is my go-to for my 91 year old mother who still wants to look good and fashionable. Reasonable prices and good return policy. I've even purchased items for her 84 year old husband!
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JPenney pants, shirts, small, big, undies, jammies, coats, shoes, etc.
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I love the petite scrubs off of Amazon soft and cotton. Lots of pockets for tissues. Also any pull on pant. My mom who hated walmart clothes loved the soft knit pull up pants with a draw string Walmart sells.
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Amazon . You can limit the search criteria. I bough size 5 1/2 shoes for my Mom as well as petite jeans with elastic waist. Plus if they don’t work they have easy return policies.
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I order from Blair.com. They offer attractive casual clothes at great prices, most often there are sales and free shipping as well. Every item offers reviews from customers, so you can get opinions on fit and quality before purchasing.
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I get my brothers from Amazon. I do have to hem, but I don't mind. He's mostly in a wheel chair, but don't want any trips when going to the bathroom. JC Penny's also has good quality and reasonable prices. I stopped buying expensive clothes because I'm not able to do the laundry and they crucify clothes when washed. They also get stained easily - so new ones are ordered each quarter...
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I buy the fleece outfits made by Karen Scott that are warm & comfortable at Macys. You can buy online at Macy’s.com & have delivered to SNF ....My mother wears them every day. Good luck & hugs 🤗
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https://www.ebay.com/usr/kathythorpek
I have an online ebay store. What size waist do you need?
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