Styles and design · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read
Easy-fastening clothes for stiff hands or shoulders
Clothes for arthritic or stiff hands and shoulders: front openings, larger buttons, soft waists, roomy armholes and necklines that pass easily over the head.
InspirationThe quick list
If stiff hands or shoulders make dressing awkward, look for clothes that open fully at the front, use a few large buttons or simple fastenings instead of many small ones, have pull-on waists, and give generous room at the armholes, sleeves and neck. These changes reduce the fine finger work and the arm-raising that make getting dressed slow.
This is practical clothing advice only. For anything about the condition itself, or for dressing aids, speak to your doctor or an occupational therapist.
Where ordinary clothes are hardest
Most of the difficulty comes from a handful of details that are easy to design out once you know to ask.
- Rows of small buttons, or buttons in tight loops.
- Zips in the centre back that need both arms behind you.
- Narrow neck openings that need pulling and tugging over the head.
- Close sleeves and high armholes that have to be wriggled into.
- Drawstrings that need tying in a knot.
Openings that do the work for you
A kurta or shirt that opens all the way down the front goes on like a jacket: one arm, then the other, with no lifting over the head. Our guide to kurta plackets and buttons shows the placket styles. If you prefer a pull-on kameez, ask for a deeper neck slit or a wider neckline so it passes over the head without a struggle.
Where a zip is needed, a side zip with a large pull is easier to reach than one at the back. Wrap styles can work too, but check whether they close with ties, which need a firm grip.
Buttons and fastenings to ask about
Larger, flat buttons with a clear edge are easier to grip than small domed ones, and slightly longer buttonholes let them pass through with less force. Fewer buttons, spaced further apart, help as well. Some people like decorative buttons sewn on the outside with simpler fastenings behind them. Whether a particular fastening can be used depends on the fabric and the design, so describe what you find easy and we confirm what is possible in the written quote.
Waists, sleeves and armholes
For trousers, a fully elasticated waist pulls up without any fastening at all, and a slightly wider leg opening makes stepping in easier. Straight trousers with an elastic waist look neat enough for most settings.
If raising or rotating your shoulders is the problem, ask for a deeper armhole and a sleeve with more width at the top. Relaxed shapes such as a kaftan-style kameez, cut wide through the body and sleeve, are among the easiest garments to put on. Fabrics with a soft drape slide over the arms more easily than stiff ones.
Putting it in your enquiry
Made to measure is a good way to get these details, because each one is simply part of the brief. List them in your enquiry through custom stitching: opening, fastenings, waist, armholes, sleeves and neckline. If you like one of our designs, you can ask for it customised with a different neckline or sleeve. Nothing is cut until the details are agreed in writing.
Common questions
Can a kameez open all the way down the front?
Yes, a full front opening is a common style for kurtas and shirts. Say that you want it to open fully so it goes on like a jacket, and mention how many buttons you are comfortable with.
Can you use hook-and-loop tape or magnets instead of buttons?
Describe what you would like in your enquiry. Whether a fastening can be used depends on the fabric and the design, and what is possible is confirmed in the written quote before anything is made.
Which fabrics are easiest to put on?
Soft fabrics with some drape, such as lawn or a fine cotton, slide over the arms and head more easily than stiff or heavily embroidered ones. Lining with a smooth surface also helps.
