Convalescent Chic
…is an oxymoron, I’ve decided.
Much to my chagrin, I’ll admit to having purchased a track-suity-thing to wear to and from the hospital, having been warned that my hip and leg will probably be a bit swollen after the surgery, and getting into my regular jeans/trousers would probably be impossible. I had to grit my teeth when I handed over the money, as I detest the ubiquitous tracksuit-as-daywear trend that seems to show little sign of waning here in LA, and up until now have refused to consider one.
Trying to find a new robe for the hospital was another challenge. If you’ve shopped for sleepwear lately, you may have noticed that the majority of colors available are more appropriate for decorating a nursery (babee peenk or babee bwue) than for an adult, and styles/fabrics available seem mostly to reside only on the extreme two ends of the contiuum of Nighties for Grandma to Nighties for Nookie. I finally ended up with a plain white robe and a couple of Asian patterned sleep shirts from the Soma store at 60% off. (My silk pajamas are NOT going to the hospital, and I don’t plan to spend 3-4 days in an open-assed hospital gown, especially walking the halls and during physical therapy! Une femme has her standards, even in extremis.)
picture by artist TAVIK FRANTISEK SIMON (1877-1942)
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Victorian consumptives had it all over us for convalescent chic. Trailing gowns, floating hair and sunken eys might not be the most practical for hip surgery, but you must admit the Lady in White had style! While a rusty silk negligee might be out for you, consider another staple of Victorian convalescents, the bed jacket. Perfect for being propped up on pillows and having your morning chocolate brought in by the ladies’ maid – or at least watching reruns – and keeping the chill off of your shoulders. Bed jackets stayed in regular use through the 50’s, but I recommend a 30’s version for the most Nora Charles-ish glamour. A bonus is that they now actually look great worn out over wide legged silk pants or trouser-cut jeans once you’re ready to put your convalescence behind you! Best of luck for a speedy and draft-free recovery.
Ah, a bed jacket sounds perfect! I’ll be out running (or hobbling) some last-minute errands today, will look for one of those while I’m out.
Best of luck on the hip surgery. I had a hysterectomy at Thanksgiving (laparoscopy)and got sent home in my sweatpants and very long sloppy sweater. No glamour for me, I’m afraid, though right after the holidays, I went out and got myself some very snuggly fleece jammies at JCP which have been doing yeoman service in our very cold nightime temperatures. In general, I find it a little bit difficult to find really nice things (the geography is against me, I’m afraid), so unless I want to order off the net, I have to (shocking) make them, so I’m a real collector of vintage patterns.
Best of luck, pseu! I’ll most definitely be thinking of you. When my daughter was in the hospital a couple of years ago, there was a room off the pediatrics ward with a spare computer where we could log in. And last year, when my friend’s son was in, there was an internet lounge. We’ll expect to hear from you!
Garnet Hill has nice jammies, and an amazing sale right now until Jan. 15. Ah, I well remember sending my mom out in desperation after my c section for some black knit pants. ugh. Honestly, after surgery, even a track suit counts as style. Don’t worry.
We will look forward to seeing you soon in your jacket and carre hermes. Best to you