Choosing what to wear after hip replacement surgery can make getting dressed much easier during recovery. In the first days and weeks after surgery, bending, twisting, reaching toward your feet and lifting your legs may be difficult or restricted. Swelling and tenderness can also make fitted clothing uncomfortable.
The best clothes after hip replacement surgery are generally loose, comfortable and easy to put on while seated. Pants are especially important because lower-body dressing typically requires more bending and reaching than putting on a shirt.
Adaptive clothing can also make dressing easier by reducing the amount of bending, leg lifting and pulling required to get clothes on and off.
Quick answer: After hip replacement surgery, look for loose or adaptive pants, comfortable tops, stretchy waistbands and clothing that can be put on without significant bending or twisting. Side-opening pants can be especially helpful for people who have difficulty pulling traditional pants over their feet and legs.
Always follow the movement and dressing instructions provided by your surgeon, physical therapist or occupational therapist, as recommendations can vary depending on your procedure and recovery.
What to Wear Home After Hip Replacement Surgery
Plan your going-home outfit before surgery so you don't have to make clothing decisions while preparing to leave the hospital.
Comfort and ease of dressing should be the priorities.
A simple post-surgery outfit might include:
- Loose pants: Choose sweatpants, elastic-waist pants or adaptive pants that are easy to put on.
- Comfortable top: A loose T-shirt, sweatshirt, polo or sweater generally works well.
- Stretchy underwear: Avoid tight or restrictive waistbands around the hip.
- Easy layers: If it's cold outside, choose outerwear that doesn't make using a walker, crutches or cane unnecessarily difficult.
Avoid choosing your discharge-day outfit based solely on what you normally wear. Even familiar clothing can be frustrating if it requires more bending or pulling than you can comfortably manage after surgery.
Best Clothes to Wear After Hip Replacement Surgery
Pants
Pants are one of the most important pieces of clothing to think about before hip surgery.
Putting on traditional pants can require you to:
- Reach toward your feet.
- Lift each leg into a narrow pant opening.
- Pull fabric over your knees and hips.
- Bend forward to adjust the garment.
- Manage buttons, zippers or belts.
Those movements may be uncomfortable or difficult during early recovery.
Instead, look for pants with:
- Wide openings: Wider pant legs are easier to guide over your feet.
- Stretch: Flexible fabrics can accommodate movement and temporary swelling.
- Easy waistbands: Elastic or stretch waistbands eliminate rigid closures.
- Simple access: Side-opening designs can reduce the need to feed the foot through a traditional pant leg.
- Comfortable fit: Pants should provide room around the hip without becoming so loose or long that they create a tripping hazard.
Sweatpants and loose elastic-waist pants can work well for many people.
For someone who has difficulty bending or lifting the operated leg, adaptive pants may make dressing even easier.
Tops
Hip surgery usually has a much greater effect on lower-body dressing than upper-body dressing.
In most cases, there is no need to purchase highly specialized tops solely because of a hip replacement.
Instead, prioritize comfortable clothing that's easy to put on and doesn't feel restrictive.
Good options can include:
- Loose T-shirts.
- Polos.
- Sweatshirts.
- Sweaters.
- Comfortable button-down shirts if buttons are easy for you to manage.
If you also have limited hand dexterity, arthritis or another condition that makes traditional closures difficult, magnetic or other adaptive tops may be useful. But for hip surgery specifically, pants are usually the more important clothing consideration.
Underwear
Choose underwear that's stretchy, comfortable and easy to manage.
Avoid overly tight waistbands or garments that require significant pulling or adjustment.
If you expect swelling around the hip, having a few slightly looser options available can make early recovery more comfortable.
Pajamas and Loungewear
You'll probably spend more time than usual relaxing at home during the first part of your recovery, so comfortable loungewear is worth planning for.
Loose pajama pants, sweatpants and shorts with stretch waistbands can all work well.
Just make sure pant legs aren't so long or oversized that they create a tripping hazard while you're walking.
Best Pants for Hip Replacement Recovery
If you're going to buy clothing specifically for hip surgery recovery, pants should be at the top of the list.
There are several options depending on your mobility and how much assistance you need with dressing.
Loose Sweatpants
Sweatpants are an easy and affordable choice.
They typically have:
- Soft fabric.
- An elastic waistband.
- A loose fit.
- Few or no complicated closures.
The downside is that you still need to guide each foot through the full pant leg.
That may be easy enough for some people but difficult for someone with significant movement restrictions.
Elastic-Waist Pants
Elastic-waist pants can eliminate buttons, belts and traditional fly closures.
Look for styles with enough stretch to make pulling them up easier and enough room through the legs to avoid unnecessary tugging.
Side-Zip Adaptive Pants
Side-opening adaptive pants can make lower-body dressing easier when bending and leg lifting are difficult.
Instead of pulling each foot through a traditional pant leg, full-length side zippers allow the pant legs to open much wider.
Joe & Bella's Everyday Side-Zip Pants are designed to support seated dressing. The pants open along the sides, making it easier to position the garment around the legs before closing the zippers.
Once closed, they look like traditional everyday pants.
This can be especially useful after hip surgery because it may reduce the amount of:
- Bending toward the feet.
- Leg lifting.
- Pulling fabric over the legs.
- Standing required while getting dressed.
You can explore Joe & Bella's post-surgery clothing for adaptive pants and other clothing designed to make dressing easier during recovery.
How Adaptive Pants Can Make Dressing Easier After Hip Surgery
Traditional pants are designed with the assumption that you can easily bend, reach toward your feet and lift each leg into the garment.
Those movements may be much more difficult after hip surgery.
Adaptive pants change the way the garment opens rather than requiring the person wearing it to change how they move.
Side-opening pants, for example, can be opened while the wearer is seated. The garment can then be positioned around the legs and closed once it's in place.
For someone recovering from hip replacement surgery, that can mean less reaching and fewer complicated movements during one of the most routine parts of the day.
Adaptive pants may be particularly useful for:
- People with temporary post-surgery mobility restrictions.
- Older adults recovering from hip replacement.
- People who need help getting dressed.
- People who dress primarily while seated.
- People with arthritis or other mobility limitations in addition to their surgery.
The goal isn't to restrict movement. It's to reduce the amount of difficult movement required to get dressed.
How to Get Dressed After Hip Replacement Surgery
Your surgeon or occupational therapist may give you specific dressing instructions based on your procedure.
Many people find it easier to get dressed while sitting rather than trying to balance on one leg.
A typical approach may include:
- Sit in a stable chair. Avoid trying to put pants on while standing.
- Start with the operated leg. Position the operated leg in the garment first when putting on pants.
- Use a dressing aid if needed. A reacher or dressing stick can help position clothing without requiring you to bend as far.
- Pull the garment into place carefully. Avoid unnecessary twisting or reaching.
- Stand only when needed. Once the garment is positioned, you may be able to stand briefly to pull it fully into place if your care team says it's safe.
- Reverse the process when undressing. The operated leg is typically removed from the garment last.
Your occupational therapist or physical therapist can show you the safest technique for your specific movement restrictions.
Dressing Aids That Can Help After Hip Replacement
You don't necessarily need to replace your entire wardrobe.
A few simple dressing aids can make clothing you already own easier to manage.
Reacher
A long-handled reacher can help you guide pants or underwear over your feet without bending all the way down.
It can also be useful for picking up dropped objects during recovery.
Dressing Stick
A dressing stick can help move clothing into position and may be useful when pulling pants over the legs.
Sock Aid
Putting on socks can require significant bending.
A sock aid allows you to position the sock while keeping your torso more upright.
Long-Handled Shoehorn
A long-handled shoehorn can help you put footwear on without reaching all the way toward your feet.
Your occupational therapist may recommend specific dressing aids depending on your mobility and the precautions you're following.
What Clothes Should You Avoid After Hip Surgery?
During early recovery, temporarily set aside anything that makes dressing harder than it needs to be.
Tight or Restrictive Pants
Tight pants require more pulling and may feel uncomfortable if you're experiencing swelling or tenderness around the hip.
Narrow Pant Legs
Slim pant openings can be harder to pull over the feet and legs.
A wider leg opening generally requires less maneuvering.
Rigid Waistbands
Stiff waistbands, belts and complicated closures can make dressing more difficult.
Stretch or elastic waistbands are usually easier to manage.
Clothing That Requires Significant Bending
If you have to bend deeply or reach all the way toward your feet to put something on, consider an easier alternative during early recovery.
Extra-Long Pants
Comfortable clothing should still fit properly.
Avoid pants that drag on the ground or could become caught under your feet or mobility aid.
The goal is not to permanently stop wearing your regular clothes. It's simply to make dressing easier while your mobility is temporarily limited.
What Should Women Wear After Hip Surgery?
The same general clothing principles apply to women recovering from hip replacement surgery.
Look for:
- Loose or adaptive pants.
- Stretch waistbands.
- Comfortable underwear.
- Easy tops.
- Clothing that can be put on while seated.
For women who normally wear fitted pants or leggings, having several looser alternatives available before surgery can make the first part of recovery easier.
Joe & Bella's women's adaptive pants include side-opening options designed to make seated dressing easier while still looking like everyday clothing.
What Should Men Wear After Hip Surgery?
Men should also prioritize pants that require minimal bending and pulling.
Loose sweatpants or elastic-waist pants may work well during early recovery.
For someone who finds traditional pull-on pants difficult, men's side-opening adaptive pants can allow the garment to open wider around the legs and then close once the pants are positioned.
As mobility improves, most people gradually transition back toward their normal wardrobe according to their comfort level and their care team's guidance.
Make Dressing Easier During Hip Replacement Recovery
Getting dressed may seem like a small part of hip surgery recovery, but it involves many of the exact movements that can be difficult immediately after surgery.
Choosing the right clothing before your procedure can make that daily routine much easier.
Focus on clothes that reduce the need to bend, reach, twist or lift the legs. Loose elastic-waist pants can work well for many people, while adaptive side-opening pants can provide another option for people who want an easier way to dress while seated.
Joe & Bella's post-surgery clothing is designed around making dressing simpler while maintaining the look and feel of traditional clothing.
Most importantly, follow the movement and dressing instructions provided by your surgeon, physical therapist or occupational therapist. Every surgery and recovery is different, and your care team can help determine which clothing and dressing techniques are appropriate for you.
About the Author:
Nurse Taylor Thoen Donaldson is Joe & Bella's Chief of Customer Happiness and a former geriatric nurse. Taylor worked extensively with older adults as they recovered and prepared to leave the hospital. Known to our customers as "Nurse Taylor," she brings a frontline caregiver's perspective to everything we do, helping ensure our products hold up not just in concept, but in the daily reality of getting someone dressed with limited time, limited mobility, and a lot on the line.
A note from Joe & Bella: Our content is intended for general informational purposes only. While we share insights from our own Nurse Taylor and other health and wellness experts, please know that they are not your healthcare provider and nothing here should be taken as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Every person's situation is different. Please consult your own physician, nurse or healthcare professional before making any decisions about your health or the care of a loved one.