What you wear to chemotherapy probably isn't the first thing on your mind when preparing for treatment.
But a little planning can make treatment day more comfortable.
Chemotherapy infusions may last several hours, and your medical team may need access to an IV, port or another treatment site. You may also find that sitting for a long time, changing temperatures or simply getting dressed requires more thought than usual.
The best chemotherapy clothing is usually simple:
- Comfortable enough to sit in for several hours
- Easy for your care team to work around
- Appropriate for your IV or port location
- Easy for you to put on and take off
- Layered so you can adjust if you become warm or cold
Your oncology team should always be your first source for treatment-specific instructions. But if you're wondering what to wear to your next chemotherapy session, here are some practical things to consider.
What Should You Wear to Chemotherapy?
For most infusion appointments, prioritize comfort, access and layers.
A typical treatment-day outfit might include:
- A short-sleeve, V-neck, button-front or zip-front top that gives your care team access to your IV or port
- A cardigan, zip-up sweater or other removable layer
- Comfortable pants with a flexible waistband
- Socks
- Comfortable shoes that are easy to manage
- A soft hat or scarf if you prefer one
You don't necessarily need special chemotherapy clothing.
The right outfit depends on where your treatment access is located, how easy dressing is for you and what makes you comfortable during a long appointment.
1. Choose a Top That Gives Your Care Team Easy Access
This is probably the most important clothing consideration for an infusion day.
Chemotherapy may be delivered through an IV in the hand or arm or through a port or other central line.
Ports are often located beneath the skin in the upper chest, although placement can vary.
That means your shirt should make the treatment site reasonably easy to reach.
Depending on your access location, useful options can include:
- Short-sleeve shirts
- V-neck tops
- Button-front shirts
- Zip-front tops
- Shirts with a wider neckline
- Other tops that can open without requiring you to fully undress
Ask your treatment team beforehand if you're unsure what they'll need to access.
What Should You Wear to Chemo With a Port?
If your port is located in your upper chest, choose a top that lets your nurse reach that area without requiring you to remove the entire garment.
A button-front or sufficiently open-necked shirt can work well.
The goal isn't necessarily to buy a shirt specifically marketed for chemotherapy. It's to give your medical team practical access while allowing you to stay comfortably dressed.
2. Dress in Layers
Infusion centers can feel cool, while individual temperature preferences vary considerably.
Layers give you options.
You might wear:
- A comfortable base layer
- A cardigan
- A zip-up sweater
- A lightweight jacket
Choose an outer layer that's easy to remove while you're seated and connected to treatment equipment.
You may also want to bring a blanket. Many infusion centers provide them, but some people prefer bringing their own.
The American Cancer Society specifically suggests packing a jacket or blanket in case you get cold and a handheld fan in case you get hot.
3. Choose Clothes You Can Sit in Comfortably
Chemotherapy infusions can last for hours.
What feels perfectly comfortable while standing in front of the mirror may feel very different after a long time in a treatment chair.
Consider:
- A waistband that doesn't feel overly restrictive
- Fabric with some stretch
- Pants that don't require frequent adjustment
- Clothing that isn't excessively tight
- An outfit that allows you to shift positions comfortably
This doesn't mean you have to wear pajamas.
Jeans, chinos, leggings, adaptive pants, sweatpants or other everyday clothing can all work depending on what feels best to you.
4. Make Dressing Easier If Fatigue or Mobility Is an Issue
Cancer treatment can affect how much energy someone has for everyday tasks, and some people also experience temporary or ongoing changes in mobility or dexterity.
If getting dressed has become difficult, adaptive clothing may be worth considering.
The important thing is to identify which step of dressing is difficult.
If Buttons Are Difficult
A magnetic button-down shirt maintains the appearance of a traditional button-front shirt but uses hidden magnetic closures instead of requiring each button to be pushed through a buttonhole.
That may be useful when hand strength or dexterity makes conventional buttons frustrating.
Magnetic clothing may not be appropriate for people with pacemakers, ICDs or certain other implanted medical devices. Follow guidance from your healthcare provider and device manufacturer before wearing magnetic garments.
If Pulling Pants On Is Difficult
If bending, leg movement or pulling conventional pants from the ankles to the waist has become challenging, pants with larger openings may be easier to manage.
Joe & Bella's Everyday Side-Zip Pants use full-length two-way zippers along both outer seams.
Opening the sides creates more space for positioning the legs, and the pants can be managed while seated, standing or lying down.
If Someone Helps You Get Dressed
If you need regular dressing assistance, clothing that opens more completely may allow the garment to be positioned around the body instead of requiring the same movements as traditional clothing.
You can explore adaptive clothing for cancer patients for options designed around different dressing challenges.
Adaptive clothing does not treat cancer or chemotherapy side effects.
Its role is simply to change the mechanics of getting dressed when conventional clothing has become difficult to manage.
5. Don't Overthink Your Pants
Unless your treatment requires access to your lower body, your pants generally don't need to provide chemotherapy access.
Focus instead on comfort and how easy they are for you to put on.
You may prefer:
- Stretch-waist pants
- Leggings
- Joggers
- Relaxed trousers
- Side-opening adaptive pants
- Comfortable jeans if that's what you normally wear
If treatment-related fatigue, surgery or another condition makes lower-body dressing difficult, adaptive pants may be useful.
Otherwise, there's no reason to replace pants that already work well for you.
6. Wear Comfortable Shoes and Socks
Treatment day can involve walking through a hospital or clinic, sitting for long periods and getting up periodically.
Choose footwear you already find comfortable.
That might include:
- Sneakers
- Slip-on shoes
- Comfortable flats
- Other supportive everyday shoes
Avoid trying a brand-new pair of shoes for the first time on treatment day.
Socks can also help if your feet tend to feel cold.
If you prefer additional traction on smooth indoor floors, gripper socks use silicone grips along the sole.
If your care team has specifically recommended compression garments or cooling gloves/booties as part of your treatment, follow their instructions rather than treating them as ordinary clothing accessories.
7. Consider a Hat, Scarf or Other Headwear If You Want One
Some chemotherapy treatments can cause hair loss, although whether this occurs depends on the specific medicines being used.
If you choose to cover your head, options include:
- Soft hats
- Beanies
- Scarves
- Turbans
- Wigs
Choose what makes you comfortable.
Some people prefer headwear for warmth. Others like it for personal style. Others don't want to cover their head at all.
There isn't a correct choice.
8. Prioritize Easy Access Over a "Perfect" Chemo Outfit
You may see products advertised specifically as chemotherapy shirts or port-access clothing.
Those can be useful for some people.
But you may already own something that works perfectly well.
Ask yourself:
- Where is my IV or port?
- Can my nurse reach it easily?
- Can I sit comfortably in this outfit?
- Can I add or remove a layer?
- Can I get dressed without using more energy than necessary?
If the answers are yes, you're probably ready.
What Should You Avoid Wearing to Chemotherapy?
There are relatively few universal rules, but some clothing may be inconvenient.
Tops That Block Your Port or IV Site
If your nurse has to move or remove most of your clothing to reach the treatment site, choose something more accessible next time.
Difficult Layers
Avoid creating an outfit that requires complicated dressing or undressing once an IV or infusion line is in place.
Clothing You Can't Sit Comfortably In
Treatment isn't the best time to discover that a waistband becomes uncomfortable after two hours.
An Outfit Based on Someone Else's Treatment
Different chemotherapy regimens, access devices and treatment centers have different needs.
Your friend's perfect chemo outfit may not be yours.
What Should You Bring to Chemotherapy?
Clothing is only part of preparing for treatment day.
Depending on your treatment center and personal preferences, you might consider bringing:
- A jacket or cardigan
- A small blanket
- Headphones or earbuds
- A book or tablet
- Phone charger
- Lip balm
- Water, if permitted
- Snacks, if permitted
- A notebook for questions
- A handheld fan
- Any treatment-specific items your care team has recommended
Some chemotherapy sessions last several hours, so think about what will make that time more comfortable.
Always follow your care team's instructions regarding food, drinks, cooling products or other treatment-related items.
What Should You Wear to Your First Chemotherapy Treatment?
Your first infusion can come with a lot of unknowns.
Keep the clothing part simple.
A good starting point is:
Comfortable pants + an accessible top + an easy-to-remove layer + comfortable shoes.
Before the appointment, ask your care team:
- Will treatment be through an IV or port?
- Where will the treatment site be?
- What clothing makes access easiest?
- How long should I expect to be there?
- Should I bring a blanket?
- Are there any treatment-specific items I should bring?
- Are there any clothing restrictions?
You don't need to predict everything yourself.
Your oncology team does this every day and can tell you what will make their particular treatment setup easier.
What to Wear After Chemotherapy
Your clothing needs may continue after you leave the infusion center.
Some people feel relatively normal after an appointment. Others may feel tired or prefer to change into something more comfortable once they're home.
Having an easy outfit ready can help.
Consider laying out:
- Comfortable pants
- An easy-on shirt
- Layers you can add or remove
- Comfortable socks
- Shoes or slippers that are easy for you to manage
If treatment or surgery has temporarily changed your mobility, this is also where adaptive clothing may become more useful than it was during the infusion itself.
What If You're Recovering From Cancer Surgery Too?
Chemotherapy isn't always the only treatment affecting someone's clothing needs.
Cancer treatment may also include surgery, radiation, immunotherapy or other procedures.
If you're recovering from surgery, follow your surgical team's instructions first.
Clothing needs can vary dramatically depending on:
- Where the surgery occurred
- Whether you have an incision
- Whether you're wearing a brace or sling
- Your temporary range of motion
- Whether you have drains or another medical device
In those situations, the easiest outfit is the one that accommodates the specific movement or access restriction your medical team has given you.
The Best Chemo Outfit Is the One That Works for Your Treatment
There isn't one perfect thing to wear to chemotherapy.
Someone receiving treatment through an arm IV may have different clothing needs from someone with a chest port.
One person may want sweatpants and a T-shirt. Another may prefer jeans and a button-down.
Someone experiencing fatigue or mobility changes may find adaptive clothing helpful. The goal isn't to dress like a "chemo patient."
It's to wear something that allows your medical team to do what they need to do while helping you feel as comfortable and like yourself as possible. When in doubt, ask your infusion team what access they'll need.
Then wear what works for you.
Sources
This guide was developed using current treatment-day guidance from:
-
American Cancer Society, What to Expect on Your First Day of Chemo
-
American Cancer Society, Chemo Infusions or Injections
-
American Cancer Society, What to Know About Chemo Ports
-
OSF HealthCare, Six Things to Pack in Your Chemo Bag: What to Bring to Chemotherapy
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Chemotherapy regimens, access devices and treatment instructions vary. Follow the recommendations of your oncology team regarding clothing, food, drinks, medical devices and treatment-day preparation.