The Spring Wardrobe

Robert and his Spring Wardrobe

The weather is warming up so Robert is finally ready to wear his short sleeve shirts and keep his coat in the closet (well, we’re still working on that – he really likes to wear his coat).  Robert is very particular about his shirts so I’m always on the lookout for shirts that are button down, have easy buttons to manipulate, have a front pocket on the left and are some shade of blue or solid white. 

Since buttons are getting more and more difficult to manage for Robert, I was thrilled to find Buck and Buck which I briefly wrote about a few months ago.  I was first told about this clothing company from a fellow caregiver who needed clothing that zipped up in the back so that her mom with severe dementia couldn’t wiggle her way out of clothes and her protective brief.

I’ve ordered long sleeve and short sleeve men’s shirts from Buck and Buck and have been extremely pleased with their products.  More importantly, Robert is pleased too and has even branched out to include a red shirt in his wardrobe!

Buck and Buck is based in Seattle and has a variety of clothing for the disabled and elderly.  They also don’t do any advertising.  How in the world do they stay in business without a marketing budget?  By word of mouth, a reliable product and the best customer service a person could ask for. 

The shirts Robert uses are closed with Velcro but have the buttons on the outside so the shirt looks like any other dress shirt.  It makes dressing that much quicker and easier for Robert and undressing is done even quicker.  In fact, when I first showed Robert how the Velcro shirts worked, he carefully watched me “button” the shirt with the Velcro and then laughed at me “ripping” the shirt open to “unbutton” it. 

The shirts are practical and amusing.

My most recent order for Robert’s short sleeve shirts was placed one recent evening but I received a call the next morning from the customer service representative.  Apparently, I ordered two different kinds of shirts and the rep politely asked me if I actually wanted to do that.  One shirt was meant to be worn completely buttoned up (which covers up the Velcro) and the other was to be worn slightly open at the collar without any Velcro showing.  Did I mean to order two different shirts?   Um, no and thanks for calling.  Obviously, this caregiver needs all the help she can get.

Talk about good service!

Because I don’t want to keep this company a secret and (selfishly) want them to be in business for a very long time, I’m passing the word about this caregiving friendly company.  Please pass along their website (www.buckandbuck.com) to anyone who may need special clothing for their loved one.  (And, no, they didn’t pay me for this post).

I’d love to hear about your experiences with this company.  If you know of any other caregiver friendly companies, please let me know so we can spread the word and keep these businesses thriving!