2013 Volume 64 Issue 9 Pages 591-598
Considerations specific to the elderly for wearing pants, related problems, and features desired by wearers were elucidated through a questionnaire survey. Responses were obtained from 1184 men and 2422 women aged 60 and over. The main findings were as follows.
Among elderly women, few wore skirts, and pants were indispensable as everyday clothing items and as fashionable clothing items that could be worn irrespective of the season. Pants with an elastic waistband that sits at the waist, as is the common style of women’s stretch pants, were not regarded as being fashionable. However, this style of pants was more commonly worn by elderly women. The length tended to be shorter for older wearers. The number of layers and length of underwear worn under the pants increased with the age of the wearer. Desired features at the time of purchase were the stretchiness of the fabric, crotch depth and circumference at the hips and waist.
Among elderly men, most, including those aged 75 and over, wore pants with a front zipper, and a very high percentage of subjects wore a belt. Regarding features sought at the time of purchase, “nothing in particular” was the most common response. Most subjects also indicated experiencing “no inconveniences” when wearing pants.
