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It has been awhile since I last posted anything, but I am hoping for some advice and/or direct communication with anyone working and needing to dress formal like a suit and tie. Sometime back I switch over to cloth diapers both night and day I rarely use disposable anymore. Cloth is what works best for me. I had always worn a suit and tie for work along with button braces (suspenders). The switch over to cloth added a little bulk not much actually no more then an extended wear disposable. With my cloth I got away from my suits and started wearing more dockers, polos, and casual dress shirts. It was easy for I was working in more casual work environments. I am returning to the formal professional office setting, with that I am hoping for advice on the best things to wear. One can not wear his suit jacket all day (LOL). Dress pants can be unforgiving as compared to dockers, and I would not like to go back to disposable. I wear gauze day time weight pre-fold diapers with added baby diapers as soakers. Normally I am good all day without changing until I get home. I prefer not using the work restroom for changing. All suggestions are welcome.
One issue that is not a problem in dockers is diaper sag. By day end I am pretty wet and leaving my desk for home my diaper sags down in back and the crotch which might be noticeable with dress pants. Should I invest in the t-shirts that snap in the crotch? Do those keep your diaper up and in place? Thanks and take care

Steve

Hi Steph_39,

I don't know how much value you can derive from my opinions, as I do things a little different in that department. I always wear disposible at work, primarily for the convenience. I wear suits and formal clothing most days, and yet other days when I am not seeing clients I tend to wear jeans, especially the 'carpenter jeans" as I find a little more discreteness. I only use cloth at night or at home. My work involves some travel, and I never use cloth for overnight in those situations, agian for the convenience. I spend a lot of time in courtrooms, in different cities in about a four hour drive from my home.

I have a lot of flexibility in my work. When I am preparing cases I work in my office in the morning, and my home office in the afternoon. This is where the departure is between you and I, however I would find cloth too bulky and inconvenient mainly because of my smaller frame. My clothing is also tailored better to fit over disposibles, and I have looked at my butt with a thicker diaper on with my suit jacket off and it sticks out like a sore thumb. So, I find that my disposible is quite adequate and moreover very comfortable in dress clothes. I will wear cloth around the home when I'm working, as I'm usually in shorts or jeans. I almost forgot too.........when I am out of town for meetings or court I wear bike shorts over top of the disposible and plastic pants. (I discovered pin hole leaks a few times) Besides it adds to a more secure feeling for those times you can't just leave the meeting to change.

My incontinence (bladder only) is moderate to severe, and as well as preparing for the days diapering, I do prepare by watching fluid intake, and I have learned to judge and juggle intake with changes at times of convenience.

Essentially, while cloth works for you and many others on a full time basis, for me I have to depart between disposibles and cloth at the appropriate times.

I wear different (pull ons in the morning) for exercise but that is another story.

I trust that this limited advice is helpful Perhaps those that wear cloth most times can provide better thoughts for you.

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HarperLee

I do not have much experience wiith cloth.. i have used almost disposables so i do not know what works exactly for that situation. However, i have worn disposables boosted under dress pants and it does bulge quite a bit. I plan to invest in a onesie asap.. You may find it to be a good item to wear. I myself have considered cloth from time to time, because i notice disposables tend to clump and become useless if not changed periodically..and since my incontinence is not total and continuius and it does not always necessitatate the use of the diaper, that is i have control enugh to sometimes urinare in thetoilet.. there are many times where i spend all day in the same disposable..

But i digress. I think it would depend on how many laysers of cloth you are wearing, andwhether it is prefold or flatfold diaper. Prefolds as a rule would probbaby be much more substantial in the crotch than flatfolds, this is baesed soely on observation not actual expereince. I have worn a swim diaperwi with baby cloth diapers acting as boosters.. and it does make it thickerthan a disposable.

If anything, i would make sure your pants are at least one size up from your wasit size and have a relaxed fit. perhaps you can look for dresspants that are made wtih the diaper user in mind.. http://www.easyaccessclothing.com/ this site i know has a onesie that looks just like a polo shirt, as well as dresspants that have altreations to them.. you may findt them useful. I hope this helps!

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Not that this helps with wearing a suit, I started wearing bib overalls some time ago. That with those shirts that have snaps on the crotch. Kind of like the oven you set it and forget it...at least for a while. I do a lot of bending and get up & down from the ground in my business. Before wearing what I do now I was always pulling up my pants and adjusting. Now I have none of those problems. So while this may not help your at work clothing I would consider it for work around the house. People did question why I was wearing the "farmer clothes" & I just told them that I was tired of showing everyone the "Grand Canyon" without an admission fee. Now its not even questioned.

Hi Steph_39

Good for you for wanting to stay with cloth diapers, having found how they are more comfortable and dependable than disposables! I worked my whole career in cloth diapers and it included occasional need to dress up.

I also disliked changing away from home and found cloth gave me the convenience of all day wear, as you have said.

I assume you have already found the minimum amount of diapering you can wear and still get leak free peace of mind and now that amount of cloth is what you need to conceal properly.

You can investigate what size suit pants you will need and certainly go for a pleated front, as I think such pants are more forgiving of diaper bulge. And certainly go for suspenders (aka braces) as they are accepted with suit pants being normally hidden by the suit coat. They eliminate the belt and problem with the belt cinching your pants waist in above the diaper, accentuating the diaper bulk. Your loose waistband needed to conceal the diapers won't be obvious with braces holding your pants up. There are times you say the suit coat does come off for awhile.

A good strategy for when you are not wearing the suit coat is to try and stay behind a desk or at least seated....to keep eyes off your pants.

A key thing to consider, in my opinion, is keeping your diapers snuggly UP all day, even as they get wetter and heavier thru the day.

The one piece underwear, commonly called a "Onsie" is ok for covering up and preventing diaper peeks especially at the rear waist when you bend over in casual attire. They also have forward facing snaps which makes snapping the crotch fairly easy. However, they are made of cotton or a cotton poly blend and do not provide much in the way of support for a cloth diaper. Many swear by them, but I think it is largely for supporting a disposable that must be changed fairly often to avoid leaks...so it never gets all that heavy, the way an extended wear cloth diaper will.

Again, IMO, if you wish to try the one piece approach, go to www.bodysuit.com and look at what they offer. The big difference is the lycra content that is stretchy and supportive. These body suits offer more support than a cotton "onzie" and if it does the trick for you, fine. The snaps are not as convenient, being in the very bottom of the crotch.

But for maximum support, I don't think you can beat the suspender briefs we discuss in the Diaper Primer, Appendix 04. These are regular cotton underpants (briefs) to which you attach elastic bands for suspender straps that keep a constant upward pressure on the diaper. Since you don't change thru the day, the suspender briefs won't be a hinderance at change time as you will be home.

Once you have diaper sag under control, your comfort will be assured all day and your selection of suit pants can be made and the concealment afforded by them should not change all day as you transistion from a dry diaper in the morning to a wet diaper by end of day.

Hi Don 0417,
Yes, indeed, you can't beat bib overalls for concealment of any diaper! I've worn the "farmer Brown" look for many years when casually attired and even my heaviest, all day cloth diapers dissappear. I usually wear a shirt with the tails out....which conceals to the max!

A big bonus is all the pockets and you do find use for all the wonderful convenient pockets!

Thanks to everyone’s advice it is greatly appreciated on this end. It gives me some things to work with. At this time I will stick with cloth for it gives the best protect and confidence I need throughout the day. With downsizing I am forced to do a lot more work that requires me to travel around to different client’s locations with questionable restroom situations, so I prefer waiting until I get home for changing. Cloth really allows more flexibility and added security on extended work days without worry. I wish I had more days when I work at home, that way I can dress however I choose. Not to offend I can be extremely casual at home working in just a diaper.
Thanks for the overall suggestion that will come in handy working around the house and property this fall and winter.

Steve

Joe K,
Thanks a lot for all you offered I like what you offered. I am lucky at I do work primarily at a desk where I can stay put most of my day. Using cloth I tend to forget I am wearing a diaper (not worried about leaks) and work straight through. It is not until the end of the day when I start wrapping things up (packing up) I stand up to realize how wet I am. Heading out for home normally I am carried a pretty heavy weighted diaper. I prefer pin on because I control how snug the fit, but no matter how snug around my waist and legs the seat/crotch of my diaper is going to drop away and sag one can not fight gravity (LOL). Even on heavy days I rather wear a night time diaper during the day then try trusting a disposable I left too many conferences where I experienced leakage. With my condition I drip almost all the time that combined with several large voids during the day cloth catches everything without me changing several times during the day. I hate carrying used disposable outside until I find a dumpster and back home. Maybe I am lazy (LOL) but I really like the no fuse protect of my cloth.

On the days I work at home it does not matter how I dress I can sit at desk all day in nothing more then a diaper.

Pleated pants and suspenders work great at concealment. For the sag I looked at the suspender briefs you mentioned and like that options. Before I invest too much into them I would like to give them a try. We are not that far apart in sizing. Would you be will to share some of your old ones not in use? I would gladly pay you for them. If it works I can try making them or possible get someone to make them. Feel free to e-mail me directly at smelcher@ptd.net. Thanks Joe

Steve

I wear suits, sportcoats & slacks to work daily and I wear cloth most days. When I'm in the office I can make it through most days without needing a diaper change. I try to pee in the restroom several times a day although I have very little control over my bladder and very little feeling of my bladder. Usually when I do go it is not much more tha a trickle but it is a trickle that does not end up in my diaper. Still I am damp to fairly wet by the time I get home. When travelling I require at least one change during the day as I do not have ready access to a restroom.

I use a fairly lightweight flannel diaper for daytime use as it is not as bulky as some other cloth weaves and does not say nearly as much as birdseye or gauze weaves which tend to have more give or stretch. The flannel seems to have a much tighter weave. I do not add additional soakers as they tend to add bulk and will sag when wet. The flannel diapers I wear fit nice and snug and stay that way for the most part. I either wear tighter fitting plastic pants or a pair of cotton briefs over the plastic pants to ehlp keep everything in place. This cuts down on any noise and helps to prevent sagging. I do occasionally use disposables when in the office but they seem bulkier and much noisier than cloth.

The cloth diapers I use are not noticeable under suit slacks, casual slacks or relaxed fit jeans unless I am bending over which I seldom do when in the office. Wearing a suit or sport coat also helps to hide any bulkiness as a properly fitted jacket will cover the upper portion of my rear end when I am standing. In my experience dress slacks tend to be looser fitting through than many casual slacks or jeans and thus they hide the line of a diaper better. If you wear a pair of cottom briefs over your diaper/plastic pants it helps even more to keep the bulk to a minimum.

Hi Steph_37

It is refreshing to see support for cloth diapering that I have believed in for so many years and found so much more reliable for leak free peace of mind.....especially in the office and work day world.....where I would give up comfort for confidence, in a diaper.....but with cloth it not necessary, as comfort comes with the security.....you just can't beat that as long as you willing to deal with the bulk that comes with cloth!

I always enjoyed the concept that I when I pinned on my diapers in the morning, I was all done with incontinence for the day....I did not have to worry or fret about where bathrooms were, or if I would need a change. I could go about my day and drink what I wanted, and sit thru any conference or meeting, even late in the day, with no worry at all about leaks or wet panty lines on my pants and on the chair!

I can't say that about any disposable diaper.

I also thank you for your interest in suspender briefs, something I stumbled across and found to be outstanding for keeping diapers UP which is the most important thing for long duration comfort I have found! I will email you!

For anyone who can use the toilet during the day, suspender briefs are too much hassle and I recommend the bodysuit approach as the spandex fabric does a decent job of support, better than cloth onesies. A possible drawback for some folks, is the snaps are in the very bottom of the crotch.

I have also discovered the fancier body shirts are to be avoided in favor of the plain basic ones. The snaps are already hard to do but the fancier shirts use really tiny snaps that drive me crazy. The basic shirts have four small snaps that I can manage with ease.