DAWN WELLS TV star's styles makes dressing easier for seniors

Interest in looking good doesn't decrease with age.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
Interest in fashion doesn't diminish with age. If anything, it increases.
That's the thought of former TV star and current fashion designer, Dawn Wells. Known for her role as "Mary Ann" on the 1960s classic "Gilligan's Island," Wells has spent the last 10 years blanketing the country and promoting her line of clothing called Wishing Wells Collections Inc. It's a specialty line of clothing for the elderly who may have difficulty in dressing.
"Just because we're aging doesn't mean we don't care," Wells says.
It doesn't matter how old you are or what your situation is, "You have a family. You do see people, even if it's the doctor. You do care how you look," she says.
It's a market she says has been overlooked for too long, adding that she's never understood the mentality of suddenly not caring how we look.
"It (looking fashionable) helps us heal as well as feel good about ourselves," she says. "It's a psychological thing."
How she started
And she's experienced in that department. She was a caregiver for her grandmother and discovered the new needs the woman had as she aged. That's how Wells came up with the idea for Wishing Wells in the first place. She wanted elderly people to feel good about getting dressed, not depressed about taking an hour to button a blouse. Now her 91-year-old mother is facing similar problems. Despite Wells' mother's mind being sharper than ever, "Her little body is wearing out."
Hence, Wishing Wells fashions are stylish, but easy to get in and out of. And Wells' mother has become a major influence on her business, giving her ideas on fabric colors and textures, as well as commenting on the comfort level of the clothes.
Wells' company sells about 200 garments a month through her Internet Web site Wishing Wells Collections at www.dawnwells.com. And she recently teamed up with the national company Home Instead Senior Care to get the word out in support of stylish yet easily accessible apparel.
Home Instead is a franchised non-medical group that offers in-home services such as companionship, meal preparation, housekeeping and errands -- things that some seniors struggle with as they age.
"(With age) you lose the ability to enjoy some things we take for granted," says Rod Roberts, owner of the Naples, Fla., franchise of Home Instead Senior Care. "It's a dignity thing."
One of those daily struggles that touch on dignity is the simple task of dressing. Traditional zippers, tiny buttons and those annoying snaps can be virtually impossible for someone who's lost some of her hand dexterity.
Roberts watched his own mother, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, deal with such a situation. And he wanted to figure out a solution.
Easy for everyone
The fact of the matter is, "We're all aging at some point," Roberts says. So why not make it easier for everyone to dress?
"You don't have to put up with what's out there," Roberts says. "This is fashionable."
Wells' fashions avoid small buttons, promote roominess in the bust and shoulder areas and focus on layers.
Costs range from $19.99 for a sleep gown with a fabric-fastener closure to about $34.99 for a denim jumper.
Presently Wells is working on fashion shows for her fall line, but fall orders won't be taken until September.
But you don't have to special order to dress for comfort. You can buy easy on and off clothing, if you know what to look for.