injury chic.

If you know me, you know that I get hurt a lot, and that a lot is an understatement.  In the last two years, I’ve had one cast, one boot, and two supportive braces.  When you’re injury-prone, working that injury into an outfit can be tricky, but it’s definitely doable.

I had my first walking boot in high school, during section and state competitions for our basketball team.  To show my spirit, I placed tape in my school colors on the straps of the boot, making it stripey for the competitions.  In my daily wear of the boot, I would often be complimented on the colored socks I wore that poked their way out of the toe of my boot.  At thirteen, I had my arm in a sling and the first thing I did with it was spray it with glitter paint.  The navy was too sterile for me at that age, and I was ready to have it look good.  Now, years later, I would probably do something more similar to Anne Hathaway’s sling, but at thirteen, a DIY glitter sling was good enough for me.

Crutches can be accessorized with a scarf, or some color.  Wraps, braces, and white casts can be covered with a scarf or colored pre-wrap, which is found at almost every drugstore or pharmacy, which is something Natalie Morales did at the Golden Globes in 2013.  There are plenty of ways to work with a clunky injury and turn it into injured chic!  I was lucky enough this morning to be able to tuck my knee brace into my Hunter boots, and I love that it streamlines my leg much more than just having a big ol’ black brace on my knee.  There are plenty of ways to make an injury look less painful, if you don’t mind the pun.  

Even celebrities dress up their injuries, and a few of them you can even turn into a DIY project!

via MTV

- Mariah Carey

The slings she wears here can be easily made by you, at home. Simply get some cloth from a nearby fabric store, maybe some jewels to glue on, and have at it.

via Perez Hilton

- Demi Lovato

This one is a little harder to do yourself, but if the stainless steel crutches you get at the hospital freak you out, take them apart and spray them whatever color you wish. Just make sure you take apart the parts, as you don't want them to become sticky and no longer adjustable.

- Jen Aniston

This solution is not for everybody, but it's a little more glamorous than a crutch. Talk to your doctor about the proper way to walk while using a cane, but it is a fashionable alternative!

Bonus: However fabulous it may be, Lady Gaga’s solution to looking glam while injured is a little excessive for the everyday person. Gold plated and 24-karat gold? Not for me.

How do you 'dress' your injury?  Hashtag #injurychic on Twitter or Instagram so I can see!!