The best thing to wear to chemotherapy is soft, comfortable clothing with easy access to your chest or arm, depending on where your IV or port is placed. Most infusion sessions last anywhere from a few hours to a full day, so think of it less like getting dressed for an appointment and more like choosing what you’d wear for a long, sedentary day where a nurse occasionally needs to reach your veins.
Tops That Allow Easy Access
The single most important clothing decision is your top, because your care team needs to reach either a port in your upper chest or an IV line in your arm. If you have a chest port, button-down shirts, zip-up hoodies, and V-neck tops all work well. The goal is to expose the port area without removing your entire shirt. Avoid pullover crew necks or anything you’d have to take off over your head while connected to an IV pole.
If your infusion goes through a peripheral IV in your arm, you want sleeves that push up easily past the elbow or, better yet, short sleeves or a sleeveless top with a cardigan or hoodie layered over it. Some companies now make tops specifically for infusion patients. BeWell, for example, sells hoodies and crewnecks with zippers running along the sleeves, giving nurses direct access to arm IV sites without you having to rearrange your whole outfit. These same hoodies also have full-length front zippers for chest port access.
Layering is your friend regardless of port placement. Infusion rooms tend to run cold, but the drugs themselves can cause hot flashes or temperature swings. A soft zip-up jacket or cardigan lets you adjust without disrupting your line.
Fabrics That Won’t Irritate Your Skin
Chemotherapy often makes skin more sensitive, dry, or reactive than usual. Stick with soft, breathable fabrics like cotton, bamboo, or modal. Bamboo is especially useful because it wicks sweat and helps regulate temperature. Avoid rough seams, stiff denim, wool directly against the skin, or anything with scratchy tags. If you’re between treatment cycles and noticing skin irritation from clothes that never bothered you before, that’s a normal side effect, not just in your head.
Loose-fitting clothes are generally more comfortable than anything form-fitting, especially if you’re dealing with bloating, weight fluctuations, or surgical sites. Elastic waistbands, drawstrings, and stretchy knits all reduce pressure points during hours of sitting.
Comfortable Bottoms for Long Sessions
You’ll be sitting in a recliner or chair for several hours, so your pants matter more than you might expect. Soft joggers, leggings, or loose sweatpants with a flexible waistband are ideal. Avoid jeans with rigid waistbands or anything with hard buttons that dig into your abdomen when you’re reclined. If you’re prone to feeling cold, fleece-lined leggings or thicker sweatpants help. Pockets are useful for your phone and lip balm, but keep them simple since bulky cargo-style pockets can bunch uncomfortably beneath you in a recliner.
Footwear That’s Easy and Safe
Slip-on shoes save you from bending over, which matters when you’re fatigued or connected to an IV. Look for something lightweight, flexible, and with a non-slip sole. Sneakers with Velcro closures work well if you want more stability. Avoid smooth-soled slippers or open-back slides that could cause a fall, especially if you feel unsteady from medication.
Your feet may get cold during infusion, so bring a pair of warm socks. Grip socks (the kind with rubber treading on the bottom) are a good option because they provide traction on smooth clinic floors if you need to walk to the restroom while wearing just socks. Some patients also experience numbness or tingling in the feet from chemotherapy-induced nerve changes, which makes supportive, well-fitting shoes even more important on treatment days.
Headwear for Sensitive Scalps
If you’re experiencing hair loss, your scalp will likely feel tender or irritated during the shedding phase. Look for headwear made from soft, breathable fabric, or at least lined with something gentle. Beanies, turbans, and slouchy hats are popular because they’re comfortable, cover the ears and neckline, and require zero effort to look pulled together. Stretchy, close-fitting styles stay in place better than structured hats.
For fabric, cotton, rayon, and bamboo scarves grip the scalp gently and won’t slide off the way silk or polyester will. Bamboo is particularly good at wicking sweat and keeping you cool. Many people wear a thin liner cap underneath a hat, scarf, or wig for extra comfort, warmth, and to keep everything from shifting. At night, a soft cotton or bamboo sleep cap can soothe your scalp and keep you warm.
If you’re tying scarves, cotton blends with a bit of texture hold knots much better than slippery synthetics. You don’t want to spend your infusion session re-tying your headwrap.
What to Skip
Leave strong perfumes, scented lotions, and colognes at home. Many patients feel nauseated during treatment, and strong scents in a shared infusion room can make things worse for you and everyone around you. Jewelry on your infusion arm can get in the way of IV access or blood pressure cuffs, so keep that arm bare. Tight necklaces are also impractical if you have a chest port.
Avoid complicated outfits that require a full wardrobe change if you need to use the restroom while attached to an IV pole. One-piece jumpsuits or rompers, while comfortable, make bathroom trips unnecessarily difficult. Stick with separates.
A Simple Packing List
Beyond what you wear, a few extras make the day easier:
- An extra layer: a blanket, shawl, or second zip-up in case the room is cold
- Warm socks or grip socks: for cold feet and safe walking
- A soft scarf or beanie: even if you haven’t lost hair yet, infusion rooms can be chilly
- Lip balm and unscented lotion: treatment dries out skin and lips quickly
- A tote bag: for your phone, charger, snacks, water bottle, and anything else that helps pass the time
The overall approach is simple: dress in soft layers, make sure nurses can reach your port or IV without a struggle, and prioritize comfort over appearance. After your first session, you’ll know exactly what worked and what to adjust for next time.