1 INTRODUCTION The integration between design and ergonomics im- proves the product development. This link is stated by Dul & Weerdmeester (2004) considering ergo- nomics as an applied discipline to product design, aiming to improve safety, health, and comfort. For Mozota (2002), design is an area that contributes to the resolution of problems from the creation of co- ordinated and systematic activities, together with management. According to Burdek (2006), product design should answer to specific problems of a tar- get population. This is the case in this study, focused on elderly women. From this perspective, it is neces- sary to highlight some particularities regarding the body of the elderly people, especially corporal changes due to the aging. Still, from the linking between ergonomics and design, Gomes Filho (2003) argues that it is made possible knowing the basic ergonomic factors of garment design, such as requirements for comfort, body posture, and safety, as well as visual, tactile and synesthetic actions. The author (Gomes Filho, 2003) also reinforces that the designer must consider the clothing’s use, maintenance, and cleaning. The comfort for the user, in this case the clothing for el- derly people, is related to the suitability to the body and other requirements, such as practicality, quality, and functionality, as highlighted by Araújo (2009). The integration between design and ergonomics is one of the intents of this effort, an undergoing PhD study in Textile Engineering at the University of Minho (Portugal). It aims to develop clothing with greater comfort to care-dependent elderly women, besides facilitating handling in the dressing and undressing by caregivers. Therefore, the ergo- nomic, sensorial and psychological aspects of com- fort for the user assume the central core of this re- search. 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK For the users' satisfaction with clothing, when con- sidering ergonomic functions, the garment should be designed according to the variance of height and body shapes of the target population, considering an- thropometric data as well as their needs in terms of movement and interaction with others. In the devel- opment of the proposed clothing, in addition to the contribution of ergonomics and anthropometry, it is necessary to observe the complex movements of the users, in particular those performed by the caregiv- ers, as they are responsible for tasks that involve the handling of the elders, like dressing and undressing. All designers, at the time of the development of a product, have the responsibility to guarantee an ade- quate interaction of the product with the user. It is important to use new assessments, yet in the first de- sign phases, to re-evaluate the design, with the inten- tion of fitting with the human dimensions (Panero & Zelnik 2002). This is of major relevance when a product is going to be in direct and in long term con- tact with the user, as is the case of clothing. According to Iida (2005), ergonomics can con- tribute at different moments, as also identified by Ergonomic clothing design for care-dependent elderly women A. Caldas Federal University of Piauí, Brazil & University of Minho, School of Engineering, DET, Portugal M. Carvalho University of Minho, School of Engineering, DET, Portugal H. Lopes University of Coimbra, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, CEIS20, Portugal M. Souza National Service for Industrial Training, Brazil ABSTRACT: This paper describes the development of ergonomic clothing suitable for the corporal character- istics of the care-dependent elderly women at four institutions: two located in the city of Guimaraes (Portugal) and two in the city of Teresina (Brazil). The prototypes were developed based on the needs of the elderly ac- cording to some functional factors as well as their physical conditions, aiming at easier handling by the care- giver and comfort for the user. Below, the functional properties of the applied fabrics and accessories, the modeling process, and the garment assembly are described.