clothing...
From my research I gather that clothing-related quirks are a pretty common occurence in those with AS.
I have always felt way too self-conscious about the fit and condition of the clothing I wear, and if the slightest thing is off it will affect my mood and self-image and consequently the way I engage with the world for the entire day, or until I can get the problem rectified. I will sometimes try several pairs of clothing before I can get myself out the door in the morning...not sure I can imagine other people having to go through that. Everything just seems to snap into place for other people.
When I was younger I would also obsessively fret with my hair to make sure it was just right before appearing in public, as the knowledge of just one renegade tuft would also throw me off in my interactions with others, similarly to the clothing thing. Is this the norm for AS'ers? Or is it more about the sensation of the material of clothing that is at issue, and I just have a fragile ego and that's all there is to it? A lot of what I read indicates that a person with AS would be unconcerned with their appearance and while I might have claimed that to be the case with myself when I was younger, really its never been true. I had my self-esteem destroyed regularly in school and I think that is where these obsessive traits began. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of whether this is an autistic spectrum-related thing or just regular workaday ego-related stuff that anyone might experience.
Thoughts?
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Dirty old river, must you keep rolling
Flowing into the night
People so busy, makes me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so bright
My clothing issues have historically been tags and seams, but my appearance is also an issue. I like things looking new and neat. I don't care much for the whims of fashion - but I like things to look good on me and feel right.
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Flismflop
Veteran
Joined: 16 Feb 2007
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,025
Location: DC metro area suburbs, USA.
I don't mind wearing clothing that has worn spots in it, but that could be a fashion thing itself, since it shows character and history in the garment. All of the holes in my pants were results from sports-related accidents, and I can remember when each one happened. When I used to wear cotton, I was looking for a really crisp-looking pair of jeans, simply because the popular style was to have the opposite.
The one clothing-related thing that bothers me more than anything right now is, if cotton gets wet, it holds onto the moisture rather than lets it evaporate. The sensation of this making me cold holds more weight in my discomfort zone than any texture or tag ever could. I would rather let my skin get rubbed raw than to feel the shock of cold surging through me and be unable to warm myself up.
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Why be a label, be yourself and keep others guessing instead. - Dee_.
I have to look a certain way too. If i am uncomfortable in whatever i picked out for the day, i will go out of my way to change clothes, even if it means buying a new shirt. It will bother me all day if i cannot remedy my situation. This goes with fit and look as well as texture.
I get anal about the oddest assortment of things. I'll be fine wearing something that looks more like Japanese street fashion than anything else, or completely does not match at all, but put a tiny stain on my shirt, or a small wet spot, or if the shirt fits too tight, and I cannot get myself to leave the house. And I haven't been able to wear turtlenecks since I was about 6; necklaces are out, too. Anything that touches my neck is a big no. I also don't mind pants being six or seven years old, with lots of holes in bizarre places, but god forbid they be too short for the shoes I'm wearing. I'm glad to know odd clothing habits/obsessions are not just me.
I actually wore some things slightly revealing, like this dress that has spaghetti straps on it that didn't even need a bra. I dunno, I guess sometimes I just like to be pretty but I need to get a picture of it~
My other favorite thing to wear is trips :B
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Oh poo, can't get images to work~
i have these days too, i call it having a 'fashion crisis'. some days, nothing seems right - even if i'm wearing something i have felt comfortable in a thousand times before.
I obsess over what I a going to wear lol. And if something is stained, or I feel something is too tight, or if anything is digging in, it can affect my confidence a lot and my mood for the day. I am a chamelion when it comes to clothing. At times, I go through phases where I will wear the same outfit for 4 or 5 days at a time. But right now, I am wearing something different every day. It is annoying actually, I wish I just threw any old things on without a care. I used to wear all black, but lately I have been majorly into bright colours like gold/yellow, orange and red.
I make a big deal about the right fit and color coordinating, etc... My clothes need to look and to fit as though they were taylor made for me, even if it's loose jeans and a vintage t-shirt, it's gotta fit efortlessly cool. And my hair has to be just right or I'll wear a cap or a cool hat. Even when my hair is messy, it's never randomly messy, it's "messy so I'll look cute by accident". When my jeans are ripped, they're always ripped strategically right, in fact, I think I pay extra for that . It's all part of an organized chaos I create.
I went through a time of my life where I refused to wear long pants. They're still not my favorite choice of clothing, but until I find a way to wear modest, practical skirts without looking too conservative, long pants will have to do during cool weather.
And yes, I can be very particular on how I look when I leave home..but am usually completely careless about my appearance at home, especially if I'm doing something dirty, like gardening, cooking, or cleaning my henhouse
Ditto.
I'm very anal about my clothes and I have to admit that I still dress the same as I did in High School and I'm 30 now. Jeans and t-shirt(often with clever sayings, etc). I have to cut out all tags or they bug me to death. seams rub wrong sometiems and make me itch- I usually have to wash a new shirt about 5 times before I'll wear it to soften up th fabric. My hubby and I share t-shirts all the time and I can't stand it when he stains them. They'll migrate to his side of the closet instead of the shared space when he stains them. I'm also VERY self-conscious about my clothing, my hair, my makeup, etc.
Oh, an I can't stand shoes. They drive me nuts. I'm miserable in the rainy season when I can't wear my Birkenstocks. Good thing I live in NorCal.
I have always felt way too self-conscious about the fit and condition of the clothing I wear, and if the slightest thing is off it will affect my mood and self-image and consequently the way I engage with the world for the entire day, or until I can get the problem rectified. I will sometimes try several pairs of clothing before I can get myself out the door in the morning...not sure I can imagine other people having to go through that. Everything just seems to snap into place for other people.
When I was younger I would also obsessively fret with my hair to make sure it was just right before appearing in public, as the knowledge of just one renegade tuft would also throw me off in my interactions with others, similarly to the clothing thing. Is this the norm for AS'ers? Or is it more about the sensation of the material of clothing that is at issue, and I just have a fragile ego and that's all there is to it? A lot of what I read indicates that a person with AS would be unconcerned with their appearance and while I might have claimed that to be the case with myself when I was younger, really its never been true. I had my self-esteem destroyed regularly in school and I think that is where these obsessive traits began. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of whether this is an autistic spectrum-related thing or just regular workaday ego-related stuff that anyone might experience.
Thoughts?
Yeeah i can definitely relate, if i wear a pair of pants to work and if they dont fit just right, my work night is ruined...
I think this may relate more to the obsessive compulsive side of being aspie and its influence upon our wardrobe...
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the conventional view serves to protect society from the painful job of thinking.