Asperger's and Fashion

[Suiseiseki]

I'm a fashion nightmare good lord.

 

[StephF]

I have no interest in fashion. All my clothes are utilitarian, comfort is the most important thing.
Things with scratchy seams or labels are right out !

 

[Brony714]

Most of the time, I've never really given a second thought to what's in fashion... I usually liked to stick to what's comfortable... nowadays, if I'm just sitting around the house(or even if I'm running to the grocery store), I usually stick with elastic waist pants or shorts, T-shirt, and for when I have to wear shoes, flip-flops... I usually don't get dressed unless I have to... I figure if I'm just kicking it at home, it doesn't matter what I wear, so I choose comfort over style...

 

[Brony714]

When I was a model living in L.A., I needed to keep up with fashion trends and designers.
Now that I'm living in a small college town where people wear socks with sandals and regularly go out in public in their pajamas, I don't need to give a f*ck. it's quite liberating, actually.

I hear you there... Believe me, if I could get away with wearing sweatpants and T-shirts for the rest of my life, I would...

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I don't have too much interest in fashion but I know that if I don't apply some logic to my dress style I'm going to look off to other people. I get excited about one or two pieces of clothing, maybe there's a hoodie I really like but most of the time I just put on clothes without thinking about how I'll look. Comfort is king.

 

[Amy Bellows]

I wear the clothes that I wear because their comfortable, not because their in style. I have fifteen pairs of pants that are the same and it is rare for me to wear any other pants. They are all grey slacks. For shirts I wear pull overs, mostly t-shirts with a few collared shirts here and there. Black shoes with black socks. People think that I'm weird, but I don't think it is because of the way that I dress.

OMG I do a lot of that... My main staple clothes are all very similar fit/color/texture.. I've even gone out of my way to replace a sweater that was wearing thin with the exact same sweater, even though it was over 7 years old. I finally found that model at Marshalls, and bought the last 3 they had in my size.. that should last me another 21 years, at least... Not sure what I'll do then.

I do occasionally try to update my look, but I just can't withstand the discomfort it causes (both physical and mental) and end up falling back to my old standard. I hate anything that feels too constricting, and labels in the side seams of shirts are torture... Neck labels aren't as bothersome, for some reason.

 

[tree]

One thing that I have never understood.

When you go to church your supposed to wear your " Sunday's best", but then I'm told that vanity is a sin.

It is possible to have the point of view that you are presenting yourself
in that which through the grace of God you have been gifted. Even
though the money used was what you earned....the ability to earn the
money is concerned a gift.

So it is possible to bring your best, but not be vain about it, since,
within this point of view, you are displaying the goodness & mercy
of God, not your tiny will/sin of vanity.

 

[DogwoodTree]

So it is possible to bring your best, but not be vain about it, since,
within this point of view, you are displaying the goodness & mercy
of God, not your tiny will/sin of vanity.

Our current church is very casual in dress code, and since I despise dressing up, I go on the casual side these days. But...when I attended churches where people were expected to dress up some, I think the general "official" consensus is that we were to dress up to honor God, not ourselves.

When missionaries (I have some in my family) visit other countries, they're often served the absolute very best food the people they're serving can bring. These people are very poor, and can't afford to feed themselves that way. But they offer the best they can obtain in order to honor the missionaries (and they would be deeply offended if the missionaries refused the gifts). They make no presumptions of their own wealth or whatever...it's simply an offer of respect and honor for the people helping them. I think dressing up for church can certainly be seen in the same way...whether or not that's the way any specific person sees it for themselves is a different question.

 

[Ste11aeres]

Hi. I'm a newly discovered Aspy and so much makes sense. I do have one question to see if this is is common. I can't dress. Despite best intentions, I just have no fashion sense. Even when people help me shop, all I see is fabric on a hanger. CLothes don't stand out to me. All of the clothes I prefer to buy are generally the same (Apparently I'm a big fan of blue patterns and black and white tennis shoes). I personally just don't care, however I'm aware that everyone else does. I want to fit in and dress like everyone else, but it's just not in me. I was told that it is a bit of an Aspy thing to not care about things like that, but is that the case or am I just lazy and deficient?

I love clothes. I like watching 'Say Yes to the Dress' and I am fascinated by the process of making and then choosing clothes. But I cannot dress in a way that seems "normal". I cannot dress in the same way as other members of my demographic.

 

[Ste11aeres]

One thing that I have never understood.

When you go to church your supposed to wear your " Sunday's best", but then I'm told that vanity is a sin.

I don't know what denomination you belong to, nor do I know how your church community defines the word "vanity", but I wouldn't consider dressing well to be the same thing as "vanity."

Or, (speculating a bit here)..words have different meanings when used by different people, or sometimes one word can refer to different though similar thing. Perhaps "vanity" can have two meanings: one referring to an attitude that is sinful, the other referring to something that is not.

Also, dressing well is an external action, vanity is an interior attitude.
An external action can have one of many different motivations. Perhaps "vanity" would apply if you're aiming for celebrity social status through your clothes. But that's not the only motivation someone might have for dressing well.

Anyway, dressing well and vanity are two separate things.
(Although, I don't know how your church community defines that word, nor do I know all the ins and outs of the ethical teachings and values of your church community).

 

[Brony714]

One thing that I have never understood.

When you go to church your supposed to wear your " Sunday's best", but then I'm told that vanity is a sin.

When it boils down to it, what is and isn't acceptable to wear to church depends on your upbringing...

 

[tree]

What is or isn't considered acceptable to wear
depends, I think, on the church.

I remember the assistant pastor's talk one day.
He said that whatever a person wore was not
a subject for discussion or confrontation and
that regardless of how one dressed,
no one was to greet another with for instance:
"You're looking pretty whorish,
today, Sister."

I have talked with men who weren't allowed
in other churches though, for 'not
being dressed for church.' No tie. Or
jeans instead of a suit.

 

[Warmheart]

I wear functional clothing that is comfortable, with zero awareness of style.
I am routinely showered & shampoo'd clean, and my clothes are freshly laundered.
I endure the perfect storm of raging yuck, aka a haircut, only 2 - 3 times per year.
I wear no make-up.
I do not tweeze/groom my brows.
I trim my nails, but do not "have my nails done."
I have little to no awareness of how others see me.
Aside from my significant lack of awareness, appearances mean very little to me.

 

[clg114]

I wear functional clothing that is comfortable, with zero awareness of style.
I am routinely showered & shampoo'd clean, and my clothes are freshly laundered.
I endure the perfect storm of raging yuck, aka a haircut, only 2 - 3 times per year.
I wear no make-up.
I do not tweeze/groom my brows.
I trim my nails, but do not "have my nails done."
I have little to no awareness of how others see me.
Aside from my significant lack of awareness, appearances mean very little to me.

Exactly, I am the male version of this.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I'm not too far of either. I have to do the basics like have my hair cut every few months and tweeze my eye brows otherwise I'd have a hideous monobrow by now. Today I put on my clothes and as I looked in the mirror I realised I put on all gray clothes and didn't care enough to change! Another thing I need to work on.

 

[tree]

I will try to describe my clothes/"fashion", along the pattern initiated by Warmheart :

Clothes...functional/comfortable/several layers.
Washing clothes by hand...
I have outdoor clothes that I put on over my indoor clothes. I would not
call the outdoor clothes 'freshly laundered' since I use them for a couple weeks at
a time, outdoors. And then take off when I am in the house. Third pair of pants, for instance. Jacket.
Washing my hair is a big deal. Have to plan that out, so that I don't instantly feel nauseated
from taking the hat, head band, and hood (s) off my head.

No make up. I pluck my eyebrows, if there are some I don't want.
Haircut. No, I don't go anywhere to get a haircut. I trim my bangs. A couple times a year I trim
the ends of my hair so that it doesn't reach past the tips of my fingers when my arms are
extended straight down at my sides.
I have never had my nails done. I generally file my nails since it is easier to control a file, than
to use clippers.

I am quite aware that to other people I look like a bundle of sticks masquerading
as a crow. Dark colors. Oversize hooded sweatshirts in layers.

 

[Ptolemy]

'Fashion' is meaningless for me.
That said, I do enjoy clothes and trying (perhaps failing, in some people's eyes anyway) to present myself reasonably well.
Quality of material, texture and colour is what's important to me.
I've been wearing corduroy trousers a lot recently, I love that stuff

 

[Iron Defender]

I have been loving fashion, lately. I try and go shopping every so often.

 

[Peeta]

I don't care what fashion trend is happening at the moment and as far as I know I don't have a 'fashion sense'. However I did develop my own style of dressing and also have a distinct taste in clothing. Due to me preferring colors matching I have actually garnered quite a reputation with the ladies at my work for my clothes. I'm a temp and after every assignment my 'local boss' has an evaluation with the 'paying boss'. This has happened three times now since I started working and all three times I had all three of the local bosses (both men and women) mention my clothing style. I have been described as 'authentic', 'a complete picture' and stuff like that. I'm kind of enjoying this a lot cause I don't really put much thought in my clothing, I just wear stuff that matches. Sort of proud too, cause when I was a teen I always looked horrible cause I just didn't care about my looks. Nice change in my life for sure. I'm still laughing due to this weird twist in life.

So long story short: don't care about fashion, don't particularly care about my looks, no conscious active fashion sense but due to my Aspie quirks my clothes are a hit at work.

 

[Marmot]

I don’t know if it’s fashion, form, or function but I feel naked unless I’m wearing double thick Carhartt parts even though I work in an office and do nothing construction-like in my day to day life. I know that rough fabric & clothing texture seems to bother most aspies, but I absolutely love the feel & heavy weight of wearing canvas, double lined pants. It’s similar to having the heavy weight of a blanket on top of me at night: It, for some reason just makes me feel more secure.