As autistics I'm guessing a decent percentage of us have issues of some sort with clothing or specific items thereof.
According to statistics people (US) wear roughly 20% of what they own 80% of the time. With the autistic community I'm guessing those numbers are even smaller.
I know I was horrendously fussy about what I wore as a kid, (the favourite outfit issue with a vengeance. Mom taught me how to do laundry at an early age, so I would wear something clean, but something that I also liked. Laundry is also logical, linear, and soothing. Order out of chaos.)
For me, this is not the case, I love pretty things and deciding what to wear is a starting touchpoint of my day. I don't retain heat and deal with compromised cardiac function, so I like things that apply slight pressure (e.g. tights, leggings, or skinny jeans) because it eases workload on my heart.
I like layers. I know what types of cuts are comfortable and what bothers (it took number of years of trial and error). If a piece of clothing bugs me or I think it looks funny, I tinker 'til it's right. If it isn't right it goes in the donate box. (Yeah, control freak raises hand again.)
Being put together on the outside when I have to interact is one of my biggest and easiest masks to put on. Everything about it screams neat, tidy, a bit nerdy. People see a little quirk, not my inner weirdo.
There is a sameness with what I wear in shape, texture, and composition. Toss it on, out the door, and don't need to think about it.
Things that I really adhere to my sameness in an observable way are my shoes. Ballet flats (one pair black, no clutter on them, one brown), brown boots (one tall, one short), grey canvas slip-ons, and a pair of sandals. (Snow boots don't count because those are a requisite for the climate.)
If I feel something is off about something usually it is rooted in the shoes, so I keep it simple. But I hate shoe shopping. I only do it when the need is absolutely dire. (e.g one or more pairs are worn beyond redemption. Then I bite the bullet and do it. I never do a buy without try.)
My jeans are also all the same cut and dark, uniform wash. Anything else looks weird. The high-waisted mom jean fad is bringing back jean trauma from childhood. There is a reason I prefer my tights and dresses. They never felt wonky.
No funky socks. Plain white or nothing.
And my nod to my inner weirdo, my hand warmers (more commonly know as fingerless gloves). Mine are many and varied, most are handmade. These are a huge help in preventing angina being triggered by cold. Is it a little odd, yes, but what it saves me in pain is worth it.
What types of things do you gravitate toward, prefer, or simply cannot stand?
According to statistics people (US) wear roughly 20% of what they own 80% of the time. With the autistic community I'm guessing those numbers are even smaller.
I know I was horrendously fussy about what I wore as a kid, (the favourite outfit issue with a vengeance. Mom taught me how to do laundry at an early age, so I would wear something clean, but something that I also liked. Laundry is also logical, linear, and soothing. Order out of chaos.)
For me, this is not the case, I love pretty things and deciding what to wear is a starting touchpoint of my day. I don't retain heat and deal with compromised cardiac function, so I like things that apply slight pressure (e.g. tights, leggings, or skinny jeans) because it eases workload on my heart.
I like layers. I know what types of cuts are comfortable and what bothers (it took number of years of trial and error). If a piece of clothing bugs me or I think it looks funny, I tinker 'til it's right. If it isn't right it goes in the donate box. (Yeah, control freak raises hand again.)
Being put together on the outside when I have to interact is one of my biggest and easiest masks to put on. Everything about it screams neat, tidy, a bit nerdy. People see a little quirk, not my inner weirdo.
There is a sameness with what I wear in shape, texture, and composition. Toss it on, out the door, and don't need to think about it.
Things that I really adhere to my sameness in an observable way are my shoes. Ballet flats (one pair black, no clutter on them, one brown), brown boots (one tall, one short), grey canvas slip-ons, and a pair of sandals. (Snow boots don't count because those are a requisite for the climate.)
If I feel something is off about something usually it is rooted in the shoes, so I keep it simple. But I hate shoe shopping. I only do it when the need is absolutely dire. (e.g one or more pairs are worn beyond redemption. Then I bite the bullet and do it. I never do a buy without try.)
My jeans are also all the same cut and dark, uniform wash. Anything else looks weird. The high-waisted mom jean fad is bringing back jean trauma from childhood. There is a reason I prefer my tights and dresses. They never felt wonky.
No funky socks. Plain white or nothing.
And my nod to my inner weirdo, my hand warmers (more commonly know as fingerless gloves). Mine are many and varied, most are handmade. These are a huge help in preventing angina being triggered by cold. Is it a little odd, yes, but what it saves me in pain is worth it.
What types of things do you gravitate toward, prefer, or simply cannot stand?
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