Dressing for the Occasion

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Hello! I am new here! (:

I am an aspie, and I just realized the concept of "dressing for the occasion." I was completely oblivious to this until someone pointed out to me that NT's actually put thought into what they wear. Since then I've been mentally compiling a list of "rules" for dressing "appropriately." Thought I would share, and please please add your own!

.. when it is raining, always wear a jacket (even if you enjoy getting soaked in the rain, like me!)
.. if it is hot outside, don't wear a sweatshirt
.. there is no need to dress in your best church clothes just to go to the grocery store

what else?

When it is cold, wear more clothes. It took me awhile to learn that one.

There are all sorts of rules that I don't know about...

Different dress\skirt lengths for different times of day...
Different shoe types (closed toe, open toe) depending on the occasion and time

etc.

I never took an interest in clothes until I realised I needed to conform to be more accepted. Yeah it might be cool to be all weird, but it doesn't help when trying to get\keep a job.

I've never had an issue with wearing what's appopriate for the weather conditions. I'll do this to the detriment of style. If' it's wet, wear wellies and a waterproof jacket (and I mean completely waterproof) and carry and umbrella (unless it's too windy). If it's really wet, wear waterproof trousers. If it's over 18C, there shoud be no need for a jacket, but if going out for a while, carry one just in case it gets cold.

For me, the issue is wearing what's appopriate for the occasion, if this conflicts with the weather conditions.

I always have trouble with dressing for particular social occasions. I have trouble knowing how dressed up or down I should be and tend to spend an inordinate amount of time going over options. Unfortunately my wardrobe is also rather lacking in the 'getting dressed up' stuff. I just have regular comfy day to day clothes. It is always a relief to get to where ever I am meant to be going eg party, or 'drinks', and find everyone else seems to be dressed the same. I have had some really bad choices in the past. It is not fun when people point and laugh
I also have some specific fashion rules, I must have read in a magazine long ago.
Do not wear black and navy together, black and brown together and red, orange and pink together. Also do not mix patterns, eg spots and stripes.
I also have trouble making sure I have the right clothes for the weather. I end up too hot or cold. I have to remember to wear layers then I can take some off or put some on.

This is a good thread!

-Don't wear sunglasses when it's in the middle of winter and you're wearing a hat, scarf, thick coat, gloves and thick boots (even if the sun is bright and the snow is bright on the ground)

-Only wear big snow boots when there is snow and ice on the ground. Once the snow starts thawing and the ice starts cracking, immediately change into a different pair of boots or shoes. It ''looks funny'' when you're wearing snow boots when the snow isn't persistant any more (even though you're still the same person whether snow is there or not, but social rules make no sense, so....)

-Don't wear a posh coat with trainers

-Apparently wearing knickers with pictures on is ''childish'', you have to wear silky knickers or cotton ones with no pictures on, only patterns. Wearing socks with pictures on is allowed

-Don't wear brightly-coloured socks when you have shorts on with trainers. If any, wear little white ankle socks, or if you have black trainers on, wear little black ankle socks

-Don't wear a T-shirt without a top over if the temperature is under 15 degrees


Remember, if you hate being ridiculed, you have to go with what other people want you to look, not how you want yourself to look. Yes, it's a sad world after all.

I haven't worn pants in years. I wear shorts all the time....even in winter...sue me.

Last edited by MagicMeerkat on 16 Feb 2012, 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

After school I used to always walk home for miles in the freezing rain in just a t-shirt with no jacket or sweatshirt, or sometimes carrying my jacket in my hand, and when I got home, people would act strangely about it, as if I had done something wrong. They always complained to me about insignificant things just to make my life miserable, so I never put much thought into why this particular thing was a problem.

It's funny, I never realised that this was because of autism until right now, while reading this thread.

I never minded the cold of the rain, but being cold indoors irritates me, and like some of the others who have posted, it just doesn't cross my mind to put more clothes on when cold. I just turn the heat up. The idea of wearing so much clothing indoors seems just as uncomfortable and irritating as the cold.

OK, it's actually natural for me to put more clothes on if it's cold or take stuff off if it's hot. If I get hot indoors, I take my jumper off (but still have a T-shirt on underneath) until I cool down, and if I get cold indoors I put my scarf on or my slippers, and if I haven't done already, I put a jumper on.

Sometimes a day comes when I don't know what to wear, like if it's raining but mild, or if there's warm sunshine but cold wind, but I know that catches everyone out. If it's raining but mild, I just wear a thin raincoat and take it off if it dries up.

But what doesn't come naturally to me is things like what to wear for work. I know a lot of women who have certain jumpers or T-shirts for work (those who don't have to wear uniform or formal clothes I mean), whereas I just put anything on without caring if it gets dirty or not.

I think it's the best to wear whatever feels good to you, no matter what people say. There are few exceptions like funerals or church where you wouldn't wear a tank top, shorts, and flip flops. But for most other occasions it doesn't matter much, i suppose.

You also remember that different things call for different styles of dress. Sporting, casual, business casual, clubbing/party, semiformal, formal (and levels of formal), business, etc. Determine which style of clothing the event or activity calls for, and dress apropriately. Most invitations to formal events will tell you which level of formality to go for. Evening dress, morning dress, black tie, white tie, cocktail, etc.

dressing is complicated

Not once you get the hang of it, and it's enjoyable for me. You can have several different pieces that work in different situations, and just combine them. When I was in my teens, I went to what was then called "Modeling School" at Barbazon, but it was really just a more modern version of charm school. We learned how to dress, what clothes looked best on our body style and age, makeup, hairstyles, poise, etc. They did the required "modeling" things like teaching the runway walk, how to do a photo shoot etc and we got pictures done and at the end each class put on a "fashion show" but it was just charm school dressed up as something different. You might want to look into something like that to help you figure out that stuff. If nothing else, you could talk to someone who works there, explain your problem and ask if you could make and pay for a few private appointments to just address your questions.

You could also go to a personal shopper at one of the nicer clothing stores. Also, some salaons and day spa's have staff there to help you in selecting styles, etc.

This can also vary according to culture.

I have an uncle who went to Germany with my grandparents back in the early Sixties, because my grandfather had been stationed there in the U.S. army for a couple of years. When my grandparents returned to the U.S. he stayed on because he wanted to finish his schooling there.

For some years after he came home, he wouldn't even make a short trip to the store without first showering, shaving and putting on a suit. I doubt all Germans did that even at the time. It probably also had to do with the circles he associated with there.

I've always been sensitive to hot and cold so I don't get this not dressing for the weather business. Fortunately, since I am now an international man of leisure I can dress as I please all of the time.

I wear sunglasses whenever I leave the house during daylight hours regardless of the time of year or the weather.

One thing I do that is probably seen as "bad" is wear socks with sandals, or at least I used to until the elastic on the back of one of my sandals gave out and I don't wear them any more. If people don't like it too bad, they won't be the ones suffering with blisters if I go sockless.