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MrJosh
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19 Apr 2013, 9:11 pm

I posted once before about how I wear the same clothes over and over. I'm not actually diagnosed, but I believe I probably do have an ASD, or that I certainly have some traits anyway.

A particular problem I have is with clothing. Always wearing the same few items. I recently tried to mix this up a bit, with not much luck.

I want to wear fashionable clothes and change it up a bit, but its difficult as I really only feel comfortable in a few select items.

So recently, my jacket became unwearable. Its been past its best for a while now, and I need to replace it. I really dislike it when this happens as its really difficult to find a suitable, similar replacement. Ideally, for comfort, I would buy the same one again. But they are no longer for sale, and I want to buy a different one anyway. I just cant find any that I feel comfortable wearing. Its usually a difficult transition period but I usually can buy one of a few styles, and will eventually become very comfortable wearing it, ultimately leaving me in the position I am in now. But there are none similar at the moment in the shops.

I used to buy multiples of each item, and all my clothing is usually similar anyway. But I'm trying to stop doing that, but i don't know if I should?

I've bought a number of items of clothing, to try and have some variety, but ultimately, most of the new items are just left unworn. Ihave made progress in the fact that I have a few different shades of jeans though.

Can anyone relate?
What do you normally do in these situations?
Is this something that I can work on?

Is this something a lot of "NT" people have issues with too?



Radiofixr
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19 Apr 2013, 9:24 pm

Yes I do the same thing with shoes and and jeans and shirts and underwear-I like certain brands and styles and buy multiples of the same things before they get discontinued. I can totally relate.


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tweety_fan
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19 Apr 2013, 9:30 pm

I do tend to wear the same sort of stuff each day.
My work wardrobe consists of black pants with a different top each day. I don't like to think too hard about what to wear.
My closet does have multiples in it (different colours of the same top for example) and the same goes for a lot of people I know.



cathylynn
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19 Apr 2013, 10:04 pm

one of my colleagues referred to my wardrobe as "the uniform".



jk1
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19 Apr 2013, 10:22 pm

I can relate. I think I'm afraid of looking ridiculous wearing a totally different type of clothing and tend to stick to the same shirts, pants, shoes etc all the time. So like some people mentioned, once I find a decent-looking (at least so to me) clothing item, I buy three or so of the same thing with different colors. My bad habit is that I then only wear certain items out of all that I bought. Others just stay in the wardrobe for years without being worn at all. I don't know exactly why I do that. Perhaps because I don't want them worn out. Clothes shopping is rather a pain because I feel it's very difficult to find something that I can wear.

I think you can gradually try different types of clothing and get used to them. When you purchase them (particularly different types from your usual ones), try them on first and make sure that you like how you look in them (in the mirror at the shop). In that way, you can increase the variety you can wear and realize that there are even more choices. Also, going shopping to buy some before you reach the point where you really need to buy replacement clothes will let you have a good look around and have more time to decide which ones you like. Well, I think that's what I've been doing for the last 5 or so years and buying/wearing new clothes is becoming less stressful.



Panddora
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20 Apr 2013, 2:08 am

I love clothes and new styles but.....I am lying in bed at the moment wearing the same nightdress and pyjama top that must be well over 10 years old. I have the one nightdress and 2 tops. I try to wash and dry the nightdress within the day so I can wear it again. I don't even like it that much but it is comfortable and I don't want to change it. If my neighbours ever notice they must really wonder what I am wearing. For work, to keep warm, I wear a knitted silk jumper under my other clothing. It is literally falling apart and I cannot replace it but it is so comfortable and forms an extra layer for warmth I don't care. And as for shoes, I won't even go there with my dog chewed trainers! I have almost new ones exactly the same in the cupboard But you won't part me from my old ones!



elleannt
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20 Apr 2013, 5:36 pm

totally relate - black pants different color tops!



Last edited by elleannt on 21 Apr 2013, 6:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

AgentPalpatine
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20 Apr 2013, 5:43 pm

cathylynn wrote:
one of my colleagues referred to my wardrobe as "the uniform".


That's actually one of the most repeated statements about Aspies and clothing.


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VIDEODROME
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20 Apr 2013, 6:46 pm

Hmm... not diagnosed but I wear a kind of generic jeans, hoody jacket, and plain shirt style. I just wear different colored plain T-shirts.

I sometimes think I should get something with styled art designs on the shirts or something.



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21 Apr 2013, 3:13 pm

Did you want wardrobe advice? I will give some at the bottom of teh post. First I will answer your questions.

Yes other people have this situation too. Einstein reportedly had one outfit but more than one copy of it, so he didn't have to waste any energy thinking about what to wear. I don't think I was told what the clothing was but let's say it was a white shirt, tan pants and blue blazer. He had five each of those I think and just reached into his closet and grabbed one and wore it. :)

When I was about 11 I had a favorite shirt that I wore every weekend when we went to grandma's house. We used to spend weekends at her house, and something about that shirt meant to me "now the good times begin." I really liked grandma. :) Lol. It was a really nice shade of green, I liked how it fit, how it felt, and it never shrank in the wash. Mom used to shrink a LOT of my clothes and I hated feeling gangly with arms sticking out too far...this shirt never did that. FInally I grew out of the shirt.

I always hated shopping for jeans because (I'm female) I had a curvy bottom once I grew up and jeans never seemed to fit. So I would have to try on a lot of jeans before finding a pair that actually ft, looked good and was comfortable too. Because clothing factories stack fabric really high when they cut the pieces out, the fabric on the bottom is cut differently than the fabric on top, slightly roomier I think. So, no matter what, even jeans in the same size and brand fit differently. If you have a body just like their fit model, not a problem. But if your body is slightly different, it can make a huge difference.

I had thought it was easier for guys. (I am not sure if you are male or female.) Their bodies are pretty much the same dimensions I think, while women's shapes can vary quite a bit. But yeah I was often tempted to just buy 'uniforms' to wear daily i.e. the same type of or brand of pants and tops, in different colors.

I went through a phase where I was so tired of the shopping and things never looking like i wanted that I just wore stretchy clothes with elastic waist bands. I wasn't fat at all. But they were so comfy. It was a line of clothing made for travel. When I wasn't wearing those I wore clothing that was a bit too big because I always hated the waistband digging into my flesh when I sat down. In those days it seemed like things were just made funky.

So yeah NT have clothing issues too!

One solution might be to have some things made for you. Sometimes ladies take in sewing. You might ask at a Joanne fabric if they know of anyone who would be willing to make some clothes for you at a reasonable price. Or go to a similar fabric store. In the USA those have classes and of course the customers all sew. So do the ladies who work there. Or ask at a dry cleaning shop, they often hire tailors. If you are male you can find a tailor much easier, though it may be costly. But if you think outside the box so to speak, maybe you can find a seamstress or tailor who will work cheaper.

You've already thought of buying more than one of the same thing when you buy something and said you dodn't want to do that any more. So another solution might be to simply focus on a color palette.

For instance, have a few polo shirts, a few white shirts, two blazers, five pairs of pants, and aside from the white shirts have everything in the same color range. Then everything is mix and match. It won't require much thought to get dressed but you won't feel like you are being seen in the same stuff every day. For instance, focus on blue (navy to light blue) or on browns (from tan to dark brown.) Something like that.

Hope that helps.



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21 Apr 2013, 6:10 pm

CLothes has one goal yes ?. To keep you varm, or well maybe 2, to keep you warm or keep you from being to varm.

I dont understand all this with people spending so much time and money and clothes.

I buy clothes like once every year when stuff is getting worn out. ANd i actually dont think about what new clothes i get or wear.

I dont get this personally attachment people has to objects that isnt alive. Its like they think they are better looking or something with another color of cloth.

The mind boggles or atleast mine does.