Clothes

It’s a common thing with all clothes makers these days, they are of such poor quality that they cannot even be repaired - and a size 30 waist is not always the same everywhere - as I get older, I think I’m size 35 waist now - I usually go the skinhead route as my hair grows so fast, but I can get away with it as I wear glasses - shoes always follow the latest fashion trends that I’m not interested in, as I prefer semi-formal, smart casual or business attire, as this is classic/traditional and age appropriate 

All of my clothes are wearing out and I will need more soon, I hate clothes shopping, theres never anything I like that fits me, often not anything I don't like that fits me either! I'm almost permanently scruffy, I'm an attractive person, all sorts of crud is attracted to me and sticks to me, my hair stands on end and will not do what it's told, it might sulk and pretend to behave itself, before doing something even stranger than normal, like not taking a curl, leaving me sat under a hood dryer for an hour with my head scorching, then suddenly deciding it will take a curl so well I end up looking like Marg Simpson for a few days!

As an older gay man, aside from drag and aside from work uniform, clothes and haircuts don’t really bother me - I tend to stick to age appropriate classic clothes, no trainers, etc and I’m not a follower of fashion, even though I can appreciate looking at the latest Paris and Milan fashion trends, if they are well designed and practical - I think that conservative business attire and semi-formal or smart casual best suits my fashion sense and I don’t think that I’d look out of place among members of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace or Windsor 

Mismatched outfits or feeling like my clothes don't coordinate can definitely stress me out too. It's like there's a subconscious pressure to present myself in a cohesive way that reflects who I am.

They can be a big trigger for me as well so don't worry it's not just you.

The material can upset my skin.

They can feel too tight.

Make me too hot.

Some clothing gets me more looks which makes me paranoid.

And then there's the trying to choose what to wear each day which takes longer than it possibly should.

I hate clothes.

Ooh, this had unlocked a line of thought in me that I hadn't previously considered. At first thought I would say, no, I'm not very particular about clothes. But then thinking about it, I am but it can be quite subtle at times. I absolutely cannot abide wearing jeans inside my own house. They are uncomfortable to wear on a sofa and nobody can convince me otherwise. This seems to go away a little if I'm wearing jeans on someone else's sofa (perhaps because I'm not relaxing properly anyway)? As soon as I get home I get changed into comfortable clothes, tracksuit bottoms and an oversized top or some kind of pyjama set. If it's warm in the summer I can wear dresses inside as they can be quite comfortable (if it's a summer dress) but I do have to be in the mood to dress up. At work, I always wear my work clothes. The idea of wearing jeans and/or trainers at work flummoxes me (I have an office job). I don't mind other people doing it but they are 'casual' clothes not work clothes so I don't think I would be in the right head space. 

I’m sure Verity also produced Blue Peter for quite a few years. Eldorado was definitely the pinnacle of her career! 

I mainly wear cotton clothes, normally jeans, t-shirt and a hoodie if needed. I work on cars all day but have never worn overalls, too restrictive and feel like I’m closed in. 90% of my clothes are blue, never planned to have blue clothes, it just happened, dark blue most probably blends in with a crowd, much easier to not get noticed.

That’s a shame. You just reminded me with your story of Verity Lambert, trailblazing first producer of Doctor Who and creative force in getting Minder, Jonathan Creek, and … well, Eldorado (they can’t all be winners but you can’t fault the ambition!) off the ground. When she got that producer job on Who (basically the first female in that sort of role) she came in every day in her own very strikingly modern and orthodoxy -challenging styles - think Mary Quant basically- and had many comments made about her behind her back and within earshot. Including some innuendos about why she’d dress that way, what it might have done for her ascendancy etc. she ignored it all, stuck to wearing what she felt like wearing, quickly  had the full respect of anyone working within her close circle. And the sniggerers and eye-rollers have long since been forgotten or are footnotes. Her name and history is immortal. Not saying that clothes make the woman, but the woman who is herself (or person who is themself) has an authenticity that communicates itself in many ways, and why not sartorially? Good on ya, Verity. 

Hi Rosina, sometimes I like to wear a uniform so I can "hide in plain sight". Other times I might dress as a motorcyclist or a scooterist. These two groups hardly mix socially.

My wardrobe is divided into "smart" and "scruffy" clothes. Daily choice depends on the activity I have in mind.

In terms of washing clothes, I have a new washing machine/ tumble drier. I try to use the clothes line where possible, as electricity costs a fortune.

Clothes make a huge difference to how we feel. I worked at a place once where everyone wore more or less the same colours as that was the dress code.

When i was employed by the company, they did asychometric test and before they offered me the position said, they wanted me to wear what I want. Apparently the test results showed them that letting me be an individual would bring the best outn me. Hell I took that and ran with it, everyone else in their blue/black suits and me in the dress with huge yellow sunflowers statement jewellery etc. They didn’t take my individuality away and I excelled in the role within a year !!  Now where I work we are not allowed anything individual, uniformed, I feel constrained because clothes are an expression of who you are. 

I have home clothes and out of the house clothes and they don't mix. I cannot do anything productive unless I'm in comfortable clothes like joggers or boxer shorts and a t-shirt and/or soft jumper, so I change into those as soon as I enter my home. When I'm out I prefer clothes that are a bit more robust, like jeans that I've turned up to keep them off the ground, and a button-down shirt or hoodie. Then there's sports clothing which is a whole other category.

I have probably made my last ever visit to the barber's. I used to feel extremely self consious bringing my wee scrap of not much to get buzzed because I wasn't confident with the trimmer, but now I just go for it at home. I never minded if I got there and it was just the barber himself (nice man, always gave me the pensioner's rate out of sympathy for the sparseness and resultant speed of the job) but if there were others waiting, sometimes I'd see them smirk or nudge each other (younger ones) laughing at me. By the time I got up to leave I just wanted to die. 

Agreed.

I really struggle with bras, but don’t like how it feels without one on. Buying new bras is a minefield.
Footwear too, I will buy secondhand as a preference as I can’t stand breaking in new shoes, and with the benefit of hindsight, the problems I had with shoes when I was little should have been a bit of a giveaway from a sensory difficulty perspective. 

Even though this thread is 2 years old, I can totally relate to the impact clothes can have on our mood and behavior. The way we dress can definitely influence how we feel and present ourselves to the world. It's not just you; many people experience a connection between their outfit and their mindset. Different styles or outfits can evoke certain emotions or make us feel more confident or professional. It's like dressing for the role we want to embody. If you're looking for affordable options to refresh your wardrobe, you can check out places like globalpalletsliquidation.com. They offer Men’s Wholesale Clothing pallets that can be a great way to find stylish clothes at a budget-friendly price.

I struggle a lot with haircuts. I managed to go to a barber for the first time in about 6 months last week. Thankfully he didnt make too much small talk at least.

Its interesting you should say you adapt yourself when wearing certain clothes, thats exactly what I do

Clothes are a massive struggle for both me and my daughter. I find the material can be a sensory overload and it's triggering in lots of ways and I also find I'll adapt myself when I'm wearing certain clothes.

Haircuts are a big trigger. I try to avoid the salons when possible as it's too upsetting and my daughter is just the same total meltdown.

Yes, I have that feeling, too. I'm 37 years old, but I try to look younger than my years. That's why I often wear clothes for young girls or bright looks. Recently, my nephew, Tommy, asked me for a T-shirt and a phone case from the Ranboo merch store as a birthday present. Here is the website of this store: ranboomerchandise.store . When I was picking out a gift for Tommy, I picked out some t-shirts for myself as well. Now I get compliments from other people even more often that I look very good and young. It makes me happy.

It seems to me that the clothes I wear do not affect my behavior.

I wear particular brands of shoe too - always either Victoria Plimsolls, Natural World plimsolls, Doc Martins or Aigle Wellington boots. With the plimsolls I usually have two new pairs ready so that when my current pair wear out I know I’ve got some more ready. They’re so comfortable.