Hi I have a 9yr son, as of the last few months he says all his tops are itchy and refuses to get dressed. I have tried a non bio detergent, i have cut out labels, i have bought new tops. But im literally lly at the point where he won't wear anything. Any advice is welcome 
Thank you all, again I do appreciate it. I try to not wash his clothes unless they are visibly dirty. And even then I will get them washed and dried on the same day. I wash these certain outfits the same way I wash all our clothes, yet he'll wear them and not the others.
Also the 1 tshirt he will wear is made from the same fabric as some of his others but again wont wear the others.
I'll try out recommendations that you have all left for me .
Thank you!
My son found going in shops difficult, then the pandemic prevented this so we now order online. Not sure if I can advertise sites but there is one particular place which sells lots of soft clothing (reasonably priced). I think some of it is surf wear.
When it comes to school wear we sometimes have to try quite a few places before he finds something comfortable. If you can find somewhere that does free returns it allows for this, although is a little time consuming.
It's posable he just agrees to things to get out of the shop quickly. if he finds the environment stressful. having him try things on in the changing rooms helpful. But if that's not enough I wonder if it really might be something to do with your washing process. Why not leave a set of new clothes unwashed for a while and see if he can tolerate it for a while. If he only starts rejecting clothing after its washed you'd have your answer.
aye maybe. for me its seams and a tight or high neck thats uncomfortable, hate any choking feeling. any rough patch like seams make.... any weird design or graphic that ends up having a reverse side effect and ends up chafing your nipples lol anything that makes you sweat too much too, sweatiness is horrid. which is why i go for breathable stuff. even my steel toe cap work shoes are mesh breathable, bit cold in winter drafts and not suitable if you get caught outside in the rain though but keep you from sweating, the steel toe cap still gets your toes wet though i guess by condensation on the steel cap.
Might be the fabric itself...some folk are super sensitive to anything except pure cotton. There are fair few man made fabrics I struggle with, with or without seams.
Bornaxious.com .... pure cotton, no labels and super soft seams.
Or see if you can get him some fabric samples of different kinds. Ask him to try them against his skin to tell you what does and does not itch, then buy stuff in those fabrics.
Also bear in mind some of us can't handle anything restrictive. The style of garment can have a baring. I always avoid anything tailored and go at least one size too big.
Perhaps he does what I used to do, which is just to say "yes it is fine" in order to stop my mother asking me questions I could not answer, such as "does it fit?"and "does it feel comfortable", and therefore be more quickly able to put on my old clothes and leave the 'horrible' shop! I used to hate the lights in changing rooms, the heat, the smells, the clanging doors, the coat hangers rattling, the music, all with the pressure of being asked if something "fit" when EVERYTHING felt uncomfortable to me. Just trying on things, my skin used to go all red and blotchy for some reason and I would feel so hot and bothered. I can still remember the relief of walking back out of the shop doors!
get a outdoor technical top.
oh i got a really good one from mountain warehouse.... it feels so smooth, and its really breathable, it has like pores all in it, and it shines and it smooth i guess the material is probably like that of silk but not, i guess silk as it shines and is soft and smooth. its really breathable, fast drying, and odor proof. could wear it for very very long time and even through rain, it will dry fast and it wont stink. good for the hot summer we had.
Thank you all for your advice, I really appreciate that you have took the time to read and reply.
Most of the tshirts he has have a transfer label on them instead of a meterial tag, I have tried so many ways to get them off but haven't succeeded.
He hates clothes shopping, I get him to try things on that he likes, he says they are fine. I buy them, then he refuses to wear them.
It's only been the last few months that this has been an issue. However I will try everything that has been mentioned. I just want him to be comfortable and not get frustrated with himself.
My son often prefers not to wear tops, socks too. I have a problem with labels and if I remove them even a small bit left causes a problem. I have also found recently that some Tshirts have a strip of rough ribbon to hold the label in place. Removing this made them finally comfortable.
Is it possible to go to shops together to feel the fabric before buying a top?
Also I have found socks get hard when they have been washed many times. When I was a child my Mum washed all the clothes either by hand or in a wash boiler. When she purchased a washing machine the clothes were no longer soft. Fabric conditioner helped but was not the same. There used to be washing powder which was soap based for hand washing but got too bubbly for machines. I don't know if you can still get this. It used to be recommended for wool. You would need to hand wash but could do the rinse and spin in a machine.
Would it help to have looser tops so they are not tight against the skin?
My other thought is whether his skin is dry and rubbing on a cream might help.
I do not buy or wear clothes that have nylon or polyester etc in them for the reasons that JuniperFromGallifrey said, as well as because of the issue of microfibre plastic pollution.
A lot of washing powders make me feel ill just to smell and if I wear something next to my skin that smells strongly, then that will irritate my skin and make me feel prickly too. My neighbour uses a non bio washing powder and I cannot go outside if she has her washing hanging out and the wind is blowing in my direction, the smell is so strong. So, just because it is non-bio, this does not guarantee that it will not be irritating.
Also, if I used a scented or harsh soap or shower/bath gel, that would make my skin feel itchy and then anything I wore would then feel horrible against my skin.
There are lots of things to consider and everyone is different, but I hope that you will find the underlying cause and find a way for your son to feel comfortable and not itchy in his clothes.
Are these all natural fibres? 100% wool, cotton, silk or tree based fabric?
Many individuals are allergic to petroleum based fibres - polyester / nylon, which are basically plastic. Human skin cannot breathe in polyesters, so instead of keeping us warm, it causes us to sweat and does not allow for the body to regulate temperature properly. Arctic explorers don’t wear polyester; it’s dangerous.
Also, if you’re caught in a fire, petroleum based fibres will melt on to your skin and turn to plastic. Autistic individuals are hyper-sensory because we are far more ‘in-tune’ with our biology. Natural fibres including ones made from trees (eucalyptus and bamboo) and 100% cotton or wool are never as distracting to wear as blends with or 100% polyesters.
Have you tried any seamless tops or sensory clothing? Maybe it’s the seams rubbing on him that are causing him irritation
