Fashion

[etherial]

A near-death-experience on Monday reminded me of something I've always found strange. People find clothes uncomfortable. Now, I'm not just talking about women, for whom the fashion industry is one of their most visible enemies, constantly creating clothes that fit absolutely no one, and expectations of size and scale that are inhumanly cruel, but the consensus at the time was that a significant majority of people, everyday, wear clothes that they find uncomfortable.

This I don't get. My closet is full - overfull, in fact - with clothes that I find comfortable. Clothes that I don't exactly find joyous to wear, but am perfectly happy wearing day-in, day-out, everything in my wardrobe is something I'd feel perfectly fine wearing around the house just 'cause, even the stuff that I don't because it really needs to be dry-cleaned.

I mean, I do have some shirts that don't fit quite right, but they look really nice, and the tiny discomfort of wearing a shirt that doesn't fit quite right is outweighed by the fact that these shirts look really good. So tell me, people of the world, what clothes do you wear - rarely or regularly - that you find uncomfortable? What do you do as an alternative when you're lounging around the house? How and why do you put up with this crap?

Comments

[tpau]

hm...

all of my shoews that are nto sneakers arento comfortable
all fo my jeans that are not htis pair i am wearingnow are uncomfortable
all of my formal clothing is uncomfortable
all skirts are not comfortable without bike-shorts, which are in and of themselves uncomfortable

i wear these things becasuethey look nice, or are required by the ocasion, or whatever.

if i want to be truly comfortable at home, i don't wear clothing, clothign is restrictive andnot needed except for temperature and modesty. i have no need to deal with either temperature or modesty at home...

[etherial.livejournal.com]

What is uncomfortable about them? What could possibly be uncomfortable in, say, your camo skirt?

[tpau]

it is restricting. it prevents me form sensing hte world fully

[etherial.livejournal.com]

Your woo-woo has radar?

[tpau]

i was going with teh epidermus there, as the main sensory organ one has...

[etherial.livejournal.com]

It also has limited value. Skirts and Kilts don't limit me from sensing much of anything, and I never had you pegged for a tactiphile. I mean, I haven't seen you try to sense anything with anything down there.

[tpau]

you knwo i started typing a response to that but then descided really there is no way to make it an appropriate response for a public forum.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

You know, I don't think I have any clothes that are in and of themselves uncomfortable that I wear regularly or not. I might find something in the back of the closet that I never wear that fits that description, but chances are it's something someone *ahem*my mother*ahem* bought them for me, rather than something I bought for myself. I've seen things that looked really cool, but didn't work when I tried them on (dear fashion designers STOP women are not men with breasts STOP please make clothing appropriately STOP sincerely Brynn END), so I didn't buy them. The closest I get are outfits with metal in/on them that would trigger an allergic reaction if I wore them for more than a day, but I've never worn them that long.

[etherial.livejournal.com]

somehow, I'm not surprised that you and me are in "Exceptionland" on this one.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

Actually, if the Tibetian clothing shop where I get most of the outfits I adore (which are mostly one-size-fits-all, through judicious use of tying strings and elastic) is any indication, Exceptionland is where the Dali Lama is king. I can deal with that.

[jehanna.livejournal.com]

I love Tibetan-type stuff. All those made-in-India things. Sadly, "one size fits all" is generally more like "one size fits most", and I'm not in the "most" group at the moment. So I've been sewing more instead.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

That reminds me of a time back when I was a kid where one of my friends got a "one size fits all" dress and all of my friends who were there decided to test the theory. It did in fact fit all of them (including the guys), and there is (or was) photographic evidence to that effect. Ah, the good old days ;P.

I'm sorry the tibetian/indian stuff doesn't fit you though. If I sewed I would totally conspire with you to design patterns that are similar that would fit you, but all I do is cross-stitch.

[jehanna.livejournal.com]

I used to make that mistake occasionally in my youth, but I've given up on uncomfortable clothing. It just isn't ever worth the bother. If I were more reliant on my looks for any reason (and had any to rely on to begin with in any significant degree), perhaps I'd feel differently. But I don't have the patience to do that whole "suffering for beauty" thing. I never wear heels 2" or higher, and anything that attempts to make me feel like an overstuffed sausage is Right Out. :)

comfy?

[cthulhia]

I guess...

bras can be uncomfortable in terms of tightness, but more comfortable than braless in terms of support.

I avoided pantyhose for years, but... they seem to be less itchy than I remember. And sometimes, if I am dressed too physically comfortably, I feel socially uncomfortable, like, too informal for the occasion. Dressing up in clothing that may be slightly less than comfortable often gets me into a better mindset. The discomfort is often more a matter of unfamiliarity than actual physical difficulty.

That said, since there is a wealth of fashion choices, even here in the plus-sized ghetto, I get fussy about fabric quality and fit and comfort. I would do crimes for a decent pair of full-length (not capri) olive colored chinos with sewn-flat pockets on the bum.

Re: comfy?

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the bra - though my discomfort has less to do with support than with people being completely unable to ignore them when they are not underwired.

I find much of the clothing I have to wear in New England in the winter uncomfortable, especially if I'm biking (which is my main form of transportation). However, it's less uncomfortable than freezing.

Occasionally, my mother will buy me clothing that is uncomfortable (those of you who have met my mother will understand that the discomfort is caused by embarrassment, rather than fit), and I'll wear it just to make her happy.

[kadath.livejournal.com]

I'm phasing out the last of my uncomfortable shoes, and after that's accomplished, I can't think of anything I own that isn't comfortable to wear.

[etherial.livejournal.com]

What did you wear/own previously that was uncomfortable? Why did you put up with it? Why did you buy it in the first place?

[kadath.livejournal.com]

The Air Force uniform wasn't exactly an exercise in comfort (while it wasn't exactly uncomfortable, either), but the reasons for putting up with that one should be obvious.

Besides that, I own/ed a few pairs of uncomfortable shoes. In one case, they used to be comfortable, and just stopped being so after I didn't wear them for a while, so I tossed 'em. In another case, they were comfortable in the store, but not for long periods of wear, so I'm holding on to them until I can find a pair of cream dress shoes that aren't uncomfortable. In yet another case, it's pair of high-heeled boots that aren't worth the pain for the look they provide, so they're just sitting in the closet gathering dust until I find someone who wants them. The shoes that go with the bridesmaid's dress for Ren's wedding aren't particularly comfortable, either, but I demanded a wide, low heel, so they're basically wearable, and I would consider wearing them with the dress again for the color match if I have a semi-formal event to attend.

There is no reason to wear uncomfortable clothing unless you are a fetishist or trading comfort for some degree of social obligation--and even then, I'm not willing to trade away much in the way of comfort.

The exception to the comfort rule: the break-in period on good boots.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

I had a hard time finding knee-length platform boots that didn't involve a Heel From Hell (you know, if it's already high enough for a plastic fish to fit in the sole, I don't need a longer heel on top of that). I did manage to find a pair at Hubba Hubba where the portion that my foot rests on is flat and therefore they're pretty comfortable (and hence I acquired my Boots What Make Me Tall).

Oh, I do have some skirts that are more restricting than I'd like, but they're not uncomfortable, they're dangerous. I discovered this when I made what I thought was a simply leap to a bus from a curb, but I almost managed to miss the bus and fall on my face or my laptop because my leg was stopped short by the skirt. If I knew how to sew I'd put a slit in it (the slit is easy, the hem is not), but as it is I'm thinking of getting rid of it.

[kadath.livejournal.com]

Oh, that reminds me...costuming for LARPs. I will wear uncomfortable clothing if it fits the character or if I desperately need a piece that I can't find in a more comfortable size/style to complete a costume. (Your comment reminded me because I think I still have a too-tight skirt in my closet somewhere that I wore as a priggish Tremere.)

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

Actually, whenever I wear clothing that's not normal for me or whatever's left on laundry day[1] I perceive it as costuming. That's includes dressing up for formal events and getting into clubbing outfits to go to Manray (or the current equivalent), as well as whatever I wear to LARPs, cons, or the ren fair. They all occupy that same sort of not-reality space in my head, for whatever reason.

[1] I'm 27 and I still behave like a college student. *hangs head in shame*

[anitra.livejournal.com]

It's extremely hard for me to find clothes that I am physically comfortable in - I have long arms and legs, and (for a woman) big feet. So I wear a lot of pants that are too short and shirts that have short sleeves (which makes me cold). All of my shoes are uncomfortable except for my sneakers, because my feet are really a 10.5 - and all I can get in dress shoes is a 10 or an 11.

There's also the issue of mental comfort or appropriateness. For example: At church, I feel more comfortable in a skirt than in pants. I have some extra-long pants that are feel wonderful, but they look too tight, which makes me uncomfortable when I look in the mirror. It's not really appropriate for me to wear sneakers to work every day - especially if I wear a skirt or nice pants. In the first paragraph, I mentioned that it is very hard for me to find clothes that fit... it is even harder to find clothes that are "appropriate" that fit properly.

I'd agree with cthulhia on the bra comfort issue: I will never go bra-less for any length of time, because it's uncomfortable. But I will hang on to bras after they get stretched-out and uncomfortable, because good bras are expensive, and I need to keep enough bras to do laundry once a week.

If I don't have anywhere to be, I usually wear track pants or sweatpants, a T-shirt that reflects my mood, and a ratty flannel shirt if I'm cold.

Interestingly enough, all of the formal clothes I can remember wearing were much more comfortable than my everyday wear - even my wedding dress was extremely comfortable, as long as I wasn't trying to fit into a tight space (like a car). In general, I'd say that long skirts are more comfortable than most pants, and than all short skirts - however, you trade off freedom of movement for comfort. Once again, the problem is simply finding skirts that fit.

I guess in the end, it comes down to money: If I was willing to spend a lot more money (and time) on clothes and shoes, I could find ones that fit well and were more comfortable.

Am I the only one not focused on the clothing part of this?

[rmoonsong.livejournal.com]

um... near death experience??? I take it you made it through ok as you were able to type this entry.

Re: Am I the only one not focused on the clothing part of this?

[etherial.livejournal.com]

well, it made me want to gouge my eyes out...

Re: Am I the only one not focused on the clothing part of this?

[oldest-song.livejournal.com]

related to clothes not being comfortable in some way?

Re: Am I the only one not focused on the clothing part of this?

[etherial.livejournal.com]

related to seeing what happens when certain people find clothes uncomfortable.

Re: Am I the only one not focused on the clothing part of this?

[oldest-song.livejournal.com]

MY EYES!

[leahseraph.livejournal.com]

I go through periods where pants are uncomfortable for me (depending on my weight and current fashion cycles). My waist is long, so there's a trade off between pants staying up (as defined by not having my underwear visible to the world at large) and their not digging into my hips/crotch. Belts do not generally help. I've been erring on the side of pants that hit too low and very long shirts over them, but it's not ideal. Also I wear a lot of skirts.

re: sneakers

[etherial.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I tried not to laugh last year when Janet and Trish and the sclecetaries mentioned how they were "being bad" and secretly wearing sneakers that day.

[7threality.livejournal.com]

the consensus at the time was that a significant majority of people, everyday, wear clothes that they find uncomfortable.

I maintain that people are stupid.

I find that uncomfortable clothing is generally associated with appearance rather than substance. It's part of a fad that people buy into, or a tradition that they don't question. Then there's the matter of habit. If you wear the uncomfortable long enough, then it ceases to be uncomfortable. And finally, the subjective, which is that what I find uncomfortable (or useless) others don't.

People also judge by appearance, which factors in when you put too much weight on the opinions of others rather than your own. I fall for the appearance thing a bit, but I'm conscious of it when I'm doing it and try to get away from it.

what clothes do you wear - rarely or regularly - that you find uncomfortable?

For weddings/funerals/job interviews, I have a suit.

For the rest of the time, I wear what I find comfortable. It's worth it to me to not have a job that requires shirt and tie, or even slacks (as opposed to jeans). It would require a large monetary incentive for me to wear something like that on a regular basis.

However, I also don't find pants in general all that comfortable, and I'd prefer to not have to deal with socks/shoes. Unfortunately, I choose to bed to the will of society on this point. The pants I wear (jeans) are as comfortable as I can manage, and the shoes likewise. The shoes tend to be a black sneaker, so they at least pass at a casual glance as non-sneaker (no swooshes or multicolor brightness).

What do you do as an alternative when you're lounging around the house?

Baggy sweatshorts and a shirt (either one of my work polo's or a t-shirt).

If I were a) in better shape so I wouldn't care about seeing myself and b) wouldn't disturb my roommates so badly, I'd probably skip the shirt, and probably the shorts.

How and why do you put up with this crap?
If I drive barefoot, I can be ticketed.
I can't go into stores and buy stuff while barefoot.
People have no real care about the state of things, hence litter, general stickiness and broken glass etc.

I can get by with a pair of sandals though.