Clothes

[bluefish]

Hi, ds always wants to wear the same clothes on non school days(he calls it his weekend suit!) at weekends this is frustrating but not the end of the world, although I am sure people think the poor lad has no ther clothes! but I choose my battles these days and this was one I decided he could win as it did no harm and caused him so much distress.

Now its the holidays and he could not possibly wear the same thing everyday, although he would love too!

I reasoned that it might be that he feels "safe" knowing what he will wear? so have made up 7 different outfits(suits), named them with the days of the week and put them on his visual planner each day and it seems to have worked, he is still a little unsure and would prefer to wear his favorite suit but is complying.

 

Just wondered if anyone else has this problem? and also if any adults with asd might be able to put in to words what ds is feeling regarding his need to wear the same thing....

I guessed it could be security thing as he wears his school uniform without fail, for school trips, dress-up days, plays etc as he can not understand that you could possibly wear anything else!

 

I often think the other mums think that I am an absent minded mother and I simply didnt bother to kit him out on non uniform days

not to mention every phot of my son he is wearing the same thing!!!!

[Mumble]

Oh yes, a huge problem! I do have several of the same thing but they are either exact copies or just slight variations in colour. I know people think I don't change my clothes but I know I do and so I don't let it get to me.

 

Why? Well that's really difficult to put into words. I suppose it's a mixture of things:

• Not having to make a decision about what to wear and worrying about making the 'wrong' decision
• Knowing how the clothes will feel so I'm not uncomfortable
• This won't relate to your DS, but it means I don't have to make huge decisions about what to buy - I know which shops sell the items I wear that fit me
• Also, by always wearing the same, people can't make comments on my 'new' outfit, so I don't have to deal with not knowing what to say!

It sounds to me like you're doing all the right things - I'd just suggest caution over the day-named outfits in case the sock monster gets peckish and steals part of one outfit...

 

[NobbyNobbs]

i'm still wearing the same set of tshirts i got 10 years ago... i can't replace them now, and they're falling to pieces and the anxiety when i think about having to get different shirts to wear is just rediculous. i shouldn't be so worried about some bits of fabric but i am- so i'm putting it off and may find myself with nothing to wear fairly soon (thats happened with my jeans, i wound up wearing cropped jeans in december because they were the only things left i was willing to wear. i have 7-8 tshirts in blue/dark green, or rather that were originally blue/dark green and are now greyish, and jeans and thats all i wear, i just grab the next shirt in the pile each day and thats all the thinking about what to wear i do!

Edited July 28, 2009 by NobbyNobbs

[oxgirl]

My lad owns two identical pairs of jeans, two identical long-sleeved, totally plain tops (one brown, one blue), two identical t-shirts (one blue, one red) and that is it! He wears them in rotation. His school doesn't wear uniform, so he wears it all through the week, weekends and holidays included. Even as the summer has approached and it is hot some days, he HAS to wear his long-sleeved top over his t-shirt at all times and won't consider taking it off. He's wearing the same outfit now that he wore in February, despite the changes in temperature. When he either gets holes in these tops or outgrows them, it will be an ENORMOUS problem finding replacements that he will accept.

 

~ Mel ~

[bluefish]

Oh yes, a huge problem! I do have several of the same thing but they are either exact copies or just slight variations in colour. I know people think I don't change my clothes but I know I do and so I don't let it get to me.

 

Why? Well that's really difficult to put into words. I suppose it's a mixture of things:

• Not having to make a decision about what to wear and worrying about making the 'wrong' decision
• Knowing how the clothes will feel so I'm not uncomfortable
• This won't relate to your DS, but it means I don't have to make huge decisions about what to buy - I know which shops sell the items I wear that fit me
• Also, by always wearing the same, people can't make comments on my 'new' outfit, so I don't have to deal with not knowing what to say!

It sounds to me like you're doing all the right things - I'd just suggest caution over the day-named outfits in case the sock monster gets peckish and steals part of one outfit...

thankyou so much for your reply, glad you think I am doing the right thing....it is nice to hear the view of someone on the spectrum as I am working in the dark and everythining is trial and error xxxx

[julie1]

every sunday until my son was about 11 years old he would put on his shorts and always got upset if i tryed to make him wear something new or different. He always said he had to wear shorts as it was a SUN day and he was very stuborn about it. He is older now and understands he can now wear trousers on a sunday, he still has issues with clothes. He really dislikes new clothes, He will now wear other clothes to school even on non uniform day, but this is just starting to happen and he needs a lot of reasurance. And he does insist on wearing thick pjs everynight making himself very hot and uncomfurtable.

[Mumble]

He's wearing the same outfit now that he wore in February, despite the changes in temperature.

Me too!

 

[les1]

Hi

My daughter is similar.

We have had tremendous issues with clothes. It doesn't help that she is overweight due to medication.

However the worst thing for her(she is 8) is the feel of the clothes.

We have to feel everything we buy, it cannot have motifs or buttons as she can feel these on the inside when she wears them.

It is like playing detectives when we go clothes shopping having to feel everything before we buy it.

Waist bands and seams are a problem too.

It is the same with shoes.

We need somebody to make clothes in the same material as ladies pyjamas nice and soft.

School uniform is also an issue although her special school are very good and allow her to wear cliothes that are nearly the same as the others.

And to anyone who thinks we are pandering to her needs, just know that dressing is a nightmare and an issue that causes her extreme anxiety.

Her sensory issues are the worst her OT has seen although she still hasn't received any help for this.

 

Oh well just one of the many things that makes living with our kids interesting!!

 

 

[Mandapanda]

Hi

 

I feel for you !!

 

I have to wash and tumble dry my boys' clothes while they are in their pyjamas.

 

We now try to get 2 of items (and next size up too), but that may only work if you alternate the wearing of them from the start, otherwise they will have one softer, faded version of something and a brighter obviously new version. My boys have been known to find some subtle difference between apparently identical items. You have been warned !!!!!!! Do read the sock thread before it's too late, as well.

 

Good luck.

[chris54]

Hi, ds always wants to wear the same clothes on non school days(he calls it his weekend suit!) at weekends this is frustrating but not the end of the world, although I am sure people think the poor lad has no ther clothes!

 

Just wondered if anyone else has this problem?

 

I guessed it could be security thing as he wears his school uniform without fail, for school trips, dress-up days, plays etc as he can not understand that you could possibly wear anything else!

If I think about it my son is like this to a degree but then for me it is normal as I'm just the same so don't see it as a problem.

 

I can remember one day when I was young, my brother ripping up my jumper because he was so sick of seeing me wearing it.

[wasuup]

Hi, ds always wants to wear the same clothes on non school days(he calls it his weekend suit!) at weekends this is frustrating but not the end of the world, although I am sure people think the poor lad has no ther clothes! but I choose my battles these days and this was one I decided he could win as it did no harm and caused him so much distress.

Now its the holidays and he could not possibly wear the same thing everyday, although he would love too!

I reasoned that it might be that he feels "safe" knowing what he will wear? so have made up 7 different outfits(suits), named them with the days of the week and put them on his visual planner each day and it seems to have worked, he is still a little unsure and would prefer to wear his favorite suit but is complying.

 

Just wondered if anyone else has this problem? and also if any adults with asd might be able to put in to words what ds is feeling regarding his need to wear the same thing....

I guessed it could be security thing as he wears his school uniform without fail, for school trips, dress-up days, plays etc as he can not understand that you could possibly wear anything else!

 

I often think the other mums think that I am an absent minded mother and I simply didnt bother to kit him out on non uniform days

not to mention every phot of my son he is wearing the same thing!!!!

 

 

Oh yes we have the same problem with sponge bob t-shirts!

[MrB]

I was the same as a child. I wore my school uniform constantly because I felt secure in it - it felt 'right'. I never even took the tie off, because that felt totally incorrect and even 'wrong'. My family still tease me about that to this day.

 

I hated new clothes with a passion, even if they were okay (then as now, some clothes look disgusting to me). I remember the only time my granny lost her cool with me was after a hour of trying persuade me to wear a new coat.

 

I actually enjoy buying new clothes now - BUT they have to be 'right'. I rarely see something that does not offend me, but if I do I am happy to wear it. However, I rarely wear anything bought for me, I don't know why. Maybe that could be a clue? Ask him to buy his own clothes?

 

I still to this day will wear the same outfit for days on end though and have a shirt I bought way back in 1989 that I still prefer to anything else since.